Introduction Of Shanghai City

　Shanghai is an enormous city and traveling on buses can be hard work; the routes, and particularly the stops, are not easy to figure out and buses are jam packed at rush hour. The subway, metro and light railway system, on the other hand, is the best way to get around town. Taxis are cheap and hassle-free as long as you avoid the rush hours. As private cars become increasingly affordable to the new middle class, traffic is becoming noticeably heavier, a trend that will only worsen. The city took a big swipe at traffic congestion in 1999, investing more than a billion dollars in transport – building overpasses, a second metro line and a light railway within a year. Unfortunately there is still not enough space for everyone at rush hour and from around 7am to 9:30am and 4pm to 6:30pm the streets are unbelievably crowded.

　Getting around Shanghai By Taxi

　Taxis in Shanghai are inexpensive and easy to flag down, except during rush hour. Only a few take credit cards. Most taxi drivers are surprisingly honest, but you should always use taxis with meters. Most taxis are green Volkswagen Santanas. These all have meters. To find available taxis, look for the red "for hire" sign on the dashboard on the passenger side.

　Getting around Shanghai By Metro and Subway

　Shanghai 's subway system is wonderful, and is one of the best ways to get around in the city. The subway runs regularly, opening in the morning at 6 o'clock and closing at 10 pm.The trains are clean. The prices are inexpensive and the subway is very fast, compared to taxi or auto travel, but the subway can sometimes be crowded during rush hour.

　Shanghai currently has four lines in operation with many more currently under construction or on the drawing boards. Lines 1 and 2 are subway lines, while line 3 is an elevated line and line 4 is an LRV line (light rail vehicle). Line no. 1 is the major north south line, running from Gong Fu Xin Cun Station in the northern suburbs to the Shanghai Railway Station in the Zhabei District, on to People's Square and Huaihai Lu downtown, to Xujiahui in the south and ends at Xinzhuang, Minhang District. Line no. 2 is an east-west line beginning at Zhang Jiang Station in Pudong. It runs under the financial district of Pudong, on under the HuangPu River into downtown Shanghai, where it connects with Line no 1 at Peoples Square Station, where transfers are easily made. Line no 1 then travels on westward ending at Zhong Shan Park Station. Line no 3, the pearl line, runs roughly south-west from Northeast Shanghai, to the Southwest suburbs. It begins in the northern Hong Kou District, connects with Line no 1 at the Shanghai Railway Station, then connects with Line no 2 at the Zhong Shan Park Station. Line no 3 continues south with a station at Hong Qiao Road, and again connects with Line no 1 at the Shanghai Non Zhan (South Railway Station) in the Changning District.

　The new Mag Lev (Magnetic Levitation) line has also just started regular services between the city and Pudong International Airport. The 30km (19mi) trip takes just ten minutes.

　Map of Shanghai’s Subway & Metro system

　Getting around Shanghai By Bus

　Shanghai has many buses. The prices are very inexpensive, but getting around the city by bus is not recommended. Usually the buses are packed and crowded and are almost impossible to board. Stops can also be unpredictable and you may be helplessly carried past your destination. Pickpockets are another drawback.

　Getting around Shanghai By Car

　Although it's possible to rent a car in Shanghai, it's really not worth the trouble unless you're familiar with the nightmare of Shanghai's one-way street system and the appalling conditions on the roads.

　On the other hand, if you really want or need the freedom that having your own auto provides, then the best choice is to hire a permanent driver, since they are inexpensive and can help you avoid the frustration of constantly dodging the hordes of pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, buses and trucks.

　Getting around Shanghai On Foot

　Shanghai isn't exactly a walker's paradise. There are some fascinating areas to stroll around, but new road developments, building sites and shocking traffic conditions conspire to make walking an exhausting, stressful and sometimes dangerous experience. When crossing streets, always try to cross with a group of other pedestrians.

　Shanghai Airports

　Since the official opening of Shanghai's Pudong International Airport in 1999, Shanghai has become the first city in China to have two international airports.

　Hongqiao Airport in western Shanghai, about 15 kilometers from the city center, now handles domestic flights only. Hongqiao Airport is easily accessed from the central business district where many airlines have offices. By taxi, the trip from the airport will take you about 30 min. Pudong International Airport is now one of the most advanced airports in the world, providing world-class services to airlines and passengers. It is also much farther from downtown Shanghai than Hongqiao Airport.

　The terminal building of Pudong International Airport covers 278,000 square meters. The broadcasting system uses three languages (Chinese, English and Japanese) to release flight information. It has eight ticket-handling islands, so passengers need not stand in line for boarding formalities.

　Departing Passengers can arrive directly at the second floor of the terminal building by car, and enter the departure hall through 18 entrances. The waiting hall has 20 check-in counters for domestic passengers and 25 check-in counters for international passengers.

　The arrival passengers can directly enter the waiting corridor on the second floor, and take the escalator to the arrivals hall on the first floor to fetch their luggage. Going out of the terminal building, passengers can take taxis, public buses or the airport bus to go downtown.

　The terminal building has installed 342 public phones, including IC-card phones, magnetic-card phones and coin-phones. Passengers can also use their mobile phones. In the building there are also Internet bars, where business travelers can surf the web.

　On the third floor of the terminal building there is a shopping mall, with specialized stores selling various commodities with Chinese characteristics, including books, pharmaceuticals, handicrafts and general merchandise. The duty-free shops in the international departures hall sell four categories of commodities: perfume, general merchandise, food, and cigarettes and liquor. There are 11 restaurants and bars at the airport, some famous restaurants have branches there. The terminal building also provides hotel rooms for passengers to rent by the hour.

　Convenient Airport Transportation

　Under normal circumstances, passengers can travel from Pudong Airport to Hongqiao Airport, Shanghai Railway Station and Shanghai Harbor within 40-60 minutes. Five bus lines leading to the airport have been put into operation. The Pudong Airport is 40 kilometers from Hongqiao Airport and 30 kilometers from Renmin Square in the center of Shanghai.

　It is a 40-minute car ride from Hongqiao Airport to Pudong Airport. It is a 60-minute car ride from the city center to Pudong Airport. Passengers can also take a special airport bus from Pudong Airport to the downtown area and Hongqiao Airport. Now five bus lines have been put into operation. Buses operate from 6:00 to 19:00 in downtown areas and from 8:00 to 21:00 at Pudong Airport.