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Your China Visit.

Your China Visit.

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2 sections · 8 cards

Ink-and-wash illustration of a high-speed train, airy station and luggage in Shanghai.

Shanghai field notes / 2 sections · 8 cards

Arrival & Transport

From your first arrival to the next train.

Getting around after arrival

Use the Shanghai Metro app, or buy a single-journey ticket if a travel QR code is not ready. Activate and test the metro service before you travel. A shop payment code is not a metro entry code.

Ask the station service centre about current day-pass prices, validity and excluded lines; a pass is not automatically cheaper for a day with few rides.

Taxis can help in rain or when you are tired, but allow for traffic. Use shared bikes only after setup and when comfortable with local traffic and parking rules.

Sources

Airport Transfers

4 cards
01Medium priority

Airport metro — Pick the right terminal

Pudong Airport’s Terminals 1 and 2 are served by Metro Line 2. At Hongqiao, Terminal 1 has Line 10, while Terminal 2 has Lines 2 and 10. Choose your hotel’s final station and exit, and check the last usable connection before boarding.

When
After collecting your bags at the airport.
Tips
Landing time is earlier than the time you reach ground transport.
Sources & notes

Allow time for luggage and the walk from the station exit when comparing your final journey.

Read the longer story →
02Medium priority

Maglev — Pudong to Longyang Road

The maglev connects Pudong Airport with Longyang Road, where you can transfer to Metro Line 2. Compare that transfer and your final walk with taking the metro from the airport. Check the day’s operating times before buying a ticket.

When
When planning your route from Pudong Airport.
Tips
Plan the journey after Longyang Road as well as the airport segment.
Sources & notes

Hongqiao Airport is not a maglev stop; the service does not take you directly to every central hotel.

Read the longer story →
03Medium priority

Airport taxi — Use the signed queue

  1. Follow terminal signs to the official taxi rank and join the queue.
  2. Show your hotel’s full Chinese name and address, then confirm the destination and payment method before departure.
  3. Keep the receipt in case you need help after the journey.
When
When choosing a taxi from the airport.
Tips
Traffic affects travel time; keep an alternative payment method available.

Say this

Show your destination

I'd like to go here.

我要去这里。

Sounds roughly like

waw yow chyoo juh-lee

An English sound hint. Listen for the pronunciation.

Show the exact destination or its Chinese address as you say this.

Find in Speak Little

A little thank-you

Thank you.

谢谢。

Sounds roughly like

shyeh-shyeh

An English sound hint. Listen for the pronunciation.

Find in Speak Little
Sources & notes

Terminal layouts can change; follow current signs rather than a saved gate number.

Read the longer story →
04Medium priority

Late arrival — Check the night bus

Pudong Airport lists a late-night bus from Terminals 1 and 2 toward the city and Hongqiao hub. Check its current departure point, stops and service window before relying on it. Compare the remaining trip from the bus stop with taking an official airport taxi.

When
Before a late flight and again after landing.
Tips
Do not use Pudong’s night-bus timetable for a Hongqiao arrival.
Sources & notes

For a Hongqiao arrival, ask that terminal’s information desk about its remaining services.

Read the longer story →

Train Travel

4 cards
05High priority

Train booking — Enter passport details

  1. Choose the accepted passport type in the official 12306 passenger form.
  2. Enter your name and document number as instructed, and review any details extracted from a passport scan.
  3. If verification stops, use official support or a railway ticket window instead of inventing an abbreviated name.
When
When adding a passenger or booking a train.
Tips
The 12306 English website accepts valid foreign passports under its stated rules.
Sources & notes

Done when: Your passenger details and verification status are ready for booking.

06High priority

Train tickets — Confirm they are issued

  1. Open the final booking and check the passenger, stations, train number, date and departure time.
  2. Look for an issued ticket or confirmed seat, rather than only a payment notification.
  3. If the status is unclear, ask the seller before going to the station.
When
After booking and before leaving for the station.
Tips
Keep the order reference and original purchase document.
Sources & notes

A third-party reservation request or seat preference is not the same as ticket issuance.

07High priority

Train station — Carry the booking passport

Carry the original passport used to buy your ticket. Check the exact station and train, then allow time for security, identity checks and boarding. If a gate cannot read your passport, ask staff for the assisted channel.

When
Before leaving for the station.
Tips
Ticket checks stop before train departure.
Sources & notes

An itinerary printout is not a boarding document; follow the station’s displayed boarding cutoff.

08Medium priority

Train tickets — Change a booking

Open the change option in 12306 or contact your original booking channel. Compare the new train, stations, fare difference and any change charge before confirming. Check the revised ticket after the change is complete.

When
As soon as your rail plans change.
Tips
Confirm the revised ticket after completing the change.
Sources & notes

Changing the destination can have a different deadline from changing the departure time. Use the current railway conditions; a station-window change is not automatically free.

Open my list →Need help with your plans? Service inquiry →

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