Day 2: Paris - Shanghai (How to get from the airport to Shanghai)
After spending a most peaceful and comfortable night on the KLM flight of this trip to Shanghai, practically without realizing the hours that have passed, we open our eyes to look at the clock and change the time, in an attempt to adapt as soon as possible to the Chinese schedule, at which time they also bring us something to eat that we are not going to deny, it makes us feel great to finish waking up and start this new day of the trip to Tibet in 19 days.
And so, we start a new day, when for us it should be 8 in the morning, but in reality it is 3 noon and we are about to land in a new city, a city in which the first thing we should do is raise how to go from the airport to Shanghai, to go in search of our accommodation, the place that will welcome us the next nights in the city.
It's time to take turns going to the bathroom, grooming a little, sitting back in front of a tray of delicious delicacies and then spend some time reading and reviewing the planning we have for these next few days, when without realizing it is 4:30 pm, at which time the commander announces the descent and landing, giving us a unique view of the immense city of Shanghai, in which pollution is also present and leaves us with a somewhat gray image of the city.
Landing in Shanghai with KLM
After saying goodbye to one of the most comfortable flights we have made in recent trips, we have to pass immigration controls where we have already begun to notice those first symptoms that confirm that we are in China: the odd push, little respect or nothing to the queues and the odd spittrip to China in 25 days that inevitably transferred us to our a couple of years ago.
Once we are in the queue of foreigners of immigration control, the waiting time is quite short, and with the visa checked and the passport stamp, all we have left is to go to pick up our backpacks.
With the luggage already in our possession, we only have to go to a cashier and get the money we need to travel to Tibet, something that we must take into account since although in Lhasa there are no problems to take money from the cashier or directly change in the bank , in other places we probably will not find these services, so in our case we have decided to get all the money that we will need directly in Shanghai and thus not worry about this issue.
We opted for the SPD BANK ATM, there are two at the arrival terminal, although the maximum refund allowed is RMB 500, so we decided to do this first operation and then in downtown Shanghai, return to another ATM to get the rest of the money that we will need.
We recommend you, if you do not want to pay commissions when taking money from ATMs abroad and always have the current exchange, use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
How to get money in China
One of the first things we have to take into account or have to plan is how to get money in China, since although it seems simple and easy, it involves some points that we must take into account.
- Although this does not happen in all banks, before traveling to China it is advisable to notify your bank as there are some that have to activate the cards so you can both pay and get money there.
- The same happens if you have to pass a receipt from China, for example to pay for a service with the travel agency, for a show ... etc. There are some banks that directly block these transactions, so it is worth checking with the bank and thus making sure that all charges will be made just like all the cards you need will be operational in China.
- We always advise to get money directly from the cashier in the country of destination since high commissions are avoided and the change of day is obtained. In our case we have been charged 13 euros for each cash withdrawal we have made.
- ATMs in China, at least those that we have used, only allow 5000RMB to be drawn at a time, so you will have to perform several operations in case you want to get more money.
With the issue of money already settled and some yuan in our pocket, we go in search of what will be our transport to the city center, of which we have recorded all the data in our planning about how to get from the airport to Shanghai. In our case we have opted for the Maglev Train option plus the subway, an option that we really wanted to try for being a whole novelty in a matter of speed.
How to get from the airport to Shanghai - Hotel Shanghai Fish Inn East Nanjing Road
From Shanghai Pudong International Airport (50 kilometers):
- Taxi: Journey of more or less an hour. Price: 200RMB (From 11 at night to 5 in the morning a 30% surcharge must be added）
- Subway: Take subway line 2 to East Nanjing Road Station.
- Maglev train, to Long Yang Road Station (50RMB) and then connect with subway line 2 to East Nanjing Road Station (9RMB).
- Airport Bus: Another option is to take the Airport Bus Line 2 from Pudon Airport Station to City Terminal Station (城市 航站楼 站). From here you must walk to JingAn Temple Station and take Metro Line 2 to East NanJing Road Station. (Exit through exit 2 or 6). This would be the longest option, taking about 2 and a half hours.
