In short
Ground transport here comes in four layers. Cheapest is the ¥3 rail shuttle, which is not a city coach at all but a five-minute link to Guanyin Airport station on the Xuzhou–Suqian–Huai’an–Yancheng high-speed line, 1.5 km away. It runs to the trains rather than to the clock: 30 minutes before each departure from the terminal and 15 minutes after each arrival at the station, with the airport quoting twelve runs a day. The second layer is two ¥25 coaches. The city line runs Xuzhou Main Bus Terminal, beside the old railway station, to Ceramics Market and the South Bus Station before the airport; the high-speed line runs Xuzhou East Bus Terminal, inside the Xuzhou East rail hub, via Meidi Plaza, with two non-stop runs at 12:30 and 20:30 in the inbound direction. The third layer is ten scheduled cross-province routes covering Fengxian at ¥70, Peixian ¥60, Xinyi ¥66, Pizhou ¥40, Suqian ¥50, Zaozhuang ¥60, Lianyungang ¥120, Yongcheng ¥100, Huaibei ¥70 and Suzhou in Anhui province at ¥60 — not the better-known Suzhou next to Shanghai — most running two to four times a day. The fourth layer is book-ahead door-to-door transfers covering the Xuzhou urban area plus Pizhou, Zaozhuang, Huaibei, Suzhou in Anhui and Yongcheng. Three things need saying up front. First, apart from the five-minute shuttle the airport publishes no journey time for any route, so this page quotes no minutes and ignores the one-hour claim made by third-party aggregators. Second, the airport publishes departure times only towards the airport; going the other way everything is described as running to suit actual landings, with no printed last departure. Third, tickets are sold at the staffed counter or one of four self-service machines at Arrivals Exit 2 of Terminal T2, and everything boards from the shared coach area outside Exit 3 on the arrivals level, with the hotline on 0516-83707677 (weekdays 08:30–12:00 and 14:00–17:00).
- Rail shuttle
- ¥3, about 5 min — the only route with a published time
- City and rail-hub coaches
- ¥25 each
- Cross-province fares
- ¥40–120 depending on the city
- Cross-province routes
- Ten scheduled routes plus five transfer areas
- Journey times
- Not published, except 5 min on the shuttle
- Departures from the airport
- Demand-led, matched to that day’s landings
- Tickets and boarding
- Counter and machines at Arrivals Exit 2; board outside Exit 3
- Hotline
- 0516-83707677, weekdays 08:30–12:00 and 14:00–17:00
- No metro
- None serves the airport; Line S2 is unbuilt
How to take each option
Buying a ticket and boarding, step by step
- After baggage claim, buy your ticket at Arrivals Exit 2 of Terminal T2, where one staffed counter and four self-service machines sit. Passengers joining at intermediate stops can pay the driver, and anyone taking a cross-province route should confirm that day’s departure on 0516-83707677.
- Follow the coach signs to the shared boarding area on the T2 arrivals level, outside Exit 3, which every city, rail-hub and cross-province coach uses.
- Check the destination board on the front of the coach and board where the staff direct you. Cross-province services run only two to four times a day and seats go first come, first served.
- Stow big bags in the hold below and keep valuables with you. Listen for the announcements or watch your own map to time the stop, since long-distance runs often make few intermediate calls.
The rail shuttle boards somewhere else entirely: outside the Level 1 arrivals hall, about 15 m ahead and to the left of Exit 2, which is a different spot from the taxi, ride-hailing and coach areas.
Taking the rail shuttle to catch a train
Fare ¥3
- Confirm that day’s departures from Guanyin Airport station — about a dozen a day — and work backwards, because the shuttle leaves the terminal 30 minutes before each train.
- Queue at the pick-up area about 15 m ahead and to the left of Exit 2 outside the Level 1 arrivals hall and pay ¥3 on board.
- The hop takes about five minutes, then the train takes roughly 15 more to Xuzhou East for ¥13–16 in second class. It works in reverse too, leaving the station car park 15 minutes after each arrival.
At ¥3 this is the cheapest ride at the airport, but it does not go into the city: it simply feeds the railway station, and its fare rests on tariff document Xu Fa Gai Gui [2022] No. 2.
Taking an intercity coach to a neighbouring city
Fare ¥40–120
- Work out which line serves your destination: the ten scheduled routes cover Fengxian, Peixian, Xinyi, Pizhou, Suqian, Zaozhuang, Lianyungang, Yongcheng, Huaibei and Suzhou in Anhui.
- Fares scale with distance, from ¥40 to Pizhou up to ¥120 to Lianyungang, with the rest between ¥50 and ¥100; whatever the counter sells on the day is the price.
- Board at the same arrivals-area coach point outside Exit 3, but book your day around it: most routes leave only two to four times a day, so call 0516-83707677 to confirm.
The airport states that times are whatever is sold at the counter and that returns shift with landing times, with occasional small fare adjustments. Its page was published on 20 January 2022, so treat the phone confirmation as authoritative.
