Hongqiao Airport is connected to Shanghai's largest station for high-speed trains to other Chinese cities (Terminal 2 only).

The fastest way to get to downtown Shanghai is via the regular subway and several bus routes, mainly to the surrounding neighborhoods.

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Downtown Shanghai

To get from Hongqiao Airport to downtown Shanghai, use only the subway and taxis.

Metro

• Green Line 2 - only connects Terminal 2 to the city centre (Jing'an Temple, People's Square, Nanjing West Road, Lujiazui and other stations)
  • Travel time - 30 minutes
  • Frequency - 6 to 10 minutes
  • First subway from People's Sq station - 5:37
  • Last subway from airport - 10:50pm
  • Official Information: service.shmetro.com
• Purple Line 10 - connects both Terminals 1 and 2 to the south of downtown (South Shaanxi Road, Xintiandi, Laoximen, Yuyuan Garden stations, etc.)
  • Travel time - 30 minutes
  • Frequency - 6 to 10 minutes
  • First subway from Xintiandi Station - 5:55
  • Last metro from the airport - 22:31
  • Official Information: service.shmetro.com

Tickets and transport cards

The price of a single metro ticket is calculated according to the distance travelled, and you can also buy a ticket for a station on another metro line. There are no turnstiles for transfers.

Single tickets can be purchased at the cash-only machines at each station. To calculate your fare, visit: service.shmetro.com.

• Central Shanghai fares - 4 cny to 6 cny

You can only purchase transit passes (all-day and multi-day) at the manned ticket office at each subway station.

• One-day pass - 18 cny
• 3-day pass - 45 cny

You can also use the SH MaaS mobile app to pay for tickets, which is only available in English via the App Store and payment is only possible via WeChatPay or Alipay.

Taxi

You can only get to the airport by official taxis. Services like Uber, Grab or Bolt don't work here.

There are clearly marked taxi ranks outside both terminals. Please note that due to the extreme popularity of this mode of transport, queues often last up to 45 minutes.

However, a taxi is the most convenient way to travel. The normal fare to downtown Shanghai is around 80 cny to 100 cny, depending on traffic and time of day.

Most taxi drivers don't speak English at all, so ideally have your destination written in Chinese on your mobile phone to show the taxi driver.

Transfer to Pudong Airport

The most secure route, especially in the morning and afternoon, is the direct metro line number 2 (light green). The journey takes 90 minutes, the metro runs from 6am to 11pm and the ticket will cost 8 RMB.

Alternatively, you can also use the "Airport Line 1" bus line, which connects Terminal 2 with Pudong Airport without a stop.

The journey takes about 75-90 minutes, but there is a risk of traffic congestion so it is always best to allow extra time. The line runs every 20 minutes from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm. The ticket costs 30 RMB.

Long-distance transport - fast trains

Directly connected to Terminal 2 is the huge Hongqiao train station, where high-speed trains run to the whole of China.

Timetables can be viewed on trip.com.