Get In & Around

Shanghai serves as an important air, rail, road and water transport hub in eastern China. The frequent flights, trains and buses make one's travel a breeze. The urban transportation is also quite satisfactory. Despite the traffic jam that do happen occasionally, the convenient taxis, buses, metro trains etc. can take you to any corner of the city.

By Air
Shanghai has two international airports something no other city in China can boast. Pudong International Airport handles 60% of flights, while the remaining 40% use Hongqiao International Airport. As one of the main Chinese airline hubs, the city has opened connections with nearly two hundred cities, half domestic ones and half international and regional ones. Direct flights provide the city with connections to dozens of international air terminals such as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Fukuoka, Osaka, Tokyo, Bangkok, Brussels, Madrid, Paris, Singapore, London, Moscow, Rome as well as regional links with Hong Kong and Macau. Domestic flights link the city with Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xi'an, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenyang and others.

By Train
This city is the gathering point of many major high speed rail lines; therefore it has convenient train services for tourists to many destinations throughout China, including trains of Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, Guilin, Huangshan, and Shenzhen.

It has four main railway stations: Shanghai Railway Station, South Railway Station, West Railway Station and Hongqiao Railway Station.

Passengers can purchase tickets for trains departing from the mentioned railway stations from any railway station in the country. Remember to bring your valid certificate such as passport, as real-name ticket policy is strictly implemented.

Shanghai Train Ticket Offices

Tip: It is better to book the tickets in advance, especially during the peak travel time, such as May Day, National Day, and Chinese New Year. Because there is a great possibility that they will be sold out in minutes once available.

By Metro
Shanghai Metro is a speedy, safe, comfortable and convenient means of transportation for traveling around the city. The main attractions, transportation hubs and commercial areas such as the Bund, Nanjing Road, Huaihai Road, People's Square, Shanghai Railway Station and Xujiahui can be reached by several metro lines.

At present, there are 16 Shanghai subway lines in operation, totaling 705 kilometers (438 miles). The right is a metro map (English-Chinese version) for your reference, including the present 16 lines and several sections under construction or still being programmed. Please click the map to enlarge it. Also you can see the English Version and the Chinese Version, or go for more Metro Maps.

Shanghai Maglev Train (SMT)
Shanghai maglev train is suggested if you are just arriving at Pudong International Airport of the city. You will be impressed by the amazingly fast speed of the train and have an exciting first experience in the city.

Build with the technological help from Germany, SMT has been operated since the end of 2002. It is the world's first and only commercialized maglev train line in operation. It runs from Pudong International Airport to Longyang Rd. Station located at the intersection of Longyang Road and Baiyang Road in Pudong New Area.

SMT Facts:
Open Date: Dec. 31st, 2002
Total Length: 30 kilometers (19 miles)
Highest Speed: 430km/h (267 mi/h)
Duration per Single Journey: 8 minutes
Frequency: 15-20 minutes
Route: Longyang Rd. – Pudong International Airport (PVG)

Shanghai City-Bus
More than 10 Shanghai bus companies operate 1,400+ city bus lines in downtown and suburbs, offering convenient alternatives to metro. These lines can be identified either by numbers or Chinese characters representing the terminals. Shanghai bus stops of most downtown lines are announced by automatic reporter in Mandarin, Shanghai dialect and English, while a small part are announced in Mandarin and Shanghai dialect only.

Shanghai Taxi
More than 50,000 taxis are serving in Shanghai. They are operated by over 100 taxi companies and are in different colors: cabs of Dazhong Company are identified by the color of sky blue; Qiangsheng by orange and green; Jinjiang by white and Haibo by dark blue. Lanse Lianmeng and Falanhong Taxi Companies are also reputable and they are respectively in red and blue.

Shanghai Ferry
The Huangpu River running through Shanghai, divides the city into two parts - Pudong New District (east of the river) and Puxi Area (west of the river). The three islands of Chongming, Changxing, and Hengsha under the jurisdiction of Shanghai are separated from the main by the Yangtze River. As a result, ferries play a very important role in the city's transportation.

Read More about Shanghai Transportation Information Here: https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/shanghai.htm