Transportation in Shanghai

Shanghai is China's largest city. It is the economic, financial, trade and shipping center of mainland China. It is a transportation hub with a well-developed transportation system. You can get there by plane, train, long-distance bus and boat. All of them offer great convenience to travelers.

Getting there

◎By Plane

There are two international airports in Shanghai that is Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao International Airport. 

1. Pudong International Airport 

It is the new international airport and most international flights now flying in and out of here, and it is located 55 km from the city center. Arrivals are on the first floor, departures on the third. A taxi should cost approximately RMB150 to get the airport.

2. Hongqiao International Airport 

It is older and most domestic flights now fly in and out of here. It is located in the west of Shanghai, 15 km from the city center. A taxi to Hongqiao airport from CBD should cost approximately RMB30-50. 

◎By Train

There are four major railway stations in Shanghai, such as Shanghai Railway Station, Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, Shanghai South Railway Station, Shanghai West Railway Station, detail informations are as the following:

1. Shanghai Railway Station


2. Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station 

It is massive in size and located in the same building complex with Hongqiao Airport. The connecting Metro stop shares the same name, Hongqiao Railway Station, and is one stop beyond the Hongqiao airport stop on Metro Lines 2 and 10. High-speed trains to Beijing, Changsha, Changzhou, Danyang, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Hefei, Jiaxing, Jinan, Kunshan, Nanchang, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Suzhou, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Wuxi, Xiamen, Zhengzhou, Zhenjiang, Zhuzhou and other smaller stations use this station. 

3. Shanghai South Railway Station

Provide service towards the south except high-speed trains and services to Hong Kong on Metro Lines 1 and 3.

4. Shanghai West Railway Station


◎By Bus

There are several long-distance bus stations in Shanghai. The major bus station in Shanghai is Shanghai Long-Distance Bus Terminal, located at Zhabei District Road No. 1666. This is one of the largest and is just west of the main railway station. It serves most destinations in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces as well as some more remote cities, such as Beijing and Guangzhou.

◎By Boat

Shanghai is the world's third port and the largest port city in China. There are ferry services from Kobe and Osaka weekly and HK, details are as the following:

Shanghai Ferry Company

Provide service from Shanghai to Osaka and vice versa once a week. It takes two nights. ￥1,300-6,500.

The Japan-China International Ferry Company

Services are the similar as the Shanghai Ferry Company but alternates each week with Osaka and Kobe as the Japanese departure/arrival city.

Getting around

◎By Subway

Subway is a very convenient way to get around the city. There are 4 Metro lines in Shanghai: Line No.1 (Shanghai Railway Station-Xinzhuang), Line No.2 (Zhongshan Park-Zhangjianggaoke), Line No 3, or Light Rail Train (Shanghai South Railway Station-Jiangwanzhen), and Line No. 5.  

Tips: Shanghai Public Transportation Card can be used for one time by overdraft when you take buses, subway trains or ferries. The overdraft should be less than ￥8. 

◎By bicycle


◎By Bus

Bus is a very convenient way to get around the city, is cheaper and much more extensive than the Metro. there is a fixed price for the route, usually ￥2 and the buses are air-conditioned (￥1.5 on increasingly rare routes running on old buses without; check the bus itself as some routes have a mix of air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses).

◎By Taxi

Taxi is also a good way to travel around. ￥14 for the first 3 km, ￥2.4/km up to 10 km, and ￥3.5/km after; when wheels aren't rolling, time is also tracked and billed but first 5 minutes  are free; ￥1 fuel surcharge is also applied.

◎By Ferry

Shanghai is the largest port city in China, so ferry is a good way to travel around the city. A useful ferry runs between the Bund (from a ferry pier a few blocks south of Nanjing Road next to the KFC restaurant) and Lujiazui financial district in Pudong (the terminal is about 10 minutes south of the Pearl TV Tower and Lujiazui metro station) and is the cheapest way to crossing the river at ￥2 per person. Only foot-passengers allows because the ferry is air-conditioned (bikes are not allowed except for folding models).

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