Thanks a lot for the replies!

I'm wondering if someone could tell me if I'm able to use foreign credit cards to buy train tickets - or do I have to run to an ATM first and draw cash?

TIA!

Ctrip is the only (non-extortionate) company I know of that accepts foreign credit cards for train tickets. If you want to buy tickets on the spot at PVG, you'll need cash.

I am very new here and you can tell from my other posts that I am a total newbie!

There are busses available from Suzhou-PVG (and SHA) for under 100RMB, so I assume that one can get them in the opposite direction. I am planning to pick up the bus from Suzhou-PVG on Wednesday to see what it is like. The pickup stop in Suzhou is just across from the Intercontinental and tickets are bought at the stop.

A car service is available from PVG-Suzhou for 300RMB (and I assume Kunshan isn't much different) which is about $50 door to door booked in advance. My employer arranged it (and paid for it) on my arrival last month and I am using it myself when I come back in a couple of weeks (arranged by the admin staff) since my plane isn't scheduled to land until 9.30pm.

I know this isn't very concrete since I haven't done it myself yet. If you want more info (and speak Mandarin which I just noticed on re-reading!) then I could at least try to get you more details if you send me a PM.

Thanks

Dr. PITUK

Edit: I just used the car service to get to PVG. Despite my colleague saying 300 when he takes it, I was actually charged 350RMB. Still a good deal, I think - my MUCH shorter taxi ride home tomorrow in YYJ will cost the same!

You can pay just about every online ticket agent via credit card. However, when buying in person, you need to pay cash or have a UnionPay card.

Yes, there is bus service between PVG and ~15 cities in the Yangtze Delta region. But, unlike the numbered buses, these medium distance buses don't run every 10-15 minutes; some only do 3-4 trips per day. So, a bit more planning (or waiting around the airport) is in order. Y300 for a car service to/from Suzhou sounds like a great deal to me (a night time taxi to Jing'an costs almost that much), especially if you're traveling with someone else.