Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Shanghai transport terminals
Airports
Pudong Airport
浦东机场
p
dōng jī ch
ng
Hongqiao Airport
虹桥机场
hóng qiáo jī ch
ng
Train stations
Shanghai Station
上海火车站
shāngh
i hu
chē zhàn
Shanghai South Station
上海火车南站
shāng h
i hu
chē nán zhàn
Bus stations
Qiujiang Lu Bus Station
虬江路汽车站
qiú jiāng lù qì chē zhàn
Hengfeng Lu Bus Station
恒丰路汽车站
héng fēng lù qì chē zhàn
Hangzhou and other destinations; tickets
cost around ¥50 to each of these places.
The fastest and most romantic way to get
into town is on the Maglev (see box below),
and there are ladies in uniforms to usher you
in the right direction. The Maglev is not
recommen
ded if you have heavy luggage,
though, as there are escalators and corridors
to deal with both at the airport and at your
arrival point at Longyang metro station.
station. If you've come from Hangzhou you'll
arrive at Shanghai South Station, which is
on metro lines #1 and #3.
Hardly any tourists arrive in Shanghai by
bus; if you do you'll be dropped in the
remote outskirts of the city. Some services
use the bus station on Qiujiang Lu, next to
the Baoshan Lu metro station; a few private
buses terminate at the main train station
itself; or you may arrive at nearby Hengfeng
Lu Station over the road from the Hanzhong
Lu metro station. Generally speaking,
though, it's potluck where you end up.
Hongqiao Airport
Most domestic flights land at the old and
tatty Hongqiao Airport (SHA), 20km from
the Bund. From here, a taxi to Nanjing Xi Lu
costs about ¥45, taking about 45 minutes,
and to the Bund about ¥60. At busy times
such as Friday night, you could wait more
than an hour for a cab at the rank, so walk
to departures and pick up one that's just
dropped someone off. Buses leave from the
car park: bus #1 goes to Pudong Airport; the
airport shuttle goes to Jing'an Temple
subway stop in the city centre; bus #925
makes for People's Square; and the #941
heads to the main train station.
The Maglev
The most glamorous way to get into
town from Pudong is on the world's
only commercial Maglev train (daily
7am-9pm; every 20min), suspended
above the track and propelled by the
forces of magnetism. It whizzes from
Pudong International Airport to
Longyang Lu metro station, in eight
minutes, accelerating to 430km per
hour in the first four minutes, then
immediately starting to decelerate.
As there's no friction, the ride is
smooth, and as you near top speed
- there's a digital speedometer in
each cabin - the view from the
windows becomes an impressionistic
blur. Tickets cost ¥50 one way, or
¥40 if you show a plane ticket. Never
mind that the Maglev terminal is
three minutes' walk from the airport,
and that Longyang Lu is still a long
way from the centre of town - you
may never get another chance to go
this fast on land.
By train and bus
The main train station - Shanghai Railway
Station, and often called the “new station” -
is in the north of the city. Its vast concrete
forecourt is always a mass of encamped
migrants, and it's not a particularly safe place
to hang around at night. The best way to get
out of the station area is by metro (lines #1,
#3 and #4 run through it) or taxi, the latter
not likely to cost more than ¥15-20 into the
city. There's an official rank outside the
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