How to Travel in Shanghai

As the largest and most developed city in China, Shanghai can feel a little overwhelming when traveling around this vast metropolis by the sea. It can be hard enough to travel across several time zones to get there, but to then have to navigate China’s largest city and Asia’s biggest seaport, in a confusing and crowded city can be exhausting.

Given the size of the city and its overcrowded public buses, the subway system has become an indispensable and affordable tool for the international traveler. While taxis are around the same price as the Metro, the sheer volume of vehicles on the city streets make it the number two way of getting around Shanghai. Alternatively, if you are feeling brave or want to travel like the locals, there is always the adventurous opportunity to rent a bicycle.

Travel in Shanghai by Metro

The fastest way to cross the city from one side to the other, the Metro trains are always on time and at the busiest of metro stations, can roll in just 3-4 minutes apart. Traveling by Metro is a nice way to get around, as the trains are clean, safe, and quiet, and in central areas run a full service 24/7.

Traveling by Metro is a nice way to get around in Shanghai.

Tickets for the Metro usually cost around 3-7 yuan, depending on how far you travel. Hanging on to your single-use ticket is important, though, as you will need it to get through the exit turnstiles. You can also buy a Shanghai Public transport Card (SPTC), or “Jiaotong Ka”, from one of the Metro ticket booths or selected banks and convenience stores, which is valid for use on the Metro, buses, taxis, and ferries in Shanghai. The cards cost 25 yuan, which is refundable when you return the card, and you can load it for use at the booths, service centers for the Metro, and many other places across the city.

Unlike the bus routes in the city above, the signs in the Metro and the maps on the walls and carriages are written in Chinese and English, which makes it the easiest subway system in China to navigate. However, it is best to avoid the rush hours from 7:30am - 10am and 5:00pm - 7:30pm if you are in a rush to get anywhere, as the Metros become very crowded.

Shanghai currently has sixteen Metro lines, with 393 stations that covers 13 of the 16 districts as well as to Huaqiao Town in Jiangsu Province, with more lines planned. Shanghai Metro is now the world’s largest rapid transport system in terms of route length, with more than 644 kilometers of tracks, with more than ten million people using the Metro every day.

Metro Line 2

Also known as the Green Line, Metro Line 2 runs in an east-west direction across the city from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and the Hongqiao Railway Station to the Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The line runs through downtown Shanghai, under the Huangpu River, and through Lujiazui Financial District and the most developed areas of Pudong District. The station at the People’s Square (Renmin Guangchang) is the busiest on the entire Metro, as it is the junction for the Red Line (Line 1) and Line 8.

For tourists, the Green Line is the most important line they are likely to use in Shanghai, as it connects the center of the city with both airports and the main train station for travel from Shanghai heading west to cities such as Xi’an and Chengdu. With around 1.5 million people using the line every day, it is the busiest Metro line in Shanghai.

Metro Line 10

Built in the form of a letter “Y”, Metro Line 10 is one of the most important trunk lines in Shanghai, connecting central downtown with the northeast and southwest areas. The line runs from Xinjiangwancheng to Longxi Road, with a branch line running on to Hangzhong Road and the Hongqiao Railway Station and Airport.

Metro Line 10 is colored light purple on the maps, and runs for a total of 35 kilometers across the city. An extension going northeast to Jilong Road is currently under construction. With 31 stations it is widely used as a route from the center of the city to the railway station at Hongqiao. It is also a useful line to take for some of Shanghai’s best tourist spots, including the Yuyuan Garden, a large Chinese garden known as the “Garden of Happiness” near the City God Temple in the northeast of the city. The Garden is the site of the 3.3-meter-high, 5-ton Exquisite Jade Rock, a boulder that was destined to be placed in the Forbidden City in Beijing. The boat carrying it sank in the waters off the coast of Shanghai, and it was retrieved more than a hundred years ago.

The line is also the best way to get to the Xintiandi District, which is the perfect place for shopping, dining, and entertainment, and which is completely pedestrianized. An affluent area, the district is composed of a mix of 19^th century stone-gate houses, book stores, up-market cafes and restaurants, and a very active and romantic nightlife seven days a week. Straight after the Yuyuan Garden, the next stop is at Nanjing Road, the main shopping area in Shanghai, and one of the busiest shopping streets in the world. Located in the center of the city, the road runs in an east-west direction, from Huangpu District to almost Jing’an District, with the People’s Square right in the middle of the two sections.

