Travel around Shanghai on Local Transport

Being home to millions of dwellers, Shanghai is not only the biggest metropolis of China, but one of the busiest international transportation hubs in the world. Shanghai has developed a sophisticated transportation system for locals and visitors to move around the city. The extensive network of subways, public buses and taxis enables travelers to easily access the city’s top urban sights and even spots in outskirts. No matter for layover tourists or independent adventurers, using the public transportation could be an ideal way to explore the modern Shanghai. However, there might be problems for first timers to navigate through the gigantic and crowded Shanghai, so here is a guide helping you come and go freely in such a foreign maze.

Subway is utterly the quickest way to travel across the town of Shanghai. Now, the city has established 14 metro lines with a total length of 617km and more than 360 metro stations in service, and the rail network still expands rapidly aiming to reach nearly every corner of the mega city.

• Departure and Fare: Safe and clean, the trains are operated regularly with few delays, and there will be frequent departures at an interval of 3-5 minutes in busy areas. The ticket cost is depending on the distance, ranging from ¥3 to ¥15.
• Language: Subway of Shanghai is a very friendly travel method especially for foreign passengers since all the metro stations and trains have English signs and announcements, making the subway system easy to navigate and use.
• Ticket: Tickets can be obtained from the self-service machines inside the stations, where you can shift for English instructions. The machine takes coins and bills of designated denomination, while you could go to the service counters to get some changes or buy tickets directly. You need swipe your ticket to get into the metro, while insert it into the slot gate for reclaim at exits.
• Crowds: At peak hours (7am-9am and 5:30am-7:30pm), taking the subway could be a huge pain particularly for the migration from Pudong to Puxi of Shanghai. You will have to push hard to get in and out of the train. It is difficult for you to get even a stand not to mention a seat unless you board from a terminus station.
• MetroMan: You are highly recommended to download a free App called MetroMan, which can help you to find the best route and transfer method between two points, and offer the info of the travel time and ticket cost.

It is estimated that the bus routes amount over 1,000 in Shanghai, and that is to say, you can take the bus to travel all over the city especially somewhere the subway lines are unable to reach. Buses generally run from 5am to 11pm, and there are hundreds of buses in service on the trunk lines all night.

• Departure: Usually more popular the bus route is, more frequent the departure will be. For the beaten path, you will wait no more than 5 minutes for the next bus, while for the farther-flung routes, the waiting time could be prolonged to more than 20 mins. Besides, the frequency and punctuality of buses are also much depending on the state of the traffic.
• Fare: The buses are as cheap as breeze in Shanghai like in all other parts of China. The fare for the bus running within downtown is low to 1RMB for the majority, and the air-con buses might cost ¥2 to ¥3.
• Ticket: Most city buses in Shanghai use slot box to charge the passengers. You can stash your cash into the box but it doesn’t make changes. A few buses have conductors from whom you can get the ticket and refunded money, but they may only speak Chinese.
• Language: Language would be a big barrier for foreign travelers who intend to take a bus in Shanghai. The drives barely speak English, while the bus stop signs and routes are in Chinese only. It is even difficult for seasoned veterans to navigate to the right place to catch the bus and seize the right moment to disembark. Except some tried-and-tested routes, public buses are not advisable for newcomers.
• Crowds: Most buses in Shanghai are struggling with crowds, especially at rush hours. Buses are fully packed without room for breathing space, nor allowing one more passenger to get on. Pickpocket is also a big risk particularly during the rush-hour squeeze. If hating crowds, bus is no place for you.

Shanghai have nearly 50,000 taxis operated by different companies, and sees an increasing number of spacious and comfortable cabs like Mercedes-Benz. Taxi is an easy, economical and efficient way to travel around the city, especially handy for trips late at night.

• Fare: Comparing to western countries, taxis in Shanghai are reasonably cheaper to use to go around. The flag fall is 14RMB for the first 3km, and an additional charge of 2.5RMB incurs per km thereafter. There will be a higher rate at night from 11pm to 5am, but it is still affordable. Most of the drivers are upright to go by the meter, but for a long-distance ride like the transfer from the airport to downtown, some of the drivers refuse to use the meter device but offer a fixed rate instead. The price can be negotiated but be sure the driver delivers you to the exact place.
• Accessibility: Usually it is breeze to hail down a cab on most busy streets, but there are also exceptions due to the rush hours, rainy days and traffic jams. You can tell if a taxi is available by the green sign. Chinese now get used to calling taxis through APPs like Uber and DiDi, but there is a hitch for foreigners as the account needs a Chinese phone number and credit card to use.
• Language: Shanghai taxi drivers speak limited or no English, but they are mostly polite and helpful. In case they refuse to load or take you to wrong place, you’d better prepare a destination card in Chinese characters. At the end of the ride, you will be offered a printed receipt, keep it as a contact in case you left something in the taxi.
• Tipping: Unlike in western nations, tipping is not expected by Shanghai drivers. Actually they will honestly return the change.

Open in January 2004, maglev has been popularly chosen as a great method for the transfer from Shanghai Pudong Airport to downtown by western travelers. Shanghai maglev is regarded as the fastest and safest train in the world, with an amazing speed up to 420kmh (270mph). The train terminates between the airport and Longyang Road, covering a ride of 30 km in 7 minutes only. It costs 50RMB for a single ride of 7 minutes, but time is saved and it is worth the travel comfort. No doubt the ride itself is more than a way of transportation but an experience of the trend. Moreover, after the train arrives at Longyang Road, you can transfer to subway line 2, 7 and 14 for further journey.

Bikes have seen a big revival in most China cities in recent years because of the bike-sharing scheme and slowness of the traffic. In Shanghai, cycling could be one of the cheapest and funniest way to get around, especially for neighborhood exploration. Bikes area easy to get for most locals since one can use phone to pay for the use, while it would be hard to access for foreign visitors since a Chinese phone number and credit card account are required. Many big hotels and hostels in Shanghai even offers bike rental service for short-term users like tourists. The price might a bit higher, but it is really worthwhile as biking is handy for checking out the Shanghai neighborhoods like the former French Concession area. Just note that bike theft is a common issue in China, and you should prepare a cable lock in case of loss.

If you will stay in Shanghai for more than a couple of days, it is really worth investing in a transportation card. The beauty of the card is that you can use it to pay all modes of in-city transportation including subways, taxis and most buses as well as some ferries.

The transportation card can be obtained from airports, subway stations, convenience stores and even hotel bookshops. There will be a refundable deposit of ¥20 required for the purchase, and you can top up the card according to the length of your stay. The stored value will be electronically deducted from the card when you swipe it over the sensor. Actually, using the transportation card will not save you much money, but it will release you from the long queues and lack of change.