Accommodation in Shanghai 

Welcome back to the fold Glad to know your dates for Shanghai - reckon it will help me get you better hotel deals as well. Thanks so much for the clarification on the budget. Will be recommending hotels around the French Concession District based on your clarification. I will also help you plan your Hangzhou and Suzhou trips.

Your options in the French Concession District are:

• Captain Hostel (Fu Zhou Road branch) - RECOMMENDED. The Captain Hostel is in a 1920's art-deco building within walking distance to the Bund, Nanjing Road, People's Square and Yuyuan Garden. You have two options here - either to go First-Class which comes at RMB 500 (US$73) or take the Sailor's Bunk which goes at RMB 90 (US$13). Don't forget to visit Noah's, their rooftop bar, that affords a fantastic view of the Huang Pu River, the Shanghai skyline and Pudong. Read the nice Fodors review and the not-so-nice reviews on Tripadvisor to make up your mind! Oh yeah and these guys rent out bikes too!

• The Pujiang Hotel (The Historic Astor House Hotel) - RECOMMENDED. Built in 1860, this is China's oldest hotel! You really can't get more historic than that! Check online for their rates. I think this place is a steal for US$82 subject to 10% Service Charge and 5% Tax. Inclusive of breakfast. And if you really feel like living it up, why don't you try a room in which Albert Einstein has stayed before! Read reviews here and I would say GO GO GO!!

• Shanghai New-Westlake Hotel - RECOMMENDED. No. 22, Lane 133, Mao Ming Road (S), Luwan District. The fusion of Oriental architecture and Western design creates an atmosphere of stylish yet soothing charm. A Superior Twin room comes at RMB 533 (US$78). Read here for excellent reviews on Tripadvisor.

• Blue Mountain Youth Hostel - (Just opposite Luban Road Metro Station (Line 4)) - Starting at RMB 200 (US$29) for a double/twin room, it seems like a decent place to stay. I did notice on their website they have said, they would not be storing luggage during the Expo period. Please take note of that! Read the reviews here.

• Le Tour Traveler's Rest Youth Hostel - 10 min walk to Metro Station Jing'an Temple. Has loads of space, a private ensuite double here comes to about  RMB 300 (US$44). There's Internet (free for 20 minutes), laundry, kitchen, bike rental (they also have electric bikes), free umbrella/hair-dryer/iron hire, train ticketing (service charge) and a TV and game room. Read the reviews on Hostelworld here.

• Sports Hotel - This is is a four-star located along Nandan Road in Xuhui District. Outside the hotel are nearby tourist spots such as Shanghai Museum, People’s Square, and Yu Garden. Their Superior Double Room starts at RMB 688 (US$100). Click here for more.

• And my old favourite Old House Inn which starts at US$103 which I have recommended earlier.

For booking the hotels, I would recommend a direct booking through the hotel website. The rates offered are cheaper and most of them openly declare that their Internet rate is cheaper than their rack rate. Please book asap as the room count kept decreasing as I was searching for hotel options in Shanghai.

The Expo

I thought you might like to see these photos from the Washington Post which is Patrick Zachmann's photo diary at the Shanghai World Expo.

On a fun note, I thought I would give you this link for the good, bad and ugly of the Shanghai Expo so you do know what you can see and should miss!

Events

Last but not the least, you are just going to make it just in time for the Shanghai International Film Festival which is ending on June 20th. So check it out whilst you can!

HANGZHOU

Recommended for an overnight visit

It is one of the most important tourist cities in China, famous for its natural beauty and historical and cultural heritage. Even Marco Polo claimed to have passed through, calling it "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world". Note: Expect rain showers - so please do carry that umbrella along!

Getting in

The best option seems to be the train. Check the train schedule here from Shanghai to Hangzhou. It should take you 1 hr, 18 minutes and should cost you about RMB 55 (US$8) for 2nd Class and RMB 66 (US$9) for 1st Class. Make sure you take the train from Shanghai South Station and get down at the main Hangzhou station which is right in the middle of town.

Getting around

• Bus- Hangzhou has an extensive bus network. As well as normal routes around the city, various Tourism Lines, Sightseeing Lines and Holiday Lines are also available. Most of the city-buses in Hangzhou charge CNY 1~3 per person. Note: Y9 is the sightseeing line which travels around the West Lake

• Cab - Hangzhou cabs rank among the best in China's major cities for vehicle models and service. Hangzhou taxi drivers always use the meter as required by law. All routes under 3 kms are charged a flat rate of RMB 11. Few, if any, of the city's taxi drivers speak English or other foreign languages. It is therefore important that you be able to point out your destination on a map, present the driver with the name of the destination (in written Chinese), or properly pronounce the name of the destination in spoken Mandarin Chinese.

• Bicycle - Bicycles are a great way to travel around Hangzhou, especially the West Lake. There are atleast 30 bicycle-rental agencies located along the famed West Lake. Bicycle rentals usually begin at CNY 10 per day (10:00~24:00).

You can read more on Getting Around here.

What to See and Do

• West Lake - RECOMMENDED. If you come to Hangzhou and give this a miss, Marco Polo would roll in his grave for sure! Spend time wandering around the lake. Take a ferry ride to the Islands (try and avoid the dragon boat tourist traps please!). You can read more about West Lake here.

