Suzhou's two major bus stations, the south Bus Station and the North one, both have direct buses to Xitang directly, 3 or 4 buses in each station. My experience is: get there in weekdays, better Monday - Tursday. Go there by your own and enter the old town without paying the entrace fee. There are many home inn, hostes inside the town. Find a place you like after you get there. I lived in a inn called 明榉坊, very nice. You can shoe this name to the rickshaw man. They will take you there. 5-10RMB for a rickshaw fee.