Airlines The main CAAC reservations and ticketing office is at 120 Renmin Lu, a few minutes' walk south of Gangjiang Lu (tel 5222788; daily 8-11.30am & 1-5.15pm).

Banks and exchange The Bank of China head office (Mon-Fri 8.30-11.30am & 1.30-4.30pm, Sat 8am-11.30pm) is on Renmin Lu right in the centre of town, just north of Guanqian Jie. You can change travellers' cheques in any of the upmarket hotels if you are a guest.

Bike rental Rental outfits abound along Renmin Lu between the train station and Beisi Ta, and all along Shiquan Jie near Wangshi Yuan. The price should be between ¥5 and ¥20 per person per day (plus ID card as deposit). There are several rental places around the corner from the train station ticket office near the CITS branch, but they are slightly more expensive.

Boats Connecting Suzhou and Hangzhou, there is one service daily in both directions, taking around thirteen hours. The incoming boat arrives in the early morning at around 7am, and the outward boat leaves at 5.30pm - tickets range from ¥20 (hard seat) to ¥180 for a private cabin, with a fifty percent foreigners' surcharge that you can get around if you own a Chinese student card. A bar and karaoke are on board. Buy tickets at CITS or at the dock at the southern end of Renmin Lu.

Hospital The No. 1 Hospital is in the east of town, at the junction of Fenghuang Jie and Shizi Jie.

Internet Modernman Internet Pub, on the western side of Daichengqiao Lu two blocks south of the Shiquan Jie intersection, has a reasonably priced service. Places are constantly opening and closing along Shiquan Jie, so check with your hotel for the latest information.

Post office Suzhou's main post office is at the corner of Renmin Lu and Jingde Lu.

PSB On Renmin Lu, at the junction with the small lane Dashitou Xiang.

Telephone The telephone code for Suzhou is 0512.

Tours If you're in a hurry, a one-day tour can be an excellent way to get round all the main sights - minibuses depart from the train station square at 7.30am and return at 4.30pm, and cost ¥10 exclusive of admission charges. Tours specially geared for foreign tourists in air-conditioned buses can be booked at CITS (or other travel services) for around ¥260, which includes lunch and all admission fees.

Trains The train ticket office is located in a separate building to the left of the station as you walk out. Foreigners should queue at windows #1 or #2, where service is a little quicker. The office only sells same-day tickets; for advance service, head to the Gloria Plaza Hotel on Ganjiang Dong Jie near the Renmin Lu intersection, where, for a ¥20 fee, someone will buy the tickets up to a day in advance for you.

Travel agents Nearly all hotels have their own travel agencies. CITS offices are found in the same building as the train station ticket office (daily 8am-6pm; tel 7530782), and in a wing of the Suzhou Hotel on Shiquan Jie (daily 9am-4pm; tel 5211054).