Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
thoroughness - rooms are made to look like
cabins, with portholes for windows, and
staff are dressed in sailor suits (though it
hasn't made them any jollier). It also has a
good bar - the Captain Bar - on the sixth
despite its rather peripheral location a few
minutes' walk from Caoyang Lu subway
station, in the northwest of the city. The
rooms with shared bathrooms are some of
the cheapest private rooms in the city, and
there are lockers and laundry. Four- and
six-bed dorms ¥80; rooms with shared
bathroom
1
; rooms with private bath
2
.
Mingtown Etour Hostel
上海明堂新易途国际青年旅馆
shàng h
i míng táng xīn yì tú guó jì qīng
nián lü gu
n
57 Jiangyin Lu
T
63277766. See map, p.58.
This is the best of the cheapies, being very
well located - tucked in the alleyway behind
Tomorrow Square, right beside Renmin Park
- yet quiet and surprisingly affordable. A
dark corridor opens into a relaxing courtyard
featuring a pond with goldfish and a cat.
The cheap bar-restaurant here has a free
pool table and shows films at night. There's
also a self-service laundry. Rooms vary in
size, so ask to see a few - one or two have
balconies - and bathrooms are shared
between two or three rooms. From People's
Square metro, walk five minutes to
Tomorrow Square and look for the blue
hostel sign in the alley immediately south.
Dorms ¥45, doubles
2
.
Mingtown Hikers Hostel
明堂上海旅行者国际青年旅馆
míng táng shàng h
i lü xíng zhé guó jì qīng
nián lü gu
n
450 Jiangxi Zhong Lu
r
floor, with great views of Pudong (see
p.124). Unusually, dorms are same-sex and
Chinese and foreign guests are billeted
together. Be warned that the cleaning staff
will barge in and get on with it whether
you're out of bed or not. Internet access is
¥10/hr, bike rental ¥2/hr (guests only), and
there's free use of the washing machine. To
reach it, go to Huangpi Nan Lu metro
station and walk south or get bus #64 from
the train station. Dorm beds ¥70, rooms
5
.
City Central Youth Hostel
万里路国际青年旅舍
wàn l
l lù guó jì lü shè
300 Wuning Lu, near Zhongshan Bei Lu
T
52905577. See map, pp.80-81.
This giant,
no-nonsense hostel, painted a striking blue
and orange, boasts the city's cheapest
rooms and dorms. It's clean, and staff are
efficient and English-speaking and there's a
busy bar-cum-restaurant. It's just 300m
north of Caoyang Lu metro station, in the
west of town, but can be tricky to find the
first time. Follow the subway line north until
you reach the crossroads with Wuning Lu,
cross over and on your right you'll see an
archway. Walk through it and you'll see the
hostel sign. Dorms ¥40, rooms with shared
bathrooms
1
.
Koala International Youth Hostel
考拉国际青年旅舍
k
63297889. See map,
p.48.
Very well located just west of the Bund
(nearest metro stop: Nanjing Dong Lu), this
cheap and cheerful hostel books up quickly.
It's sociable, so can be noisy, and the
rooms with bathrooms are not a good deal
as they're rather dark, but the other options
are good for the price. Four- and six-bed
dorms ¥45; rooms with shared bathrooms
1
; rooms with their own bathrooms
2
.
Motel 168
莫泰连锁旅店
mò tài lián su
lü diàn
678 Anyuan Lu, in the northwest of the city, 7min
walk north of the Yufo Temple, on bus route #19
from the Bund; 1119 Yan'an Xi Lu, by Fanyu Lu,
5min walk from Jiangsu Lu metro station; all
reservations
T
63168168. See maps, pp.80-81
& 70-71.
There are a dozen or so branches
of this functional American-style motel all
over Shanghai - we've listed the two most
centrally located. Standard rooms are ¥168
but you can also upgrade to a more
T
k o lā guó jì qīng nián lü shè
1447 Xikang Lu
T
62769430. See map,
pp.80-81.
Budget Chinese hotels can disin-
tegrate rapidly; at least for the moment, this
new one is fantastic value, with large rooms,
enthusiastic staff and a range of facilities -
such as microwaves and fridges in the
rooms - that you would expect from a
much pricier place. It's a little bit far from the
action, though in a quiet neighbourhood
next to Suzhou Creek, a 10min walk from
Zhenping Lu subway stop (line #3), on the
route of bus #24. Four-bed dorms ¥100,
rooms
2
.
Le Tour Shanghai Youth Hostel
乐途上海国际青年旅舍
lè tú shàng gi
i guó jì qīng nián lü shè
136 Bailan Lu, near Kaixuan Bei Lu
52510800.
See map, pp.80-81.
Friendly staff and good
facilities make this worth considering
T
105
