take the metro on line 3 from Airport South station into the city.

Guangzhou: Arriving & Departing - TripAdvisor

By air: The closest airport is Baiyun International (CAN), about 12 miles north, which receives nonstop flights from most major Chinese cities, as well as direct flights from international locations, including Sydney, Amsterdam, and Los Angeles (which takes about 13 hours). Carriers include, to name a few: Air China, Asiana Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Japan Air System, Singapore Airlines, Cebu Airways, AirAsia, and Thai Airways. If you have not pre-arranged a shuttle through your hotel, you can grab a taxi. Taxi services are 24 hours. In addition, there are airport shuttle buses that can take you into the city for about 20+ Yuan. You can find the bus stops for different routes outside the arrival halls. Service hours vary depending on routes, but generally between 6am and 9pm, frequency usually at about 20-30 minutes. A third and only recently available option is travelling by metro into the city, thanks to a leaping development of the metro system gearing for the Asian Games in Nov 2010. Currently passengers can take the metro on line 3 from Airport South station into the city. Use the Guangzhou metro website to search fare and accessibility to where you're going: http://www.gzmtr.com/en/. The first train from the airport is at 06:00, and the latest one is at 23:00 (22:55 is the cut-off entry time).

By train: The main railway station is Guangzhou Railway Station (huo che zhan in Mandarin Chinese), which has transport from countless cities. Direct trains from Hong Kong, however, arrive at the East Station (dong zhan), which is connected to metro on both Line 1 and 3. The trip from Hong Kong takes about 2 hours. The trains are almost always crowded, so make your reservations a couple of days in advance and show up at the station a few hours before departure. There is cart service of refresments, nuts, tea, and beer. Service is slow, so consider bringing your own snacks and bottled water. You will find concessions in the train stations. Trains have bathrooms in the cars (open holes to the tracks) and they close the bathrooms as you enter Hong Kong. The train has completely non smoking cars.

By metro: There are 6 lines plus an additional one going to Foshan todate (Nov 2010), and you can get to the railway station, chimelong, chenjiaci, shangxiajiu street, beijing road and so on. The metro is a very convenient and safe way for travellers and you will find most signage is also written in English. Guangzhou metro's website is where you can find info about fare, connection, key sightseeing/shopping places nearby and the service hours of each lines. http://www.gzmtr.com/en/

By taxi: A fixed 8 yuan for 3 km to start, and then 2.6 per km. Some of the better taxis are the yellow cars, because yellow cars belong to the same (reliable) companey and almost all drivers of this company are from Guangdong province and they tend to know the city better. There is also a 1 yuan fuel surcharge per trip. Always ask the driver to use the meter and give you a receipt before you leave - this will keep them honest. But always be careful to be sure you are riding in a "real" taxi, not just someone who wants to give you a ride. Be safe, and be smart.

By bus: There are several long-distance bus lines, but depending on the route, you may be in for a bumpy, rocky ride. Keep in mind that the more expensive companies are typically safer, so check with your hotel staff or the China International Travel Service for inside advice. The three main stations are all near the main railway station.