Shanghai transportation is very well developed and has one of the best public transport systems in China, largely based on metro, buses and taxis. The city also has two airports: Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport
Hongqiao Airport is located in the west of Shanghai and 13 kilometers from the city center. With an area of 820,000 square meters, the waiting area of the airport consists of 15 waiting halls, 18 VIP waiting halls and 15 luggage transmission systems. Hongqiao Airport is over 80 years old and was one of the first civilian airports in China.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport
The construction of Shanghai Pudong International Airport began in 1997 and was completed in 1999. The airport is 30 kilometers away from the city center and 52 kilometers from Hongqiao Airport. Pudong Airport is the third busiest airport in China and is reported to capacitate 60 million passengers, 555,000 flights and 2.88 million tonnes of cargo a year. It comprises two main passenger terminals, three cargo areas and four parallel runways. A new satellite terminal is expected to be completed by 2019.
Railway
Shanghai Railway Station is one of the four major train stations in Shanghai. It is known by the locals as the New Railway Station as it took over the original Shanghai North Railway Station. Shanghai Railway Station primarily serves north-south and westward locations. You can get to Beijing via the Shanghai-Beijing Railway Line and there are also over 50 high-speed trains for Jiangsu Province, Anhui Province and the North area every day.
Getting Around Shanghai
Taxi
As in other large cities, Shanghai has taxis roaming the city and they are available 24 hours a day. Visitors can take a taxi from virtually anywhere, and it is the most common means of transportation to get around Shanghai. Morning rush hour in Shanghai is 7:30AM to 9:00AM and in the evening it starts at about 4:45PM - 6:30PM. Travelers to Shanghai should take one of the hotel's business cards to show to taxi drivers so they know how to make their way to the hotel.
Subway
There are five subway lines which have connections all over the city of Shanghai, and have stops at or nearby all of the main attractions and commercial areas. Except during rush hour, the subway is the fastest and most comfortable way for visitors to get around Shanghai. The subway trains are very clean, and their stations and exits are clearly labeled in English and Chinese.
Shanghai Maglev Train (SMT)
The Shanghai Maglev Train has been in operation since 2004 and is the world's first and only commercialized maglev train line. The train runs from Pudong International Airport to Longyang Road with the whole journey only taking 8 minutes. At Shanghai Maglev Longyang Road Station, tourists can easily transfer to Subway Line 2 and there are also many buses which can take you to the urban areas of Shanghai. There are trains every 15 minutes and the line operates daily between 6:45AM-9:30PM. A one-way ticket costs 50 Yuan for passengers holding a receipt for the purchase of an airline ticket. A round-trip return ticket costs 80 Yuan and the VIP ticket costs double the standard fare.
