Shanghai Public-Transport

Shanghai Public-Transport information

Bus

Shanghai relies mostly on buses, either diesel or electric. All signs and information are strictly in Chinese, and a ride on the bus at rush hour is not for the faint-hearted. For those who dare, an air-conditioned bus (a must in summer) costs CNY2; the steamy alternative is CNY1. The Jiaotong Ka (traffic card) is a useful way of paying for fares. It stores credit and can be used to pay for metro, bus and taxis that display the card logo. There is a CNY30 deposit, and minimum CNY100 first charge. Cards are available from metro stations.

Metro

Shanghai presently has two underground lines and one over-ground metro line, the Pearl line. Underground line 1 runs from Shanghai train station in the north to Xinzhuang in the south. Underground line 2 starts at Zhongshan park in the western end terminating at Pudong's Zhangjiang gaoke station in the east. Both lines intersect at People's Square (Renmin guangchang). The Pearl line circles around the western and northern parts of the city, and connects to the underground at three points: Shanghai train station, Zhongshan park and Shanghai South train station. Lines are currently being extended so check the latest information in any metro station. Signs and announcements are in Chinese and English. Tickets cost CNY3-5 depending on zones travelled within.

Driving

It is virtually impossible for visitors on a tourist visa to obtain a permit to drive in China. Foreign visitors with a resident visa in China can obtain a Chinese licence on production of an international licence however, and there are some companies that run self-drive tours of parts of the nation. Private taxi drivers may be willing to rent their vehicles (and themselves) to you, if you are able to negotiate a price. Tourist offices and hotels can also arrange this but their fees tend to be much higher. If you are able to use the roads make yourself aware of the necessary road regulations and ensure that your driver (or yourself if you are permitted to drive) sticks to the speed-limit and observes the rules. Also ensure that you carry all necessary documentation with you at all times. This includes your passport, visa, hire agreement and car insurance. Unless indicated, speed limits are as follows: Highways: 110km per hour; urban highways 70km per hour and other roads as signposted. In practice you'll find that speed limits will be more limited by conditions, whether congestion, state of the road or weather. Gridlock is common in Shanghai and the roads are often badly maintained, so do take care when driving. Speeding is very inadvisable - even on the most seemingly well-maintained of China's roads a sudden pothole can cause great damage to your vehicle if hit at speed. The wearing of seatbelts is compulsory and driving is on the right hand side.

Rent a Car

click here to find a great deal on car rentals in Shanghai.

Taxis

Taxis can provide a convenient way of getting around and are cheap in comparison to most countries. Be warned, though, that a great number of traffic accidents involve taxis. This might be partly due to the huge number of them clogging up the streets, many of them driven by untrained workers and farmers from the suburbs who have been laid off and have taken up this new career in a desperate bid to make some money. This means of course that you should have no trouble finding a cab. Different companies are distinguishable by the colour of their fleet. The light blue cars of Dazhong transport company are generally pretty reliable.