Shanghai Transportation
Shanghai, in southeast China, is bordered by the East China Sea to the east, Jiangsu province to the northwest and Zhejiang province to the southwest. It covers the south portion of the Yangtze Delta. As the most metropolitan city in China, Shanghai is very accessible and can be reached by air, land and water. Check out Beijing-Shanghai Transportation and Shanghai-Hangzhou Transportation.
Air
Shanghai is served by Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao International Airport, which offer direct international flights to some European and US cities. Click here to search China Domestic Flight Schedule and Airfare.
Pudong International Airport
The Shanghai Pudong International Airport is located on the South coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River, around 30 km (19 miles) from central Shanghai and 40 km (25 miles) from the Hong Qiao International Airport, which is situated 13 kilometers from the city center toward the western suburbs of Shanghai. Currently, Pudong International Airport accommodates aircraft movement over 400 times per day, on average, and accounts for approximately 60% of total aircraft movement in Shanghai. It also serves about 50 domestic and foreign airlines and connects with over 70 international and regional destinations and 60 domestic destinations. Check the timetable for the Pudong International Airport shuttle bus.
Visitors can take a taxi to the airport for about 150 RMB. Now, a more popular alternative is available: the newly opened maglev train, which runs as fast as 431 km/h and takes you from the city center to the airport in about 8 minutes.
Related Links
Hongqiao International Airport
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport
The existing Hongqiao International Airport Hongqiao International Airport, though slightly aged, works quite well and is easily accessed from the central business district where many airlines have offices. Twenty-one domestic airlines and 20 foreign airlines now use the airport. The two Shanghai-based airlines, China Eastern Airlines (CEA) and Shanghai Airlines (SAL), have made substantial investments in Hongqiao and are probably reluctant to move quickly to Pudong. Book hotels near Shanghai Hongqiao Airport
Train
There are four main railway stations in Shanghai, including Shanghai Railway Station, Shanghai South Railway Station, Shanghai West Station and Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station. Shanghai Railway Station is the largest railway station in Shanghai, and more than 70 pairs of trains run from here to large- and middle-sized cities. At Shanghai North Railway Station, the trains mostly depart to Jiangxi Province, Zhejiang Province and places in South China. There are only 11 bullet trains departing from Hongqiao Railway Station, and they go to Hefei, Liu’an, Wuhan, Hankou and Wuchang. Shanghai West Railway Station mainly operates trains running between Shanghai and Nanjing, Suzhou and Changzhou.
Coach/Bus
Shanghai has an advanced highway network. Three westward National Highway Lines, 312 (stretching from Shanghai to Yining City in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region), 318 (stretching from Shanghai to Zhangmu Town in Tibet) and 320 (from Shanghai to Ruili in Yunnan Province), all starting from Shanghai. Yantai–Shanghai National Highway 204 and Tongjiang–Sanyan National Highway run through Shanghai and link North China to South China. Four main expressways (Shanghai–Nanjing, Shanghai–Jiading–Taicang, Shanghai–Qingpu–Pingwang and Shanghai–Hangzhou) provide convenient transport between Shanghai and its neighboring cities.
Waterway
Shanghai's ideal location by the Yangtze River makes it easily accessible by boat. The main passenger port is the Shiliupu Passenger Port located at Zhongshan Nan Road about 1 km south of the Bund. There are boats from Shanghai along the Yangtze River up to Jiujiang, Wuhan and Chongqing. There are also boats between Shanghai and some of China's neighboring countries, such as South Korea and Japan.
Related Links
- Beijing-Shanghai Transportation
- Top Things to Do and Things to Do with Kids in Shanghai
- Shanghai Accommodation Guide
City Transportation
City Buses
Shanghai City Transportation
Public buses in Shanghai are often packed, but they are the most convenient and inexpensive way to loop the city. More than 1,100 bus lines in Shanghai run to every corner of the city proper. Shanghai's public bus system is quite comprehensive. Buses preceded by the numbers "2", "3" and "9" are rush-hour buses, night service buses and double-decked/tourism buses, respectively, and buses 1 to 199 run from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm. Fares range from 1 yuan to 3 yuan depending on the length of the routes or bus conditions: as a rule, the cost is 1 yuan for routes less than 1.3 km, 1.5 yuan for routes over 1.3 km and 2 yuan for air-conditioned buses (indicated by a snowflake next to the bus number).