When no coach fits your plan
- Catching a train? Take the ¥3 shuttle to Guanyin Airport station, ride about 15 minutes to Xuzhou East and continue on Metro Line 1 or another train.
- Heading into town? Taxis queue about 15 m ahead and to the right of Exit 2 outside the Level 1 arrivals hall, metered, with third-party sites quoting ¥80–100 and 50 minutes to the Pengcheng Square area.
- Want ride-hailing? Walk to the pick-up point on the left, or east, side of Exit 3 on the arrivals level, a separate area from the taxi rank.
- Need a car at any address in town? Book the door-to-door transfer, listed at ¥40 on the website and ¥35 in the latest WeChat guide, on 17327676735 or 0516-83707677.
One reminder: there is no metro here, and Line S2 remains inside the approved network plan, unbuilt, according to Xuzhou Metro Group’s reply of May 2026 — so waiting for a train that runs underground is not an option.
Late-night and early-morning arrivals
The shuttle winds down with the trains, the last departure from Guanyin Airport station being around 20:57, while the two ¥25 coaches have clear last departures towards the airport — roughly 20:00 on the city line and 20:30 for the non-stop rail-hub run — but nothing fixed in the other direction, where everything is officially departed to suit landings. An early-hours arrival may still find a coach, but do not count on it. Among the cross-province routes the latest airport-side return is the Huaibei departure around 20:00, with most others finishing between 18:00 and 19:00. When nothing fits, taxis and ride-hailing cars work whenever flights arrive, adding ¥0.3 per km after the first 3 km between 23:00 and 05:00.
Questions travellers ask
How much do the Xuzhou airport buses cost?
The city and rail-hub coaches are ¥25 each, the rail shuttle is ¥3, the pre-booked city transfer is ¥40 on the airport website or ¥35 per its WeChat guide, and cross-province routes run ¥40–120, cheapest to Pizhou and dearest to Lianyungang.
How long does the airport bus take?
The airport does not publish it. Apart from the shuttle’s five minutes, the official coach page gives no journey time for any route, so this page invents none either, and the one-hour figure from third-party aggregators is left out deliberately.
What time is the last airport bus?
Departures are published only towards the airport: the city line roughly hourly from 06:00 to 20:00, and the rail-hub line from 08:40 to its 20:30 non-stop run. In the other direction there is no timetable at all, just coaches released to meet arriving flights.
Where do the airport buses leave from?
The shared coach area outside Exit 3 on the T2 arrivals level, with tickets sold at the counter or the four self-service machines at Arrivals Exit 2. The rail shuttle is elsewhere — outside the Level 1 arrivals hall, about 15 m ahead and to the left of Exit 2.
Is the shuttle the same thing as the airport bus?
They are different. The ¥3 shuttle takes about five minutes and only shuttles to Guanyin Airport railway station, timed to trains, while the ¥25 coaches carry you into the city or to the Xuzhou East rail hub. They even board at different doors — the shuttle to the left of Exit 2, the coaches at Exit 3.
Are there coaches to cities like Lianyungang, Zaozhuang or Huaibei?
Yes, ten scheduled cross-province routes costing ¥40–120: ¥120 to Lianyungang, ¥60 to Zaozhuang and ¥70 to Huaibei, plus Fengxian, Peixian, Xinyi, Pizhou, Suqian, Yongcheng and Suzhou in Anhui. Most run only two to four times a day, so confirm on 0516-83707677.
Can I arrange a car to pick me up at my hotel?
Yes. The door-to-door service covers any address in the Xuzhou urban area and must be booked ahead through the “door-to-door transfer” page of the official airport WeChat account or on 17327676735, 08:30–12:00 and 13:30–17:30. The website says ¥40 and the WeChat guide ¥35, so confirm when booking.
Coach, shuttle or taxi?
Take the ¥3 shuttle when catching a train, though services are sparse and must be checked first; the ¥25 city line suits anyone staying in the old centre or connecting to conventional rail; with heavy bags, three or four people, or a late arrival, take a taxi. There is no metro here, so do not expect a rail fallback.
Can I pay for the coach with my phone?
No payment methods are stated officially. In practice you can buy at the counter or machines at Arrivals Exit 2 or online through WeChat mini-programs, which is easiest for cross-province routes and pre-booked transfers, and cash works too. Foreign cards generally do not, so carry some cash or link one to Alipay or WeChat Pay first.
Can I get a Didi here?
Yes, but only from its own pick-up point on the left, or east, side of Exit 3 on the T2 arrivals level, separate from the taxi rank. Unlike walk-up taxis it works on a request-and-wait basis.
Is there a bus between Xuzhou airports?
No such service exists. Xuzhou Guanyin is the city’s only civil airport, and the ten cross-province routes serve surrounding counties and neighbouring provinces rather than another airport. Any onward transfer means going via Xuzhou East or the city first.