• Leifeng Pagoda - Originally built in the year 977, all that remains of the original pagoda is the crumbling foundation. There is a totally new pagoda on the top of the mountain and the view from here is die for! The entry fee is on the steeper side though, approx RMB 40 so if you want to, just take pictures from outside

• Hike your way up Jade Emperor Hill which is one of the least-visited sites in Hangzhou. It offers a wonderful view of the city and lake below. RECOMMENDED

• Experience inner peace at Guo's Villa, one of the best existing traditional private gardens in Hangzhou. The key feature is water. The entry fee of CNY 10 is well worth it.

• Spend an afternoon at a tea house. RECOMMENDED. A highlight of visiting Hangzhou is getting out to Manjuelong Village, (South of the lake on top of the hill) Longjin Village or Meijiawu Village, (west and further west of the Lake, respectively) to drink your tea. The tea houses all serve very local food - pickled vegetables, chicken broth etc. TIP: Don't forget to buy Chinese tea if you like your cup of chai! Longjing tea is extremely famous - check with a local before buying as there are fake varieties which are also available!

• Consider a side trip to Moganshan. This wiki page dedicated to Moganshan shows off lovely walking trails full of greenery. Check it out if you like walking.

• If I remember right, your husband loves non-vegetarian food. Ask him to try the 'West Lake Sweet & Sour Fish' & 'Beggar’s Chicken' which is wrapped in fresh lotus leaves and baked on the fire.

• You feel like eating Paneer Tikka, try Moksh at 39 Jiefang Rd which has authentic North Indian chefs. Their weekend buffet with free drinks at CNY 80 is a steal!

• Your drinking options include 7 Club, Shamrock Irish Pub and Reggae Bar so enjoy a fine pint of beer here!

Personal Experiences

You can read Kate Collins who is an Australian settled in Hangzhou here. Enjoy reading!

After going through this, let me know if you decide to stay over in Hangzhou. If you so decide, then I will definitely come back to you with options to spend the night there.

SUZHOU

Recommended for a day visit

Its waterways have given this city the moniker 'Venice of the East'. It is famed for its beautiful gardens and traditional waterside architecture. At the same time Suzhou has become the a core city of China's Yangtze River Delta economic zone given its GDP contribution.

Getting in

The train from Shanghai will take you 36 minutes to get into Suzhou. You can check here for the timings and rates. The trains which go direct to Suzhou from Shanghai depart Shanghai at 6:30 and 16:41 everyday. The return trains depart at 7:13 and 17:09.

Getting around

• Walking - Easiest mode of transport there is! Get a local to write out the name of your destination(s), as well as how to get back to help you around. 

• Taxis - Easily available outside of rush hour, Fares start at CNY 10 for 3 km and tick up at CNY 2.5 per km, so most trips within the city are cheap. Always use the taxi queue or flag one down from the street

• Buses-  Most of the buses running in the city only take exact change so make sure you have some small coins before getting on. The price of regular buses is 1Yuan per person. Air-conditioned buses cost 2 Yuan per person. There is also a list of special tourist buses in Suzhou which you can check here.

• Bicycles - Suzhou's simple, flat layout makes it easy to navigate, and as it's a compact city it's easy to reach almost anywhere quickly by bike. Most of the stores that rent bicycles for visitors are located east of Suzhou Railway Station. Generally, the price is 2 Yuan for four hours, 3 Yuan for five to six hours, and 5 Yuan for the whole day.

What to See and Do

• The Classical Gardens of Suzhou were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997- RECOMMENDED. It is said that the gardens to the south of Yangtze River are the best in the world, and Suzhou gardens are the best among them. Must visit: the Humble Adminstrator's Garden (CNY 70) and the Lion Grove Garden (CNY 30) and let me not forget the Garden of the Master of Nets which is the smallest and the most beautiful garden of all in Suzhou (CNY 30). It would be a crime not to visit them!

• Visit Suzhou's Silk Factory. RECOMMENDED. Visits to the silk factory include a tour of the facility, a lecture about silk production, a workshop on making silk goods and a visit to the factory's showroom.

• Walk along Ping Jiang Road - a quiet historic neighborhood full of book shops and cafes. Walking along the street, you'll see boatmen (and women) guiding punt-style boats down the canal that runs alongside it.

• Cold Mountain Temple (HanShan Si) - Established in the Liang dynasty (502 - 557AD), most of the buildings date from the Tang Dynasty except for the recently built 5 story pagoda.

• Explore GuanQian Street - This street, located in the central downtown area, is the center of Suzhou commerce.

• Eat Italian food at Alto Vino if you start craving for Italian in the middle of Suzhou.

• Must buys: Suzhou embroidery (which is regarded as some of the best in the country), Suzhou tea (which has a distinctive aroma and delicate flavor), the Song brocade, writing brushes and Tao Hua Wu wood carvings (Chinese block prints).

• Try the night market next to the Temple of Mystery for good priced silk.

Have a fun time in China!! Please write back to me if you need more help on accommodation, dining or transportation options in either of the 3 places. Will be more than happy to help.

Cheers

Kirti