The city bus and the subway together form the main transport within Shanghai. City buses in Shanghai can be divided into day lines, peak lines and all-night lines. Generally, a single run by a bus costs 1 yuan or 1.5 yuan, while an air-conditioned bus, a long-distance city bus, a shuttle bus or a double-decker bus costs 1 yuan or 2 yuan. In addition, for some buses passengers pay based on distance.
Notes: 1. Shanghai Railway Station, People's Square, Xujiahui and Zhongshan Park, are hubs on the public bus network. Public buses in China are often crowded and the buses in Shanghai are no exception. If you choose to take a bus, please pay special attention to your belongings as pick-pocketers usually take advantage of the crowded conditions.
2. Travelers can request a Shanghai Transport Card, which can be used to pay for subway, city bus, ferry and taxi rides. There are two kinds of Shanghai Transport Cards: the Common Card and the Commemorative Card. Purchasing a common card costs 30 yuan for a guarantee deposit.
Underground/Metro/Subway
At present, there are 11 subway lines in Shanghai. A ticket costs 3 yuan to 6 yuan based on distance. Subway Lines 1 and 2 link many famous scenic spots in Shanghai, and the most popular subway lines among travelers, and the departure interval is about 4 minutes. Subway Line 3 is light railway; hence, it is slower than other trains and has a departure interval of about 7 minutes. Subway Line 5 was built to bring convenience to students and residents in the Minxing District; its travel distance is short and it contains few scenic stops.
Ferries
More than 20 ferry lines link Shanghai's Pudong and Puxi Areas. The fare is a flat 1 yuan/person, 1.3 yuan/bike and 2 yuan/motorcycle.
Taxis
Shanghai Taxies
Taxis are the most convenient means of transportation in Shanghai. Taxis in Shanghai are mainly Santana. There are five main taxi companies in Shanghai, and different companies operate taxis of different colors: Qiangsheng Taxi Company has yellow taxis, Dazhong Taxi Company has sky blue taxis, Haibo Taxi Company has white taxis, Bashi Taxi Company has light green taxis and Jinjiang Taxi Company has mazarine taxis. A passenger can request a receipt when getting off the taxi. If a passenger loses his or her luggage or is not satisfied with the service, he or she can file a claim for the lost luggage or a complaint about the service at the company noted on the receipt.
Hot Lines
Qiangsheng Taxi (yellow): 021-6258 0000
Dazhong Taxi (sky blue): 021-6318 3880
Haibo Taxi (mazarine): 96965
Bashi Taxi: 96840 or 6445 8484
Jinjiang Taxi: 96961
Charges
From 05:00 to 22:59
Charges are 12 yuan for the first 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) and 2.4 yuan for each additional kilometer (0.6 miles).br /> From 23:00 to 04:59
Charges are 13 yuan for the first 3 kilometers and 3.1 yuan for each additional kilometer.
Hiring a Bike
Shanghai is a large city with an area of about 6340 square kilometers (2448 square miles). What’s more, riding a bike is forbidden on some downtown roads because they have no bicycle lane. Hence, it is difficult to get to all of the scenic spots in Shanghai by bike.
China Highlights
86-773-2831999 (Int'l)
Hi Abdo, the deposit for a card is CNY20. You can recharge CNY10 at least, CNY1000 at most. Deposit can be returned when you stop using the card.
Whitney Liao Replied on 2013-01-20
Hi Andrew, you can take Metro Line 2 from Pudong Airport Station to Hongqiao Railway Station directly. It takes about 2hrs. You may miss the last bullet train from departs at 16:50. If you take a taxi, it may save you 30-40mins. Then you still have time to catch the bullet train. If not, you can also take bus from Shanghai South Coach Station上海长途汽车南站. The service is available from 08:44 to 22:24. Have a nice journey.
Whitney Liao Replied on 2012-11-15Hi Olivar,
You can take Metro Line 2 at Pudong Airport Stop, get off at Nanjingxilu Stop(南京西路站). Then go out at Exit 1. The Plaza66 is about 800m away.
Whitney Liao Replied on 2012-10-24
