Pudong Airport is about 40 km from People's Square. The fastest way downtown is the Maglev plus the metro: the Maglev takes 8 minutes to Longyang Road (¥50 for a standard one-way ticket), then transfer to Metro Line 2 into the city, totaling 40–50 minutes. If you're not in a hurry, take Metro Line 2 directly with no transfers—at current fares, it costs about ¥7, but there are many stops and it takes longer. A daytime taxi to People's Square costs around ¥170. Hongqiao Airport is only about 20 km from the city center, reachable directly by Metro Lines 2 and 10, and a taxi costs around ¥70.
The operating hours, fares, and taxi rates in this article are based on information displayed on the Shanghai Airport (Group) official website on November 10, 2026, as well as current Shanghai Metro fare rules. Distances were calculated using the OpenStreetMap road network. Airport transportation is subject to change, so please check the official website and on-site notices before departure.
Start with your destination: where you stay determines how you travel
Staying near People's Square, Nanjing Road or The Bund: During the day, take the maglev and transfer to Line 2, or ride Line 2 the whole way. If you have a lot of luggage or are traveling with three or more people, a taxi or airport pickup is easier.
Staying in Lujiazui or near Century Avenue: Take the maglev to Longyang Road, then transfer to Line 2 for two or three stops west. This is the best use of the maglev.
Staying near Jing'an Temple, Xujiahui or Hongqiao: It's farther from Pudong. Line 2 goes directly to Jing'an Temple and Hongqiao, while taxi fares rise significantly. If you have large luggage, consider an airport pickup.
Heading straight to Hangzhou, Suzhou or Nanjing: Take the Airport Link to Hongqiao Station first, then transfer to a high-speed train—much easier than going into downtown Shanghai to change trains. For details, see How to get from Shanghai to Hangzhou and How to get from Shanghai to Suzhou.
If you'd rather not transfer, the long-distance bus station at Pudong Airport also runs direct coaches. The Shanghai Airport website lists 12 daily buses to Suzhou Yuanqu Station and the north square of Suzhou Railway Station (about 2.5 hours, ¥99), and 5 daily buses to Hangzhou East Station (about 3 hours, ¥130). Tickets are sold at the intersection of Wuzhou North Road and Feizhou Street, toward Terminal 2.
Maglev plus metro: the fastest route
The maglev runs from Pudong Airport Terminals 1 & 2 Station to Longyang Road Station, covering about 30 km in roughly 8 minutes. According to the Shanghai Airport website, trains depart Pudong Airport from 7:02 to 21:42 and Longyang Road from 6:45 to 21:40, reaching speeds up to 300 km/h. Regular tickets cost ¥50 one way and ¥80 round trip; VIP tickets cost ¥100 one way and ¥160 round trip. Per a 2023 official announcement, you can buy one one-way ticket at a 20% discount by showing your same-day flight ticket.
The maglev station sits between the two terminals—just follow the signs from the arrivals level. At Longyang Road Station, you can transfer to Metro Lines 2, 7, 16 and 18. Take Line 2 toward People's Square or East Nanjing Road. The metro distance from Longyang Road to People's Square is about 10 km, currently costing ¥4. Note that maglev and metro fares aren't combined, so you'll need separate tickets or card taps.
The maglev is best for two types of travelers: those arriving during the day who are staying in Lujiazui or along Metro Line 2 and want to get into the city fast, or those who simply want to experience the world's first commercially operated high-speed maglev line. Flights arriving after 9:30 PM will miss it, so you'll need to take the metro, an airport bus, or a taxi instead.
Metro Line 2: No transfers and cheapest, but a long ride
Both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 at Pudong Airport have Metro Line 2 stations. Since the line was fully connected in 2018, you can ride straight from the airport to Century Avenue, Lujiazui, East Nanjing Road, People's Square, and Jing'an Temple, all the way to Hongqiao Railway Station and Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 without changing trains.
By track distance, Pudong Airport is about 40 km from People's Square and about 37 km from Lujiazui. Current Shanghai Metro fares are ¥3 for 0–6 km, plus ¥1 for every additional 10 km, so the trip to People's Square costs about ¥7. Shanghai is reviewing its metro fare structure and held a public hearing in September 2026; fares may change once the new plan takes effect, so check Shanghai Metro's official announcements for the latest prices.
The airport section of Line 2 has many stations with long gaps between them, so reaching downtown takes about an hour. Cars get crowded during rush hour, which isn't comfortable if you're hauling two large suitcases. It's best for one or two travelers with light luggage on a budget, or those arriving during the day with time to spare. You can pay with a transit card or by scanning your phone, and some turnstiles accept contactless foreign bank cards. For payment options, see How foreigners can use Alipay and WeChat Pay.
