Explore Shanghai - Explore Shanghai - page 25

Top tips for visiting Shanghai
Getting around. Most taxi drivers in Shanghai speak no English so it's a good idea
to carry the names of the places you want to visit written in English, pinyin and
Chinese characters (the Chinese characters for the driver, the English for you, and
the pinyin so you can confirm phonetically what the driver is saying). Your hotel con-
cierge should be able to help.
Addresses. As many of the streets in Shanghai are very long, it is best to know the
closest cross street to your destination - taxi drivers will be grateful.
Kids' entry prices. Ticket prices for children are most often determined by height,
rather than age - if they're under 1.4m (4.6ft), they'll pay the reduced rate.
Maps. Free tourist maps of Shanghai in English are available at the airport (pick one
up before you reach Customs) and at concierge desks of most hotels.
ATMs. International credit cards and bankcards (Cirrus, Plus, Visa, MasterCard,
American Express) can be used to withdraw local currency from the ATMs of
Chinese and foreign banks, which are easily found throughout the city.
Mobile SIM cards. To avoid roaming charges, get a pre-paid SIM card with a local
number and fixed number of minutes. Many phone providers, hotels, convenience
stores and self-serve kiosks at airports sell them in denominations of RMB100.
Theatre tickets. For a detailed list of arts and cultural performances in Shanghai,
check out www.culture.sh.cn . You can book tickets via the website hotline (6217
2426) or directly with the venue.
Airports. Check your air ticket carefully as Shanghai has two airports: Pudong Inter-
national Airport (30km east of city - code PVG) is mainly for international flights.
Hongqiao Airport (15km west of city - SHA) is for domestic flights and some Hong
Kong, Taiwan and South Korean routes.
French Concession walking tours. Shanghai's historic preservation group, Historic
Shanghai ( [e-mail] m), leads a monthly walking tour of the former
French Concession. Led by Chinese-speaking historians and sinologists, the tours
take you into homes, courtyards and hidden lanes to meet the locals and reveal lay-
ers of Shanghai's fascinating history.