Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting around
Shanghai's infrastructure groans under tremendous demands, but is holding up,
for the moment. The subway is fast, air-conditioned and easy to navigate. Taxis
are cheap and plentiful and drivers are honest, which means that it's easy to avoid
the overcrowded bus system.
Cycling is a good way to get around,
though bikes are banned on most of the
ma
jor roads in the daytime. Walking is more
rewarding than in most Chinese cities -
there are few of the tedious boulevards that
tend to characterize Chinese city centres -
but the sheer density of the crowds can be
intimidating. Crossing the road is more
stressful than it should be as traffic is
allowed to turn right even when the green
man is flashing - you really have to stay on
your toes. It is impossible to hire a car
without a Chinese driving licence - and
anyway you'd have to be nuts to voluntarily
drive these streets. But if you're short on
time, there are plenty of tours of Shanghai
on offer, and this can be a great way to see
the sights. Finally, for details of boat travel
within Shanghai, see p.54 and p.86, and for
information on travelling around Shanghai's
hinterland by train see box, p.149.
(take careful note of the wall maps here for
which exit to use). Lines #3 and #4 are much
less used by visitors, and mainly serve
commuters. They intersect with line #1 at
Shanghai Stadium and at the railway station
- but if you want to change be prepared for
a lot of walking.
Tickets cost from ¥3 to ¥7, according to
the distance travelled. They can be bought
either from touch-screen machines (there's
an option for English) or from vendors. Alter-
nately, you can purchase a ¥70 stored-value
card for ¥100 (you get ¥30 back when you
return it) at stations and convenience stores,
but you'd need to be in the city for at least a
couple of weeks to make it worthwhile.
By bus
Shanghai has more than a thousand bus
lines and buses run frequently, every few
minutes. Still, they are often overcrowded,
and you should be careful of pickpockets.
Buses operate from 5am to 11pm, after
which time night buses take over. Fares are
¥1 on old buses, ¥2 on the new, air-condi-
tioned buses; you pay on board. There are
onboard announcements in English, but be
careful not to miss your stop as the next one
will likely not be for another kilometre.
Services with numbers in the 300s are
night buses; those in the 400s cross the
Huangpu; and anything over 800 is air-
conditioned. Most large fold-out city maps
show bus routes, usually as a red or blue line
with a dot Indicating a stop. Sightseeing
buses for tourist sights in the outskirts leave
from the Shanghai Stadium (see p.27).
By metro
The clean, modern metro operates from
5.30am to 11pm, and includes both under
r
ground and light rail lines. The system is easy
to find your way around: station entrances are
marked by a red “M” logo, all stations and
trains are well signed in English and stops are
announced in both English and Chinese over
an intercom when the train pulls in.
There are four lines at present, with nine
more to open in the next decade, but only
two are particularly useful for tourists. Line
#1 runs north-south, with useful stops at the
railway station, People's Square, Changshu
Lu (for the Old French Concession), Xujiahui
and Shanghai Stadium. Line #2 runs east-
west with stops at Jing'an Temple, Henan Lu
and, in Pudong, Lujiazui and the Science
and Technology Museum. The lines intersect
at the enormous People's Square station
By taxi
Taxis are ubiquitous (until you need one
when it's raining) and very cheap - the rate is
¥2 per km, a little more after 10pm, with a
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