- Private Transfer: The most convenient and quick option would be to hire a private transfer service between the airport and Shanghai.
In our case we have opted for the Maglev Train option, which as we said before, we wanted to try, and when a few minutes past 6 in the afternoon, between one thing and another it has been more than an hour since we left the KLM plane, and we got on the second floor of the Arrivals Terminal of the airport, from where the Maglev Train leaves.
How to get from the airport to Shanghai
We have to say that contrary to what it may seem, in China there is a very widespread opinion that says that orientation is very difficult, in this case everything is very well marked, so you only have to follow the signs that are indicated by arrows the Location of the Maglev Train station, until you reach a hall where there are several fast food restaurants and the entrance to the Maglev Train platforms, where right next door are the ticket booths where you can buy tickets.
Maglev train ticket offices. How to go from the airport to Shanghai
We pay 50RMB per person and route and after passing the baggage check, we just have to walk a few meters to get to the platform from which our transportation from the airport to Shanghai.
Punctual at 18: 13h in the afternoon and in 7 minutes, in which we travel 40 kilometers, we stand at the last and only stop of the Maglev Train, Long Yang Road Station, from where we have two possibilities to reach the hotel: take the Metro or a taxi.
Initially we had thought about the second option, but seeing that we have the subway at the same station, although we must go out to the street to connect with Line 2, we decided on this last option and thus also have the experience of how to get from the airport s Shanghai by public transport.
Connecting Maglev Train with Shanghai Metro Line 2
Metro in Shanghai
Contrary also to what it may seem, both the lines of subway in Shanghai As the process of buying tickets is very intuitive and easy.
- The first and most important thing is to know a little about the subway lines that exist and, above all, to know the stop where you have to get off or where you want to get.
- The process of buying tickets is very easy. In all stations, before accessing, you will see that the ticket machines are there. You must select the "English" language and once selected you will see a map showing all available metro lines.
The ticket you must purchase is based on the number of stations you need to travel, so you need to know at the station you are and the one that is your destination. Once you have this clear, you must count the stops between the origin and the destination and select the number on the screen. Then you select the number of tickets, enter the money that you mark (coins or tickets) and you will already have your metro ticket.
- The maximum number of stops is 9 and the minimum 3, which corresponds to 9RMB and 3RMB, so if we have more stops between the origin and your destination, you have to select this option. And if they were less than 3 stops, the minimum to pay is 3RMB per person, which would be 3 stops.
- The ticket you have to pass through the access area and then at the exit of the subway station, you must mark it again, so be careful and do not throw it away, as it is necessary to exit the subway.
Shanghai Metro
In our case, we have to go from Long Yang Road Station, where the Maglev Train has left us to East Nanjing Road Station, with line two, to where we have 10 stops, so we get two tickets of 9RMB per person, the maximum number of stops you can select and there we go, with our backpacks to live in our own meats what is the Shanghai subway at rush hour. Something that after the experience we have to say that ... We don't want to tell you!
We have gone 10 stops like sardines in a can, without any kind of thought about pushing, feeling for seconds that at some point, probably, we would not get out alive journey from the airport to Shanghai.
Contrary to what it may seem, in our case, when we start a trip, or rather when we arrive at a destination, we get a sense of "burden"The mere fact of picking up the luggage at the airport, changing or taking out money, or even looking for transportation to the hotel gives us a feeling of certain anguish that does not let us enjoy the destination until we arrive at the accommodation and we can say that we are already totally immersed in the trip. We know that it may sound strange, but it is something that despite the years we have been traveling, it still happens to us and that as much as we try to overcome it, in the end we always end up stressing in those first hours of the trip.
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The Shanghai Fish Inn Hotel East Nanjing Road is only 3 minutes walk from the East Nanjing Road Station exit, from where you can take Line 2 and Line 10 of the Shanghai subway. Once you leave the platform area, you have to follow the indications that take you to "Exit 6", in the area of Line 10 and once outside the subway station, turn right and continue along the Ningbo Road East Street, where in about 30 meters you should turn left into a narrow alley, where the hotel is inside.
