Shanghai’s public transportation system is excellent, befitting a major world city. Both the airports and downtown transportation are very well organized.
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Transportation between airports and city
Shanghai has two major international airports: Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Hongqiao International Airport (SHA).
Pudong International Airport
Shanghai’s main international airport, located about 30 km from downtown. It has two terminals (T1, T2) that are connected by walkways.
Maglev
The fastest mode of transportation, reaching Longyang Road metro station in just 7 minutes, where you can transfer to metro lines 2, 7, 16, and 18. It operates from morning until late evening in both directions.
The Maglev is the world’s fastest commercial train, capable of traveling at speeds of 300 km/h. Thanks to electromagnetic levitation technology, the train glides almost silently.
Ticket price: 50 yuan one-way, 80 yuan round-trip. The return ticket is valid for seven days.
Metro
Line 2 connects downtown to the airport. It stops at several central locations (Century Avenue, Lujiazui) with numerous transfer options. It operates from morning until late evening.
Since the other terminus of Line 2 is Hongqiao Airport, travelers can travel directly between the two airports with a transfer.
Buses
Several bus routes operate to downtown under the name Airport Line. They run from morning until evening.
It’s advisable to use the Maglev or Line 2 metro, as they will get you to the center much faster.
Night transportation
Late Night Bus handles nighttime transportation. It operates between 11 PM and 5:30 AM.
Main stops: Longyang Road, Century Avenue Metro Station, East Yan’an Road.
Hongqiao International Airport
This airport primarily serves domestic flights and some regional international flights, and is located closer to downtown (about 13 km). It has two terminals (T1 and T2).
Metro
From Terminal 1, Line 10 takes you downtown. There are transfer options at several locations.
From Terminal 2, Lines 2 and 10 operate. Line 2 also takes you directly to Pudong Airport.
Bus
From Terminal 1, bus 807 operates from morning until late evening.
From Terminal 2, several bus routes are available.
Night transportation
One bus route, 316, operates at night. It runs from 11 PM to 5 AM.
All information about public transportation from both airports can be found here!
Shanghai city transportation
Shanghai’s public transportation is one of the most advanced in China, and the metro is particularly recommended.
The metro is one of the world’s largest and busiest systems with more than 20 lines and hundreds of stations. It’s fast, reliable, and covers the entire city, making it the most popular transportation mode. English signs and automated machines help tourists navigate. The metro network map can be found here!
The city bus network is dense, but without knowledge of Chinese, it can be difficult to navigate as many routes don’t have English signs.
Worth mentioning is the DiDi application, which is equivalent to Uber. The application is also available in English.
Ticket types
Single-trip ticket
On the metro and buses, the ticket price depends on the distance traveled, generally between 3-6 yuan. Tickets can be purchased from automatic machines at metro stations.
Day passes
The one-day pass is valid for 24 hours from first use, allowing unlimited travel on the metro. Price: 18 yuan.
The three-day pass is valid for 72 hours from first use, allowing unlimited travel on the metro. Price: 45 yuan.
Maglev & Metro ticket
There is a combined ticket type for the Maglev magnetic levitation train that runs between Pudong Airport and Longyang metro station.
The one-day pass includes Maglev travel. There is a single-trip Maglev ticket (Maglev Single Trip + Metro One-day Pass: 55 yuan) and a round-trip Maglev ticket (Maglev Round Trip + Metro One-day Pass: 85 yuan).
On the metro, you can travel unlimited times for 24 hours from first use.
