1-Because it is very hot period, so taxi is better choice than bus.

2-You can choose official taxi which it calculate per actual time you used.

3-Other villages:

Xi'tang

Tongli

Wuzhen

Fengjing

......

Enjoy!

you can buy tour packages to Zhou Zhuang and other water villages around Shanghai at the long distance bus station at Shanghai Stadium (Xuhui District).

The package to Zhou Zhuang is abt RMB150 per person (to my best recollection), inclusive of return bus fares + entrance fees to the village, and for a few extra RMB, you can also have a guide bring you around but that's really not necessary as Zhou Zhuang is a very small village, all the attractions are located in a loop around the canal. What you should do is buy the map they sell on board the bus. They have a fixed schedule for the departure and return times, and each one-way trip takes abt 1.5hrs. (the bus is very punctual).

They sell similar tours to other water villages and ancient towns around Shanghai, and you can pick up brochures in English too. If you plan to go on a weekend, do get your tickets ahead!

1) there are several sightseeing bus stations in Shanghai providing shuttle buses to the main water villages or ancient towns in or out of Shanghai.

Shanghai Stadium:

departure time: 7：00、8：30、9：05、10：00、10：55，

return time：16：00、16：30、17：00

1.5 hours to get there

140RMB/person

Hongkou Football Stadium:

departure time: 8：00、9：00、10：00

return：16：00、17：00、17：30

2 hours to get there

145RMB/person

The price here includes round-trip air-conditioned bus, entrance ticket to Zhouzhuang

2) for taxi it's about 11RMB/frist 3 km, then 2 RMB/km

If you start your trip from People's Square, to Zhouzhuang is at least 75km, and your also need to pay the freeway toll, parking fee and some extra fee to the driver.

3) other village suggest, you wanna see the water village?

If is, Zhujiajiao, Xitang, Wuzhen, Tongli, Fengjin, lots of choices for you.

Xitang and Tongli are two of my favourites.

I felt that Wuzhen was more commercialised and touristy compared to Xitang.

I haven't been to Fengjing (I presume Fengjin is a typo referring to the same place) so I can't give any personal comments.

Jinxi was so-so when I went about a year or two ago.

If you're willing to venture further, Shaoxing+Anchang or perhaps even Xikou, would be possible.