Getting Around Shanghai

Arrival

Most international flights arrive at shiny new Pudong International Airport (PVG), located 30 km (18 miles) outside the city proper. A taxi to downtown Shanghai will cost about RMB 160 and take 45-60 minutes. Ignore the touts: they will charge you three times the rate. Alternatively, the lightning-fast German-engineered Maglev train connects the airport with Longyang Lu Metro station in Pudong. The 21 km (12 mile) journey only takes seven minutes, but on arrival you are still a 30-minute taxi or Metro ride from downtown Shanghai – and this is inconvenient with heavy luggage. Maglev tickets cost RMB 50. See www.shairport.com for more information.

Orientation

For the first few weeks – even months – it’s a good idea to carry a street and Metro map around. Shanghai is not a grid, and the sporadic maze of alleys, streets, boulevards and freeways is difficult to navigate, even for the city’s seasoned veterans. Morning and evening rush-hour traffic is characterised by dense, aggressive traffic and frequent gridlock. Despite the massive size of greater Shanghai, most of the central areas are grouped together and manageable in size. Once inside a neighbourhood, getting around on foot is relatively easy. Central Shanghai is surrounded by one principal ring road, Zhongshan Lu, which links Puxi to Pudong via the Nanpu Bridge. The city is bisected by Yan’an Lu, an elevated freeway lit at night by red and blue neon. The elevated freeway dividing the city up and down is Gonghe Xin Lu / Chongqing Nan Lu. The most important ground level streets are Huaihai Lu and Nanjing Lu, which are both major shopping streets. Fuxing Lu, which is parallel to these, cuts through the heart of Puxi and leads into the Fuxing Tunnel that runs under the Huangpu River into the financial district of Lujiazui in Pudong. All street signs are written in both Chinese and Pinyin (phonetically romanised Chinese). The range of street numbers on each block are also posted on the street signs.

Taxis

Taxis are generally a cheap and efficient way to get around Shanghai, traffic permitting. There are approximately 45,000 taxis in operation in the city, belonging to seven privately owned companies. It’s easy to flag one down on most busy streets – unless it’s raining, in which case be prepared to wait for the weather to clear, or head to the nearest Metro stop. Most of the drivers are native Shanghainese and know the city well, although being as specific as possible with directions will speed up your journey and make it cheaper. Taxi fares start at RMB 12 for the first two kilometres, RMB 2.4 for each additional kilometre. Tipping is not expected, but welcomed nonetheless. Cash or stored valued cards (see jiaotong ka, below) are accepted as payment. Most drivers speak limited or no English, so you should be able to show them your destination in Chinese. The driver will supply you with a receipt (fapiao), which shows the taxi number and the company telephone number – very useful information if you leave something in the cab. If you have a mobile phone, you can take advantage of the Guanxi SMS service to access bilingual addresses. Type in the name of the hotel, restaurant or bar and text it to 1066 9588 2929; moments later you will receive a message with an address. Press C for addresses in Chinese and wait a few moments for a reply with the address written in Chinese characters that you can show to your cab driver.

Metro 

This is the fastest way to travel across the city. Trains are almost always on time, and at busy stations in the central areas arrive every three to five minutes. This is generally a nice way to travel. The trains are clean, quiet and safe. Tickets cost RMB 3-7, or alternatively you can purchase a stored value card (jiaotong ka) from one of the booths. They are valid for the Metro, buses and taxis and can be purchased at any Metro station for RMB 100, with an RMB 30 deposit refundable when the card is returned. If you buy a single journey ticket at one of the automated machines, hold on to it. You need it to pass through the exit gate. As opposed to buses, signs and maps are clear and in English, making the train system easy to navigate. On the down side, crowds are almost unbearable during the daily rush hours of 7:30-10 am and 5-7:30 pm.
There are currently 10 Metro lines - Lines 1 and 2 are the longest and most popular. The city is constructing additional Metro lines and stops at a furious pace, with the goal that 75% of Shanghai residents will be living within 600 metres of a stop by 2010.

Buses

There are well over 1,000 bus routes, taking you to every corner of Shanghai, operated by a variety of private companies. The rides are cheap. Direct journeys, which can be purchased in cash from the driver, cost about RMB 2. However, prepare to hit a major language and navigation barrier. Unlike in the Metro, maps are not easy to read and do not provide an English translation. The buses are often crowded and struggle through traffic during rush hour. Chinese speakers can contact the Shanghai Urban Transportation Bureau (6317 6355) for route and time information. On the whole, this is not a recommended mode of transportation for a newcomer.

Walking

Walking is a great way to get around central neighbourhoods in Puxi. The sidewalks in the former French Concession districts of Xuhui and Luwan, the old city area of Yu Yuan and the area around People’s Square are particularly good places for walking, with restaurants, shops and housing all situated next to one another. Sidewalks are wide and well-maintained, making for pleasant strolls that will give you a chance to take in the rich and dynamic urban environment. Take great care when crossing the street, however, as turning vehicles rarely respect stoplights when they make right turns, and Chinese drivers almost never respect the rights of pedestrians. During rush hour, cyclists and scooters will use sidewalks to bypass gridlocked intersections. Use underpasses and crosswalks, being sure to be aware of traffic marshals, as they occasionally ticket jaywalkers.

Education related articles:

Fill up the form below to receive now your copy of The Essentials Guide Shanghai and content updates when new articles are published. 

The 208 pages complimentary guide, wrapped up into one convenient Adobe Acrobat PDF file, is written and maintained by teachers and parents of the British International School living and working in Shanghai.

Name:

Primary Email:

We respect your email privacy