My wife and I plan to leave Changsha on August 30 to travel to Suzhou, Hangzhou and surrounding areas. We are looking for guidance from experts and can travel freely! ~

The beautiful Suzhou city in dialect on the first day

The Liuyuan-Huqiu-Shantang Street The beautiful Suzhou city in dialect on the second day

Humble Government Garden - Looking for Tongli Ancient Town in the residential houses on Pingjiang Road on the third day

Fengqiao - Lingyin Temple - A quick glance at Zhouzhuang on the fourth day of Tongli

The fifth day of Tongli The beautiful Yuhang in the West Lake

Zhouzhuang-Leifeng Pagoda-Sudi The beautiful Yuhang in the West Lake on the sixth day

Feilaifeng-Lingyin Temple shuttle in Ganglie on the seventh day and the fragile history

Yuewang Temple-Jiaxing Xitang Ancient Town Lingering in the mist and rain of Xitang on the eighth day

Jiaxing Xitang Ancient Town-Changsha

Suzhou Railway Station You can get there by getting off at Pingmen East Station on the route map of North Passenger Transport Station. If you are traveling by bus in Hangzhou, it is recommended that you travel early. The traffic along the West Lake is very congested and taking the bus takes a lot of time. The passenger terminals in various ancient towns only sell tickets for the same day, so if you travel early the next day, you cannot buy tickets in advance and have to get up early. In Tongli, you can take a battery car from the passenger station to the ancient town, or from the ancient town to Luoxingzhou, and the price is clearly marked; in Xitang, there are rickshaws that can take you to the passenger station or the entrance of the scenic spot. You have to bargain with the master, but the master makes money It’s really not easy haha; in Zhouzhuang, if you arrive at the bus station, you can take a bus to the scenic spot. If you arrive at the Jiangze Road bus station, that place is very desolate and you need to walk a long way before taking a bus.

Accommodation:

Suzhou: It is strongly recommended that you stay near Xuanmiao Temple! The location couldn't be better. There is Guanqian Street next to it. It is very convenient for shopping and finding snacks. It is also very convenient to go to scenic spots by car. Of course, if your itinerary includes more than just West Lake, you can also stay in popular areas such as Wulin Square Subway Station, which is very convenient for travel. We stayed at the Pudding Hotel Nansong Yujie Branch. The room was not big and the service attitude at the front desk was average. It is not recommended to stay there;

Tongli: There are still many inns in Tongli, and the ancient town is not big, so the location is not suitable for inns. The choice does not have a big impact

Zhouzhuang: There are many inns in Zhouzhuang, but it is best to stay in the scenic area. The inns outside the scenic area are generally very small hotels.

Notes:

1. When traveling in Suzhou and Hangzhou, change is essential. Buses require coins, and the prices are still uncertain. So it’s best to prepare some coins in advance when going out. Don’t wait for the bus to come and then rush around looking for people to change change.

2. It is good to have a guide or guide in most attractions. There are some historical sites that need to be understood, otherwise it is meaningless to just take a look. You can rent free guides at places like Suzhou Gardens or Feilaifeng Lingyin Temple, and the price is very cheap.

3. Boating in the West Lake is a must-experience experience. Don’t choose an electric boat, but a hand-cranked boat. The hand-operated boat is very slow and comfortable. The master who drives the boat will tell you stories about the West Lake along the way, which is very interesting.

4. It is still very interesting to rent a bicycle in West Lake to go around the lake. It can also save you the trouble of taking the bus to travel to various attractions, but you must prepare a deposit in advance. There are public bicycle rental points in Hangzhou. As long as there is a rental point, you can rent and return the bike without having to return to the rental point. It is really convenient. After all, the public transportation in Hangzhou is a mess, so I recommend everyone to give it a try.

5. Hanshan Temple and Lingyin Temple do not allow outside incense to enter the temple, so there is no need to buy incense in advance.

6. Be careful of children selling flowers on Guanqian Street and Shantang Street in Suzhou.

7. The passenger terminals in the ancient town only sell same-day tickets, so it is best to reserve time when planning your itinerary.

8. It is best not to visit the ancient town on weekends. People from some surrounding cities will also come to visit at this time, and there are really many, many people.

9. If you want to better appreciate the ancient town, it is best to get up early in the morning. Even during the peak season in Zhouzhuang or Xitang, there are not many people in the morning.

10. Regarding fare evasion in ancient towns, it is best to call and ask the innkeeper. Generally, it is after 4:30 pm in Tongli, and after 9:30 pm in Zhouzhuang and Xitang. This part of the content cannot be found online, so you need to confirm with your boss the time when you can evade fares according to your itinerary.

11. Be sure to remember to withdraw money before going to the ancient town. There are generally no banks in the ancient town. If you really don’t have cash, you can use Alipay to withdraw cash with the boss.

12. Some well-known hotels in Hangzhou, such as Grandma’s House, Zhiweiguan, etc., need to queue up during meals, so friends who want to have a big meal should arrange their time well.

13. Be careful of the kind of things I encountered in Xitang, although I am not sure if it is a scam.

Weather:

The weather in Suzhou and Hangzhou in summer is still a big factor in determining whether you can have fun. There are heavy rains in Suzhou and Hangzhou in summer. If you really catch a typhoon, you will be really out of luck. We encountered heavy rain on our second day in Suzhou, which resulted in many trips not being made.

Therefore, while determining the itinerary based on the weather forecast, it is recommended that if you have sufficient time and budget, arrange an extra day in the cities you focus on visiting. This will ensure that you have enough time to complete your itinerary plan without being rushed. Busy. If you don't catch a typhoon, but you do catch a high temperature, it won't be pleasant. It only rained one day during our stay, and the weather was very cool. I can only say that we were very lucky. But the high temperature has been 39 degrees every day for the past week, so we must do a good job in preventing heat stroke, and prepare umbrellas and necessary medicines.

Medication:

There are many mosquitoes in the south. Although the solution I thought of was just a band-aid, it was still a solution. If you go in summer, medicine to prevent heatstroke is also a must. Of course, normal cold and fever medicines are also necessary if you have a long trip or are out for a long time.