Airport buses: To Shanghai Railway Station, Shanghai South Railway Station, and for late-night arrivals
There aren't many bus routes from Pudong Airport to downtown. The Shanghai airport website lists a few main ones: Airport Line 4 runs via Wujiaochang, Dabaishu and Hongkou Football Stadium to the north square of Shanghai Railway Station, departing Terminal 1 from 7:00 to 23:00, ¥2–28; Airport Line 7 goes to Shanghai South Railway Station, departing from 7:30 to 23:00, ¥4–20. Depending on traffic and schedules, buses run every 20 minutes to over an hour.
If you arrive late at night, remember the Shouhang Night Bus: it departs Terminal 1 from 23:00 to 5:30 the next morning, passing Longyang Road/Fangdian Road, Century Avenue, Yan'an East Road/Zhejiang Middle Road, Yan'an Middle Road/Huashan Road and Yan'an West Road/Hongxu Road, ending at the East Transportation Center of Hongqiao Hub. Fares are ¥18–34. During peak times it leaves when full, with a maximum wait of 30 minutes. Yan'an East Road/Zhejiang Middle Road is close to People's Square and Nanjing East Road, making it ideal if you're staying downtown and have missed the maglev and metro.
Taxi: doing the math on Shanghai taxi fares
The taxi stand at Pudong Airport Terminal 1 is outside Gate 12 on the arrivals level; at Terminal 2 it's outside Gate 26. Taxis are available 24 hours. Current Shanghai taxi fares: base fare covers 3 km for ¥14 (¥16 for models like the Touran or Roewe Ei5 EV); then ¥2.7 per km; trips over 15 km add a 50% surcharge to the extra distance; from 23:00 to 5:00, both the base fare and per-km rate rise by 30%; slow-speed waiting time is charged as 1.5 km for every 4 minutes.
By these rules: Terminal 2 to People's Square is about 45 km, roughly ¥170 in daytime without traffic; to The Bund is about 41 km, around ¥150; late-night rides cost 30% more. Waiting fees in traffic are extra, and there's a surcharge per ride during Spring Festival, May Day and National Day holidays. Compared with the maglev plus metro, splitting a taxi three or four ways isn't expensive, and the biggest perk is door-to-door service with your luggage straight in the trunk.
You can also book a ride-hailing car through apps like DiDi or Amap. The airport has designated ride-hailing pickup zones. To see whether overseas phone numbers can register and how to pay, check How to take a taxi in China. Don't follow anyone who approaches you at arrivals—official taxis and ride-hailing cars only pick up in designated areas.
Hongqiao Airport to downtown: much closer and simpler
Hongqiao Airport is west of the city center, about 21 km from Terminal 2 to People's Square. For the metro, Terminal 2 has Lines 2 and 10, while Terminal 1 has Line 10. Line 2 heads east past Jing'an Temple to People's Square, East Nanjing Road and Lujiazui; Line 10 passes Jiaotong University, Xintiandi, Yu Garden and East Nanjing Road, making it easy to reach the Old City and The Bund. The metro distance from Terminal 2 to People's Square is about 17.5 km, costing ¥5 at current fares.
Taxi pick-up points: outside Gate 1 of the arrivals hall at Terminal 1, and outside Gate 4 of the arrivals hall at Terminal 2. Based on official metered rates, the roughly 21 km trip from Terminal 2 to People's Square costs about ¥73 during the day. Hongqiao Terminal 2 and Hongqiao Railway Station share the same transport hub, so if you're heading straight to Hangzhou, Suzhou or Nanjing after landing, just walk to the high-speed rail station.
International and regional flights to Hongqiao from Taipei Songshan, Hong Kong and other cities usually use Terminal 1, but check your ticket and airline notices for details. Terminal 1 only has Metro Line 10. To catch a high-speed train at Hongqiao Railway Station, take Line 10 two stops to the station, or ride the shuttle bus between terminals. Allow 40–50 minutes to be safe.
How to transfer between Pudong and Hongqiao airports
The two airports are over 50 km apart, and many travelers need to connect from international to domestic flights or land at Pudong and head to Hongqiao for a high-speed train. The Airport Link Line, which opened on December 27, 2024, now connects them, with 7 stations along its roughly 59 km route. According to the Shanghai airport website, the first train departs Pudong Terminals 1 & 2 Station at 6:00 and the last at 22:15; at Hongqiao Terminal 2 Station, the first train leaves at 5:45 and the last at 22:00, with service about every 15 minutes.
The Airport Link Line isn't priced like regular metro lines. Fares start at ¥4 plus ¥0.45 per kilometer, so the full trip works out to around ¥20-something—check the fare chart in the station for exact prices. Compared with riding Line 2 all the way across the city or paying over ¥100 for a taxi, this line is faster and cheaper. After 10 pm, you'll need to switch to a taxi or the late-night airport shuttle bus.
