Getting around Shanghai - Public Bus, Train, Subway and Car Rental

Getting Around Shanghai – Shanghai has so much to offer for first-time tourists and for those staying here! It is ever-changing and new things are added to the city on a weekly basis.

There are plenty of places to visit here. Be it the museums, shopping malls, restaurants, parks and etc, most of the places are quite accessible by relatively cheap public transportation.

Why?

Shanghai has one of the best public transport systems to bring you to your desired destinations in China. It’s even better that what I had in Kuala Lumpur, my hometown and the capital city of Malaysia.

After being here for nearly 3-4 years, this is one of the things I am happy about in Shanghai, especially when I have toured around the other lesser-developed Chinese cities.

To be honest, I seldom travel by taxi as it’s more expensive. Being a former backpacker, teacher and now, working on a new internet startup with my mates here, I don't have the luxury of extra cash to take taxi daily.

This is why the public buses and metro are my preferred mode of public transport. Anyway, taking public transport is also a good way to chat up girls which I try to do most of the time.

So, here is the information of getting around in Shanghai. I leave the “chatting up girls” bit to a later date.

For starters, if you are staying in Shanghai for a long time, the Shanghai Jiaotong Card can come in handy. You can load the card with money and use it in buses, the metro and even taxis. It’s very convenient, cheaper and you don't need to be always looking for loose change.

You can get these cards at any metro/subway station, as well as some convenience stores like Alldays and KeDi.

Here is the Getting Around Guide at Your Service.

Please click the links for more details.

Getting Around Shanghai By Subway

• Subway in Shanghai

Getting Around Shanghai By Taxi

• Taxi in Shanghai

Getting Around Shanghai By Car

Driving your own vehicle is not necessary. In fact, driving in Shanghai is rather difficult and dangerous - as the roads are packed with aggressive drivers.

If you already have a driver's license from your home country, you can obtain a Chinese driver's license by taking a series of tests (which do not actually involve driving).

• Car Rental in Shanghai
• WARNING - No Horning Law in Shanghai

Getting Around Shanghai By Sightseeing Bus

There are several different companies offering sightseeing buses with various routes and packages covering the main sights such as the Shanghai Zoo, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, and Baoyang Road Harbor.

Most of the sightseeing buses leave from the Shanghai stadium's east bus

Getting Around On foot

Shanghai is a good city for walking, especially in the older parts of the city across the Huangpu from Pudong.

Of course, given the large population, you should expect heavy concentrations of pedestrians and vehicles, but that is part of the excitement.

Warning: Crossing large roads, in particular, can get hairy and it's advisable to follow the locals.