Shanghai Transportation
Shanghai is one of China's main transport hubs and one of the largest ports in the west Pacific areas. With the completion of Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway, Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway, with more and more subways, tunnels, bridges and crossroads in urban areas, Shanghai has established a swift and convenient transport network.
Getting In & Away
By Air
Shanghai is the only city having two international airports in China-- Pudong Airport and Hongqiao Airport, the former is the main international gateway while the latter serves most of the domestic flights. From Shanghai, people can fly to all the main cities in the country (excluding Taiwan), and to the important cities of more than 20 countries and regions in the world.
Pudong International Airport
Pudong International Airport is situated in Pudong New Area, it is 30 km away from the downtown area and 40 km away from the Hongqiao International Airport. Pudong International Airport is becoming one of the aviation centers in the world.
Hongqiao International Airport
Hongqiao International Airport is located in the western part of the city and is 13 km away from the downtown area, as the old airport in Shanghai, it now mainly services domestic flights.
By Train
Shanghai connects with all artery railways through Beijing-Shanghai and Shanghai-Hangzhou railway lines, and many parts of the country can be reached by direct train from here. Every day some 80 pairs of trains depart from or arrive at the city. Shanghai has several railway stations, with Shanghai Railway Station as the largest and oldest, the other two are Shanghai South Railway Station which was opened in July 2006 and is set to take over all services towards the south of China, and Shanghai West Railway Station as well.
By Bus
Shanghai has several long-distance bus stations from which buses leave for Beijing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, some other cities and towns.
By Ship
Shanghai Harbor is an important transportation port for entering and exiting the city as well as a water passenger transport hub in east China, and it is also China's only sea, river and inland river passenger transportation port. Shanghai Harbor now consists of the Shiliupu, Gongpinglu, Waihongqiao, Luchaogang, Jinshan, Wusong, Baoyanglu and Shidongkou passenger stations, from which passengers can go to Putuoshan, Dalian in Liaoning province, cities along the Yangtze River such as Nanjing, Wuhu, Jiujiang and Wuhan, and Japan.Getting Around
By Subway
The subway is an excellent way to get around the city quickly and conveniently. Shanghai now has 5 lines with another 4 under construction. The trains are fast, cheap and fairly user-friendly with most signs both in Chinese and English, but the trains can get very packed during rush hour.
By Taxi
Taxi is generally a good choice for transportation in the city, though Shanghai now is an over- congested metropolis. Taxi colors in Shanghai are strictly controlled and indicate the company the taxi belongs to. Turquoise taxis operated by Dazhong, the largest taxi company in Shanghai, are often judged as the best of the bunch. Yellow taxis belong to QiangSheng taxi company, while white taxis belong to JinJiang taxi company, and blue taxis and red taxis belong to those small taxi companies that they don't have an identified color. Taxis are required to switch on the meter for all journeys, so always insist that the meter is used, unless taking a long trip out of town.
By Ferry
Ferry boats shuttle across the Huangpu River every 15 minutes between the southern Bund and Pudong's Lujiazui District, which is worth a try to gain an experience if time is permitted.
By Maglev Train
More a tourist attraction and prestige project than practical means of transport, the Maglev Train runs from Pudong airport to its teminal Longyang in Pudong in 8 minutes, from where you can transfer to the metro to get to your destination. The Maglev Trains run every 20 minutes from 7 am to 9 pm daily at a blazing speed of 430 km/h, and the ride is definitely an experience in a rollercoasterish way.