Once at the reception of the Shanghai Fish Inn Hotel East Nanjing Road and make a quick check in, we really have to say, it is much appreciated and also collect the documentation that The China Guide has sent us, the agency with whom we will meet and we will do the trip to Tibet and that includes permits, the train tickets from Shanghai to Lhasa, which we managed and two SIM cards that will be great for us to be connected these days, we went up to our room, where after taking a shower and resting a few minutes, We went back to the streets of Shanghai, to start enjoying one of the cities that we wanted to meet on our previous trip to China in 25 days.
But before enjoying the incredible views of the Shanghai skyline, we make a stop at Waya Restaurant, a place that we find on the way to the most central area of the city a few steps from our accommodation, where we ask for a plate of dumplings, some prawns , a lacquered duck and some squid, plus two sodas for 132RMB.
Having dinner at Waya Restaurant
With this dinner it's time to start enjoying Chinese cuisine and a plate of squid with vegetables that we have to say, they are really spectacular.
As soon as we left for dinner, we began to enjoy the Chinese atmosphere, now with much more tranquility, the one we remembered two years ago and that is a somewhat strange mixture of feelings. On the one hand we are incredibly happy to be here, but on the other hand, Shanghai is serving as a gateway to travel to Tibet, that destination that we have been wanting to know for many years and that in a few days, finally, we can live in the first person.
Book the best rated tours and excursions in Shanghai in Spanish by travelers:
- Guided tour of the historic Shanghai
- Private excursion to Suzhou
- ERA aerobatic show, Shanghai Circus World
- Night cruise and walk through Xintiandi- More excursions and tours here
With these thoughts we look at the clock to see that it is already 9:30 at night and it is that after what we have slept on the KLM flight, it is impossible to resist the comfort of this airline, logically now we are not too sleepy, so we have the perfect excuse to approach the Suzhou River, going to the North Sichuan Road bridge from where it is where you have incredible views of the Shanghai skyline, especially today that the sky is quite clear and we also have a full moon that leave us with incredible views, giving us one of the best known postcards of the city.
Skyline Shanghai
Shanghai skyline route
Although there are many points that you should not miss on a night route to enjoy the Shanghai skyline, in addition to being able to make a night cruise from which you can enjoy a different and totally incredible perspective of the city, on this occasion and being the time you It is, we only approach some of the most emblematic points of this area, to have a first contact with some of the best-known buildings in Shanghai illuminated.
Some of the buildings that stand out among the rest are those that present a colonial architecture in the Bund, in addition to the well-known Pearl of the East, the Shanghai World Financial Center or the Jin Mao Tower in Pudong, which are some of the most representative places and also best known of Shanghai skyline.
Shanghai at night
Stunning Shanghai skyline when night falls
From this area of Shanghai we continue along the river bank until we reach the Zhapu bridge where we arrive when there are more or less 5 minutes to 10:00 at night, at which time we find that suddenly when they give 10 they all turn off the lights, both those of the bridge and those of the entire skyline, which we have right in front of us.
Somewhat bewildered we wait a few minutes, waiting for him to return to light the city, when we started to see how the people who were waiting to take pictures start to leave, so we chose to ask to receive the answer that the lights go out at 10:00 at night.
More practical information to prepare your trip to Shanghai
- 50 things to see and do in Shanghai
- 10 essential places to visit in China
- 10 essential tips for traveling to China
Given this response and taking into account the day we have today, after the flight and the jetlag, we prefer to return to the Shanghai Fish Inn Hotel East Nanjing Road and thus be able to rest a few more hours tonight than we had planned and with them, Tomorrow you can enjoy the city and this whole area at night with much more calm and tranquility.
Day 3: Shanghai in one day: Bund, Pudong, Yuyuan Market, Yuyuan Garden, Temple of the City God, Pearl of the East, Shanghai World Financial Center
