Shanghai has a well-developed transport network – there are more than 1000 bus routes alone, and the metro is considered to be perhaps the largest and fastest growing in the world. Now the subway has 16 lines, one of them connects the city with the airport. The fare depends on the distance and is 3-10 CNY. In winter, the subway is heated, in the summer the air conditioners work in the cars. Stops are announced in two languages: Chinese and English. All stations have a map, the subway staff is always ready to advise the tourist. For China climate and geography, please check TopPharmacySchools.
Keep in mind that each metro line has its own schedule, the metro closes relatively early – the last trains leave at 22:30.
Shanghai bus routes are divided into several categories: Nos. 1-200 run in the center, 201-299 – routes that appear during peak hours, 301-399 operate at night, 401-499 – routes across the Haungpu River, in the Pudong area there are routes No. 601-699. Suburban lines, buses through tunnels and bridges, buses running outside the city center and the so-called special lines, there are more than 300 of them in Shanghai. Buses run much longer than the metro, most of the routes run until 0:00. In salons, as a rule, there is a conductor (usually on long routes) or there is a special container for money. If there is no conductor, you should not count on change. The fare is 1-5 CNY.
100 years ago, more than 300 tram routes ran in Shanghai, in the 70s. trams were canceled in the last century, in 2010 they decided to revive and launched a high-speed tram, so far there is only one line – in Pudong. Trams run every 20 minutes from 05:45 to 23:00 and make 15 stops along the way. The fare costs 2 CNY.
The local airport can be reached by magnetoplane – a bullet train. Its maximum speed is 430 km/h. It takes 15 minutes to cover the distance from Long Yang Street to the airport. The fare is 40 CNY if you have an air ticket, and 50 CNY if you don’t. The magnetic plane starts running at 6:45, the last train at 21:40.
A ferry runs between the tourist areas of the city. For only 3 CNY you can visit the Bundu – the old city and Pudong – the so-called New Shanghai. Ferries run every 10-15 minutes. In the Bund, the pier is located near Nanjing Street, in Pudong – near the Lujiazui Business Center. You can use the services of a special tourist ferry that runs between the two bridges – Nanpu and Yangpu. Travel from end to end will cost 12 CNY.
City taxis are relatively cheap and very comfortable. A car ride costs an average of 16 CNY, a rickshaw ride costs about 10 CNY. Transport can be easily caught on the street. Taxis are equipped with a meter, at the end of the trip the driver must give the passenger a receipt.
Almost every Shanghainese owns a bicycle. For the “horseless” there are rentals. You can rent a bike at special city bike stands, in hotels and hostels. At rental points, everything is automated: you can pay with a card, leave your bike in the same parking lot, even in the next block, even at the other end of the city. A bicycle taken from a hotel cannot be left just like that; you will have to return it to where you took it. The rental price is 15-20 CNY per day.
- downtown shanghai
Travel cards
A trip to the subway can be paid for with a special plastic card. They are sold at the box office installed at the station. A ticket for a day will cost 18 CNY, for 3 days – 45 CNY. You can buy a Maglev & Metro Pass for CNY 85 (two maglev trips) or CNY 55 (one). Both tickets include unlimited travel within 24 hours.
Shanghai Public Transport Card (SPTC) is a universal payment card that is valid in any city transport. It entitles you to a discount on some bus routes, the price of a metro ticket for an SPTC holder is 10% lower. The card costs 20 CNY and needs to be topped up with 50-100 CNY. It makes sense to buy such a travel card only if you plan to spend more than a week in Shanghai. You can order a card on the website.
Rent a Car
In Shanghai, as in all of China, you cannot rent a car without a local license. The only way out is to hire a car with a driver. Representative offices of international rental agencies are open in the city: Avis, Hertz and others. The price is from 500 CNY per day.
If you plan to stay in the city, you can get a temporary Chinese license for 3 months at the traffic police. The cost is about 1000 CNY. Keep in mind that most of the road signs in Shanghai are in Chinese, and fines for traffic violations are quite high.
The central part of Shanghai is equipped with illuminated panels reflecting traffic congestion (green light – free road, red – traffic jam) and the presence of empty parking spaces. There are not enough parking spaces in the city. You can leave the car for 10-15 CNY per hour.