The Airport Link Line has 7 stations: Hongqiao Terminal 2, Zhongchun Road, Jinghong Road, Sanlin South, Kangqiao East, Shanghai International Tourism Resort, and Pudong Terminals 1 & 2. You can transfer to Line 9 at Zhongchun Road and Line 15 at Jinghong Road, so passengers staying in Minhang or southern Xuhui can also use these stations to reach the city center.
Going straight to Disneyland from Pudong Airport
For many families, Disneyland is the first stop after landing. Although the Airport Link Line has a Shanghai International Tourism Resort station, reports at its opening noted that this station is still about 2.5 km from Disneytown, and officials recommend taking Metro Line 11 to the park instead. Getting from Pudong Airport to Line 11 by metro requires two or three transfers, which isn't easy with luggage.
A more practical option is taking a taxi: it's about 23 km from Pudong Terminal 2 to Disneyland, costing around ¥80 during the day based on taxi fares, and taking just 20 to 30 minutes. Most hotels near the park offer shuttle buses, making it even easier to head to the park after check-in. For Disneyland tickets, opening hours and itinerary tips, see the Shanghai Disneyland attraction page.
After landing, take care of these small things first
First, mobile data. You can buy a SIM card or activate an eSIM right at the airport; see China travel SIM cards and eSIMs. Second, payment methods—it's best to link your overseas bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure. Third, maps. Amap or Apple Maps are more commonly used for navigation in China, and you'll also need to know how to read metro exit numbers; see Which map apps to use for navigation in China for details. Once these three things are sorted, taking the metro, hailing rides and finding your hotel will all go much more smoothly.
If you're traveling with seniors or kids, arriving on a late flight, or carrying lots of luggage, don't squeeze onto the metro just to save money. Pudong Airport is already far from downtown, and jet lag plus hauling suitcases through transfers often leaves you exhausted by the time you reach your hotel. Both the maglev and metro stations have elevators, but lines can be long during rush hour.
When is an airport pickup worth it?
If you're one or two people traveling light and arriving during the day, the maglev or metro works fine. But booking a pickup in advance saves a lot of hassle in these situations: landing after 9:30 PM when the maglev has stopped running; traveling as a family with three or four suitcases and a stroller; visiting China for the first time without a local SIM card or payment method set up yet; heading straight to Suzhou, Hangzhou, or Wuzhen after landing instead of transferring at Hongqiao; or traveling with elderly passengers who have limited mobility.
The driver waits at the arrivals hall holding a sign, adjusts for flight delays based on your actual landing time, loads your luggage into the car, and drops you right at your hotel door. To learn how to book transfers at Pudong and Hongqiao airports and choose a vehicle type, see Shanghai Airport Transfers; for multi-day car hire within Shanghai, see Shanghai Private Car.
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FAQs
How long does it take from Pudong Airport to downtown?
The maglev takes 8 minutes to Longyang Road, then another transfer to the metro gets you to People's Square in about 40–50 minutes total. Metro Line 2 goes direct in roughly an hour. A taxi takes around 40 minutes without traffic, but longer during rush hour or rain.
How much is the Pudong Airport Maglev ticket? When does it stop running?
A regular ticket costs ¥50 one way and ¥80 round trip; a VIP ticket is ¥100 one way. Trains depart Pudong Airport from 7:02 to 21:42, and Longyang Road from 6:45 to 21:40. Please check the Shanghai Airport official website and on-site notices for the latest schedule.
How much is the subway from Pudong Airport to downtown?
Based on current Shanghai Metro fares, Line 2 to People's Square costs about ¥7, and to Lujiazui about ¥7. Shanghai is adjusting its subway fare system, so once the new plan takes effect, please refer to official announcements.
How do I get to downtown from Pudong Airport at midnight?
After the Maglev and subway stop running, you can take the Shouhang night bus, which operates from 23:00 to 5:30 the next day. Fares range from ¥18 to ¥34, traveling via East Yan'an Road to Hongqiao Hub. Alternatively, queue at the taxi stand on the arrivals level; late-night fares include a 30% surcharge.
How much does it cost to get from Hongqiao Airport to downtown?
Taking Metro Line 2 or Line 10 to People's Square or Nanjing East Road costs about ¥5 at current fares. A taxi to People's Square is about 21 km, costing over ¥70 during the day with a 30% surcharge late at night. Hongqiao is closer to downtown, so taking a taxi offers much better value than from Pudong.
How to get from Pudong Airport to Hongqiao Airport?
The most convenient option is the Airport Link Line. Trains depart from Pudong Airport Terminal 1 & 2 Station from 6:00 to 22:15, about every 15 minutes. Fares are distance-based, and the full trip costs just over ¥20. You can also take Metro Line 2, but it takes much longer.