Metro Line 11 to Shanghai Disney Land

Possibly the most important line for many of the tourists traveling to Shanghai these days, Metro Line 11 is the line that terminates at Disneyland Shanghai. Another “y”-shaped line, the Brown Line runs from the northwest to the southeast of Shanghai and is the second of the Intercity Metro Lines in shanghai. Line 11 is also the first Metro Line that crosses a provincial boundary, running to Kunshan in Jiangsu Province.

The services run on Line 11 every five minutes, and runs for almost 80 kilometers through the city to Disneyland. The Resort Station, which was built as part of the third phase connecting Luoshan Road to Disneyland, was opened in December 2015, although the Disney Station did not open until April 2016, in preparation for the opening of the newest Disneyland in the world.

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By Taxi

Shanghai has around 45,000 taxis running through the streets of the city, and are one of the most common methods of travel around the city for international travelers, except in rush hours and when it is raining, when it is almost impossible to hail a cab. Majority of the taxis tend to gather around hotels and resorts in the city, though you can always hail one from the sidewalk as they pass by, the same way as in every other city in the world. Most of the vehicles are clean and comfortable, and the service has improved in recent years, with some cabs having recorded messages reminding you to take all your luggage and items with you when you disembark in both Chinese and English.

Traveling in Shanghai by taxi is one of the most common methods for international travelers.

Fares for a taxi in Shanghai are not expensive by western standards, costing around 12 yuan for the first three kilometers, and 2.40 yuan per kilometer after that. From 11:00pm to 6:00am, the fare increases for the initial flag-down rate to 15 yuan for the first three kilometers. You can expect to pay up to 25 yuan for most trips within the city center, and around 60 yuan for a trip to the suburbs or on cross-town trips. If you are not using the Jiaotong Ka, then carry small bills no larger than 50 yuan to pay for the taxi, as they do not carry much change.

By Bike

One of the most stunning sights in China in the morning is the throngs of bicycle riders that fill the streets, crossing small bridges as the workers travel to their jobs. However, if you think that is the idyllic image of China, then you will not find it in most of Shanghai. The vast economic upturn of Shanghai in the past decade has meant that there are a massively higher number of cars on the road than anywhere else in China, and the use of bicycles has declined exponentially. There are a huge number of people that still use the bicycles as their main means of transportation, but for most visitors, many of the hotels no longer rent bicycles for their visitors.

If you really want to see shanghai on a bicycle, then you can rent a bike in plenty of places around Shanghai, or you can even buy a basic bicycle for around 400 yuan, which can be sold back after you are done, at a somewhat lower price. Rentals normally cost around 150 yuan per day, and you will need to leave a deposit of around 2,000 yuan or your passport. Best to leave the money if you want to rent a bike. You should make sure there is a lock and if you are not used to Shanghai, a helmet is a good idea. And always check the tires and brakes before you leave the store, or you may find yourself paying for damages you did not know already existed. And when you stop, use the designated bike parks, which have attendants watching over them. Still, lock the bike anyway, or it is likely to be gone when you get back.

Special Transfer Experience in Shanghai

If you are looking for a little adventure in Shanghai, then look no further than the Maglev Trains and the stunning Huangpu River Cruise. Two of the most awesome ways to travel in this metropolitan seaport, they will leave you breathless once you are done.

Shanghai Maglev Train

The Shanghai Maglev Trains (SMT) are the fastest trains in the world, reaching speeds of up to 430 kph, or around 267 miles per hour. Built using German technology, the SMT has been in operation since 2002, and is the world’s first commercially-operated Maglev railway line. The line runs from Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport to Long yang Road Station, a distance of 30 kilometers. The trip takes around eight minutes, and even if you are not going to the Pudong New Area for anything in particular, it is worth it just to ride this space-age vehicle. And if you do ride it, you can always head out after to go look around the New international Exhibition Center and Century Park.

Shanghai Maglev Train (SMT) is the fastest train in the world.

Huangpu River Cruise

Possibly the best way to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the banks of the Huangpu River, the main artery of Shanghai’s shipping to the East China Sea and the mouth of the Yangtze River. The river also marks the separation line of East and West Shanghai, with the skyscrapers and financial empire of New Pudong Area on the eastern bank and the colonial landmark known as The Bund on the western.

There are several trips you can take along the river, from an hour-long tour to a 3-hour voyage to the mouth of the Yangtze River, 60 kilometers downstream. Cruises cost around 150 yuan for the three-hours trip, and around 100 yuan each for an hour cruise, leaving from the Shiliupu Wharf (Shiliupu Lüyou Jishan Zhongxin) at Wai Ma Lu 19, just to the north of Fuxing Dong Lu.