Shaoxing is on the high-speed rail network between Hangzhou and Ningbo, and trains from Hangzhou take as little as fifteen minutes — making it an easy half-day or full-day excursion from Hangzhou. The main high-speed station is Shaoxing North, about eight kilometres from the old city centre, with buses and taxis connecting to the historic district. Shaoxing station (the original station) is closer to the old city and serves some slower services.
From Ningbo, trains take about thirty minutes. From Shanghai, trains via Hangzhou take about ninety minutes total. The compactness of the historic district means that most visitors arrive, explore the Lu Xun quarter, Shen Garden, and the canal district, eat lunch, and return the same day — but the wine distilleries, Kuaiji Mountain, and the slower pleasures of the canal backstreets reward an overnight stay.