Shanghai Airport to City Center: Pudong (PVG) and Hongqiao (SHA)

The short version

First, check which airport. Shanghai has two, on opposite sides of the city:

Most long-haul international flights land at Pudong.

Then pick your ride:

Maglev fares and hours are from the operator’s published fares, and airport link details from its opening information, checked on 30 September 2026. Taxi totals are our estimates, not fixed prices.

From Pudong Airport (PVG)

Maglev: the fast, fun option

The Shanghai maglev (磁浮) runs between Pudong Airport and Longyang Road (龙阳路), a 30 km trip that takes about 8 minutes, at up to 300 km/h.

• Hours: about 6:45 to 21:42, every 15 to 20 minutes.
• Where: follow the maglev (磁浮) signs from arrivals. The station sits between Terminals 1 and 2.
• At Longyang Road: change to Metro Line 2 for People’s Square and Nanjing Road, or Line 7, 16 or 18 for other areas. The Bund is about 20 to 30 minutes further by metro.

Is it worth it? It is a memorable ride and saves time if your hotel is on Line 2 or 7. But Longyang Road is not in the center, and changing with big suitcases is tiring. With heavy bags or children, a taxi to the hotel is simpler.

Metro Line 2: the cheapest

Line 2 runs from Pudong Airport Terminals 1 and 2 station through Lujiazui and People’s Square to Hongqiao.

• Fare: under RMB 10 to the center.
• Time: about 1 to 1.25 hours to People’s Square or East Nanjing Road.
• Paying: buy a single ticket from the machines or use a transit QR code in Alipay. See Alipay for foreigners.

Tip: on some trains you may need to change at Guanglan Road (广兰路) to continue into the city. Follow the platform signs.

Taxi

Use the official taxi rank outside arrivals and follow the queue. The meter decides the fare.

• To the Bund or People’s Square: roughly RMB 160 to 220, 50 to 70 minutes.
• To Lujiazui: a little less.
• A night surcharge applies late in the evening.

Ignore anyone offering rides inside the terminal. Unlicensed drivers often charge several times the meter price.

DiDi

DiDi works at both terminals. Follow the signs for the ride-hailing (网约车) pickup area, which is separate from the taxi rank. Prices are similar to a taxi. See How to get a taxi in China.

Airport buses

Airport bus routes run from Pudong to various parts of the city and to nearby cities. They suit you only if your hotel is close to a stop. Ask at the transport desk in arrivals.

From Hongqiao Airport (SHA)

Hongqiao is close to the city and well connected.

• Terminal 2 is joined to Hongqiao Railway Station. Walk through for high-speed trains to Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing and Beijing.
• Metro: Line 2 and Line 10 serve Terminal 2, and Line 10 also serves Terminal 1. Line 17 runs west from Hongqiao Railway Station.
• To the center: about 30 to 45 minutes by metro to People’s Square or East Nanjing Road.
• Taxi: roughly RMB 70 to 100 to the Bund, 30 to 50 minutes.

Flying in and leaving Shanghai by train? Hongqiao is the easiest place to connect. See how to book China train tickets.

Moving between Pudong and Hongqiao

If you land at one airport and fly out of the other, allow at least 3 to 4 hours between flights.

The airport link line is a suburban railway, separate from the metro. Follow the signs for 市域机场线 or the airport link. At the airports, its stations are not joined to the metro inside the gates, so you tap out and in again.

Which option should you choose?

Before you land

1. Complete your arrival card before the flight. See China arrival card and what happens at immigration.
2. Get mobile data working so you can open maps and DiDi on arrival. See China eSIM vs SIM card.
3. Save your hotel address in Chinese to show the driver.
4. Keep some cash for the first hours, in case your payment app needs to verify.

Using 240-hour visa-free transit through Shanghai? Read the 240-hour transit rules before you book.

Want someone waiting when you land?

After a long-haul flight into Pudong, a driver holding your name at arrivals saves an hour of queues and changes. Our airport transfer service tracks your flight and meets you at PVG or SHA. For what to do next, see our Shanghai guide, and if Beijing is also on your route, Beijing airport to city center.