After visiting Suzhou, I plan to head to Xian, and I assume the most logical way to do that is by air (I've heard the train trip is quite long). Looking at the airline schedules, and to my surprise, it seems like all the Shanghai flights to Xian leave from the Pudong airport, and not Hongqiao.

If so, is there any logical way to the Pudong airport from Suzhou other than a taxi? And if I go by taxi, is that something I'll need to negotiate? And how exactly would one do that -- carry your bags to the street, hail a taxi with the Chinese characters for the airport written down, and bargain?

BTW, my hotel says it's a 2.5 hour ride to the Pudong airport (true?) and offered me what I presume is a completely insane price of 1300 RMB for the trip!

Thanks.