China » Getting to Shanghai

Approximate flight time from Beijing to London is 10 hours.

By Air

Shanghai has two main airports, with Pudong the main international gateway and Hongqiao serving most domestic flights. Be sure to check which one your flight is leaving from, and allow at least one hour to transfer if needed.

Domestic airplane tickets should be booked at least two days in advance at one of the many travel agencies. Fares are generally cheap, but vary depending on the season.

By Train

Shanghai Railway Station is located in Zhabei district, on the intersection of Metro Lines 1, 3 and 4. It is the cheapest way to reach Shanghai from other cities in China, but there are few international rail links.

Train tickets are also most conveniently booked in advance at one of the many travel service agencies. If urgent, they could also be directly booked at the train stations and the Shanghai Railway Station even has an English counter.

By Airbus

Airport buses are considerably cheaper (Y15-22), but take up to an hour and a half and stop running at 9 PM. There are a number of routes, but two particularly convenient ones connect to the Airport City Terminal on Nanjing West Road (#2, Y19) and Shanghai train station (#5, Y18).

By Sea

Port of call includes Shanghai, Xiamen (opposite Taiwan), Tanggu (near Tianjin), Macau and Hong Kong.

By Car

In recent years many highways have been built, linking Shanghai to other cities in the region, including Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, etc. It only takes 2 hours to reach Shanghai from Hangzhou.

By Bus

There are several long-distance bus stations in Shanghai, but most buses only go to small towns nearby the city. And you should try to get the tickets as early as possible.