By air: Haikou Meilan International Airport (HAK) is the main gateway to the island and handles both domestic and international flights. It sits about 25 km east of the city centre. Flights connect to most major Chinese cities, with direct international routes to Southeast Asia. A metro line connects the airport to the city.
By rail: Hainan has two high-speed rail lines circling the island — the eastern ring (via Wanning and Sanya) and the western ring (via Dongfang). Both start and end in Haikou, so you can travel south to Sanya in well under two hours. Haikou East Station handles most high-speed services; Haikou Station in the city centre handles slower regional trains.
By ferry: The Qiongzhou Strait crossing from Hai'an port in Guangdong province takes roughly one hour and runs around the clock. Ferries arrive at either Xiuying Port or the New Port (Xinhai Port) on the western side of the city. You can bring a car across, which is how many mainland Chinese drive their vehicles onto the island.