Flights to Shanghai

Shanghai’s humid subtropical climate contains four distinct seasons. Winter can be cold, with temperatures that drop to freezing, although snowfall is rare. This makes the season the least expensive for travel, but only until the Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year. This holiday shifts dates from year to year because it’s based on the lunar calendar, but falls around late January – mid-February and lasts for 23 days. During the Spring Festival, not only will the city be extremely busy, but also many shops and even some tourist attractions close. During the spring, comfortable temperatures and less precipitation than during summer make it a popular time for travelers to visit. Make sure you book your flights and accommodation ahead of time. Heat, humidity, and plenty of rain make summer less comfortable for tourists, so you might find some good deals if you visit in June – August. Tourist season picks up again in late September and October, after typhoon season, with drier weather and temperatures of 23 – 27 degrees Celsius.

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA)

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is one of two international airports in Shanghai and an important aviation hub serving mainly domestic and regional flights. It’s situated around 13 kilometers west of Downtown Shanghai. If you arrive at Hongqiao Airport, these are your options for travel to the city center.

Trains

Shanghai Metro lines 2 and 7 can take you from either of Hongqiao Airport’s two terminals to the city center. Get on line 2 at Terminal 2 and ride to the People’s Square in about 30 minutes or take line 10 from Terminal 1 and get off at Yuyuan Garden in about the same amount of time. The fare for either is ¥4.00 RMB.

Taxis

You can hail a taxi from Terminal 1 at the arrival hall exit, or from Terminal 2 at the south side of gate 4. Travel time to the People’s Square is about 30 minutes, and the fare is ¥50.00 RMB.

Shuttles

From Terminal 1, you can take bus 806 or 1207 to get downtown for a fare of ¥2.00 RMB. If you arrive at Terminal 2, board any of these buses: Hongqiao hub lines 4 or 9, airport line 1, line 941, or line 361 (the night bus). The fare for daytime shuttles is ¥4.00 RMB, and for the night bus, ¥16.00 RMB.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)

Pudong Airport mainly serves international flights, so this is where most international tourists land. Here are your transport options into Downtown Shanghai.

Trains

Shanghai Metro line 2 will get you from the airport to People’s Square in 62 minutes, for a fare of ¥7.00 RMB. You may also take the Maglev from the airport, get off at Longyang Rd. in only 8 minutes, and then take Metro line 2 into the city center in 18 minutes. The Maglev costs ¥50.00 RMB and the Metro costs ¥4.00 RMB, so you pay a total of ¥54.00 RMB, and your total travel time is 26 minutes.

Taxis

A taxi into Downtown Shanghai from Pudong Airport will cost you approximately ¥200.00 RMB, and the trip will take about 45 minutes.

Shuttles

You can take Pudong Airport shuttle bus 2 from the airport to City Terminal, or the night bus 361, to the same destination. The travel time is the same, at around 60 minutes, but the night bus costs ¥30.00 RMB, while the other is only ¥16.00 RMB.

Car Rentals

If you’re planning on renting a car while visiting Shanghai, it’s definitely worth checking for deals on car rentals with momondo.