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Shanghai City Transport

As one of China’s largest and most important cities, Shanghai boasts one of the best city transportation systems in the nation. Below are some details on the workings of the city’s networks.

It may be helpful to purchase a Shanghai Jiaotong Card (上海交通一卡通) which can be used to pay for a majority of trips on buses, the metro, and taxis. This can save payment time at the point of entry. You may purchase these cards at any metro station as well as in some convenience stores.

Big Bus Tour

This well planned big bus tour takes you to all of the city’s top landmarks including Jade Buddha Temple, the Oriental Pearl Tower, the People’s Square, and the Bund. These open-top buses run regularly and offer the flexibility for visitors and travelers to hop on and off at their own leisure and convenience in order to enjoy Shanghai’s most interesting places as you wish.

big bus tour

Maglev Train

The main route of the rapid Maglev Train is between Longyang Road and Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The train is a vital part of Shanghai traffic development and is the first Maglev train used in the world for transportation, tourism, and sightseeing. One end is the Longyang stop of the Subway Line 2 and the other is Pudong Airport. The route is 30 kilometers in total and runs up to 430 kilometers per hour, taking just 8 minutes from end to end.

shanghai maglev train

Subway

Shanghai has 12 subway lines that link the city, with stations mainly set near top destinations and hubs. Rush hour tends to be 7 am to 9:30 am, and 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm during which the trains get extremely crowded. The lines are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 13. 7 more lines are under construction to provide even more coverage in the future.

shanghai subway

Taxi

There are over 50,000 taxies in Shanghai! The largest companies are Volks Wagen (cars with a lake blue color), Qiang Sheng (yellow), Johnson (white), Bus (green), and Hai Bo (blue). Taxis may be easily hailed from the street at any time.

taxi

Public Bus

There are more than 1,100 official bus lines in Shanghai with about 50 more opened or adjusted every year. Travel by bus is more extensive and cheaper than by metro/subway. Buses can be categorized by a number of ways. Some are daytime buses, others run only during rush hour and at nighttime. There are also bus lines defined by the areas they operate, for example being concentrated in the Western Pu River area, Eastern Pu River area, around the Pu River (bridge and tunnel), and the Suburban area. Almost all the buses today are air conditioned and cost 2 Yuan; some bus fares are based on distance traveled. Some buses have conductor service while others do not.

public bus

Ferry

Nanpu Bridge, Yangpu Bridge, Xupu Bridge, Lupu Bridge, and a number of tunnels across the Huangpu River offer direct links between Pudong New District and Puxi Area. Ferry boats thus provide convenient transport service across the Huangpu River. This means travelers can shave time off their travels by avoiding the crowded bridges and tunnels all while appreciating the stunning river scenery. Ferryboats are also available between the mainland and 3 nearby islands: Chongming, Changqing, and Hengsha.

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