Possible Itinerary, comments requested

I hope to spend 10 full days in and around Shanghai in late October and early November and a half day at the beginning and end of the trip.

I%26#39;d like to spend at least 3 full days in Shanghai and visit as well Suzhou, Huangshan, Hangshou and perhaps another water town, like Wuxi.

Any other must-see thoughts of China experts in my limited time is appreciated.

Can someone suggest the best transportation between the places and a sensible itinerary as to what order to visit these places.

I%26#39;d prefer to travel by bus or train and to avoid flights.

Also, what are the best search engines to find moderately priced hotels in these places? How far in advance should I begin looking to book a room?

Thanks.

Possible Itinerary, comments requested

Wow you start your homework so early~~

3 days in Shanghai will be enough. if you take train, maybe you can only focus on the east China because you know our country is that much big...

1 day in Suzhou, 2 days in Hangzhou, 2 days in Huangshan, well i don%26#39;t think wuxi is so attractive, you can go zhoushan or ningbo instead if you want water~~~ seafood in Ningbo is great

except huangshan (11 hours train, you can choose N418, ETD2235, ETA 1000), other place only 2-3 hours train, you can easily get there~~

you can refer to ctrip (www.ctrip.com) or mango (www.manguo.com) for hotel reservation.

Possible Itinerary, comments requested

why don%26#39;t you go nanjing? great place and not far from shanghai

Yes, Nanjing was another place I was thinking about....I haven%26#39;t researched it yet...

What%26#39;s the best way to get to Huangshan from these places? Is there a direct train? How cold will it be here in Huangshan in early November?

Does it matter if I stay near the bottom of the Huangshan mountain or the top? I understand there%26#39;s a big price difference.

Thanks.

Shanghai - Suzhou / Hangzhou / Wuxi, express train -%26gt; D train for sure, fastest way and cost you a little, comfortable %26amp; air-conditioned.

Wuxi... I don%26#39;t think it%26#39;s a water town, just with a big lake, if you want to go to water town with the canal, try the ancient water towns like Xitang, tongli, nanxun, Wuzhen ( just pick up one)

Nanjing is quite nice for the history, and if you would like to visit some rural area I recommend Chongming Island ( by ferry about 1 hour), spend 1-2 days to see the farm, eco-village, wetland, National forest park....)

for hotel: www.elong.net, www.english.ctrip.com, booking 1-2 month in advance is OK.

from Shanghai to Huangshan is by air ( just one flight everyday, not easy to get the tickets, just buy it in advance) or take overnight train. Definitely cold in Nov.

If you would like to get up early then climb to see the sunset, just pick up the one at the bottom of the mountain. Sometimes the ones on the top is expensive and need to book very early.

Forgot to say, Hangzhou is famous for West Lake, Wuxi is famous for Tai lake, but West Lake is definitely more beautiful than Tai lake, and Hangzhou is called the ';paradise';:D Recommend staying overnight at Hangzhou, walking around west lake at night is very relaxing:)

By D train Shanghai %26lt;-%26gt; Suzhou around 38 min, Shanghai %26lt;-%26gt; Hangzhou around 1 hours and 10 min. I%26#39;m a super fan of D train:DDD

Thanks, CMM...what airlines fly to Huangshan and approximate cost?

Is it difficult from the airport in Huangshan to the base of mountain? What are options and approximate costs?

How about Nanjing to Huangshan? Is there a train or a bus? About how long would that take?

Thanks again.

forget the toxic wuxi area. It is not a water town but a city. there is a lake and a few other places nearby really worth a look but probably not high on you list given your short time. if your here for a few months then yes, do it. but 3 days in shangahi - depends if you want to party or not. Many bars but julu lu is OK amongst others and your hotel lobby bar... personally I find shanghai of limited interest for a visit. particularly if you have been elsewhere in asia. there really is only a couple of days of tourist sites in the city. The bund, for instance is 15 mins at day and then come back at night say 9:00 for 15 mins for the view across the river, otherwise it really is a pretty dud boulevarde with some older european style buildings that are unspectacular to say the least, just that they are in china.

if I had a week free I would head straight to Yangshuo, near guilin or xishaungbanna if you have some mandarin.

You have time so please consider my thoughts.

Shanghai - Huangshan around 630RMB for economic class around Huangshan at 21:50, usually the hotel there will suggest you stay the hotel close to the airport for the first night... I remember it takes you over 1 hour to get to the mountain.

Nanjing - Huangshan:

train: around 7 hours, fastest is K25, 5 hours and 22 min

bus: around 6 hours