Go to content 
How to get around Shanghai by public transport
A common question that comes up among travelers who are going to visit China soon is how complex it is. Getting around Shanghai by public transport and other major cities in the country. In addition, almost all the information we found was very outdated because China has changed a lot since the pandemic.
▶ Read this guide to find out what to see in Shanghai
The good news is that despite being a gigantic city, using public transport in Shanghai is It is simple, economical and comfortable. In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know to use public transport as if you were a local.
How pay for public transport in Shanghai
In Shanghai, and in general in all Chinese cities, to use the subway you have two alternativesThe most classic and the one used by many tourists is acercarGo to a counter and tell them which station you're going to. Since the subway fare varies depending on the stop, you'll receive a token upon payment that you can use to enter and exit the subway. Your first experience on the subway will likely be for... Getting from the airport to downtown Shanghai since it is the cheapest way.
If you want to pay on a bus, you'll have to arrange it with the driver or their assistant; neither of them speaks English, so I recommend avoiding problems and using the payment method I explained to you.carIt's now.
La A more practical alternative is to use Alipay or WeChat To generate a transport card in QR format, this is definitely our favorite and it's not too difficult to use. To use either option you need to have internet on your mobile. The bus and metro cards are different But they're managed from the same section of the Alipay or WeChat app. The first time you use them, you'll need to complete a couple of steps with your personal information.
On our last visit to Shanghai, we saw that many subway stations claim to accept contactless payments with cards such as VISA and Mastercard.cardirectly at the lathes. We personally didn't try it because Alipay was more convenient for us, but we've read reviews saying it works quite well.
Generating transport cards is a simple process, we have an article on how to use Alipay where we tell you step by step how to do it. Once you have your transport card in QR format You will only have to scan it when getting on and off the bus and subway.
Shanghai subway timetable What time does it open and close?
The Shanghai subway usually starts operating around 5: 30 in the morning and many lines end on the 23: 00, but There is no single closing timeThe last train depends on the line, station, and direction you're traveling. So, if you're wondering what time the Shanghai subway closes, it's important to check the timetable. your journeynot just the one on the line.
If you're going to be late, check the time of the last train on the official website of the Shanghai Metro And pay attention to transfers too; you might make it to the first subway on time, but miss your connection to the next one. If there's no service, you can always order a DiDi, the Chinese Uber, as we explain below.
Price per meter Shanghai and other public transport
Getting around Shanghai by public transport is very economical; it is undoubtedly the best way to travel around this gigantic city. Between the two of us, we spent less than €5 a day in transport. To give you an idea:
- Bus ticket: 2 CYN (€0.30)
- Shanghai subway fare: From 3 CNY for journeys up to 6 km. Beyond that, 1 CNY is added for every additional 10 km. Transfers to the metro are included in the same journey.
The good thing is that public transport in Shanghai also covers the surrounding villages. For example, we went by subway to Zhujiajiao Village and, despite being about 50km from the center, we paid only 8cyn.
Another way very economical way to get around Shanghai These are shared bicycles. There are many bikes on certain streets that you can rent freely using Alipay for 1,5 CYN for 15 minutes. In Shanghai, we didn't find it to be such a good method of transport. like in Beijing because there are some streets where they are prohibited and there aren't many areas where you can parkcarthe ace.
How to get around Shanghai in subway, bus, taxi or bicycle
To get around Shanghai, I recommend usingcargar the apps of Maps.me, IPhone Maps or Tecent Maps. Personally, The one that worked best for us was iPhone Maps because the information was very clear.
Note that Google Maps is useless in China, even if you can open it thanks to a VPN You will not have public transport information, there are places that are not in the correct location or even streets are missing.
The bus and subway numbers match what the apps on your phone say, and the names of the stops are written in Chinese and English.
The public transport schedule in Shanghai is approximately from 5:30 in the morning until 11 at night, Although the exact time varies slightly depending on the line. If you need to travel outside of those hours, you will have to use a bicycle or taxi.
How to get around Shanghai by subway
The Shanghai subway is huge with 20 different lines and more than 500 stops. But don't worry because The map is easy to understand and the frequency of the meters is very high. During rush hour, the metro runs one after the other, with waiting times of around 1 minute. During off-peak hours, waiting times are still short, usually less than 4 or 5 minutes.
In the Shanghai metro, there are police controls at the entrances to all stations. There is a scanner for luggage, bags or backpacks and a metal detector for people. However, the control is very fast and there are almost never crowds. Then you get to the turnstiles. where you scan the QR code you have in Alipay or WeChat and you will be able to access the platforms. Once in the metro, the line is written in Chinese and English. When you exit again, scan the QR code.
If you need to change between different lines, you don't have to leave and the second journey is included in the same ticket.
How Shanghai buses work
For us, the most convenient way to get around Shanghai was by metro, but they also have a good bus network that covers the entire city. Navigation apps often suggest bus routes to different parts of the city.
At the stops you have the number of buses that pass through there, What it doesn't usually show is when the next one passes.
To use them, simply scan the QR code on your Alipay or WeChat account. Some buses require a QR code. scan it again at the back door upon exiting, although this does not happen on all lines.
Shared bikes – How to get around Shanghai
Once again, everything is handled through Alipay in the Hello Ride option.
The operation is simple, you look for a blue bike (if you don't see any, they also appear on the app map), you scan the QR they have on the handlebars and unlock it. When you get to your destination, you leave it in one of the designated areas, look for other bikes, and lock it again using the app. Each ride used to cost us between 1.5 and 2.5 yuan.
How to order a taxi or Didi in Shanghai
The fourth way to get around Shanghai is by taxi or Didi, an option that, unlike in other major cities around the world, isn't too expensive. carOr. You can hail a normal taxi on the street and pay you when you arrive at the destination or Order a Didi from the Didi App or from Alipay itself or WeChat.
Sometimes when using Didi, the driver may ask you for the last digits of your mobile phone number to verifycar that you are the right person.
How to book accommodation in Shanghai
Shanghai is possibly the richest city in all of China and one of the most touristic. As a result Their hotels are something more caros and finding cheap accommodation in the center can be difficult, although there are many Hotels with views of the BundThe main advice I can give you in China is to book hotels with the platform Trip.com, the Chinese copy of Booking. Trip has much more offer and variety than Booking or Agoda, and it's generally cheaper. If you've never used it, I can assure you it's reliable. We've used it to book flights, buy tickets for domestic trains in China, and book hotels.
These are the four ways to get around Shanghai by public transport. We hope you found it super useful and that you can put it into practice soon. To see more about our experiences in the Asian Giant, you can check out the featured stories from Instagram and read our Guides for travel to China updated. We also have a guide to Hong Kong in 1 day or 2 in case you have to leave the country to renew your visa.
Start preparing your trip to China
These are our favorite websites to do so. Plus, if you use our links you support all the content about China at no extra cost to you.
Hi, thanks so much for the information. The QR code screenshots you posted are great. One question:
with an Alipay I cancar Two metro tickets, one for me and one for my companion?
Thank you.
Hello Jose
They're individual, each person has to follow their own route. Have a good trip!