Airports · PRACTICAL GUIDE
Pudong Airport to Shanghai: metro, taxi and late-night options
In this guide
PVG is Pudong International Airport. Plan to your accommodation's actual Chinese address. Immigration, baggage collection, queues and terminal walks come before the journey shown in a route planner.
Use your final address and the time you reach the station to choose a route. Keep a night-bus or official-taxi backup.
1. Make your destination usable
After collecting your bags, get your data working and save the hotel's Chinese name, address and reception number. Confirm late check-in before leaving the terminal. Follow signs for your chosen transport and check the departure board. The airport’s terminal-map page below distinguishes arrival floors and T1/T2; choose your actual terminal.
Open the official terminal maps for T1 and T2 ↗2. Compare routes before joining a queue
The metro and taxi examples use People's Square as a reference destination. They are planning estimates from the official guide, not fixed quotes for your accommodation. Add waiting, walking and onward travel.
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| Option | Cost / journey reference | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Metro Line 2 | About ¥7 and about 1 hour to People's Square | Budget option; allow for bags, the station exit and the final walk. |
| Maglev to Longyang Road | Standard one-way ticket ¥50; onward transport costs extra | Requires an onward journey to reach a central hotel. Check the full route. |
| Official taxi | Official example: around ¥180 and about 50 minutes to People's Square | Direct to an address; traffic, queues, night rates and destination affect the actual trip. |
| Late Night Bus | Published route fares ¥18–34; travel time depends on road conditions and stop | Useful after rail services finish; check your stop and the remaining trip to your hotel. |
3. Example: a hotel near People's Square
The official Shanghai guide gives a direct Line 2 journey from Pudong Airport Terminal 1&2 Station to People's Square of about one hour. This example applies only when the service is running and the hotel is actually near that station.
- Save the hotel's Chinese address and ask reception for a convenient station exit with luggage.
- Follow Metro signs and confirm Line 2, your destination and the current last service with station staff.
- Buy a ticket or use a valid Shanghai transport code.
- Ride to People's Square (人民广场), then follow your saved exit and walking route.
- If the service or final connection has finished, switch to your night-bus or official-taxi backup.
4. If you arrive after the trains
The Airport Authority lists a night bus from T1 at 23:00–05:30 and T2 at 23:03–05:33. Stops include Century Avenue, East Yan'an Road/Zhejiang Middle Road and Yan'an Middle Road/Huashan Road. Confirm the stop for your destination with staff; the service does not deliver you to your hotel door.
Published night-bus fares are ¥18–34. Use the official route link below and confirm operations on arrival. A landing time alone does not tell you when you will exit the terminal.
For an official taxi, the city guide lists T1 pickup outside Arrival Gate 12 and T2 outside Arrival Gate 25. Follow the current signs, show your Chinese address, confirm payment, and keep the metered receipt. Ask staff for help if the pickup location has changed.
5. When Maglev or the Airport Link makes sense
Maglev terminates at Longyang Road rather than at the Bund or your hotel. The airport's published departure window from Pudong is 07:02–21:42; check current services before choosing it. The displayed timetable is reference information.
For an airport change, the Airport Link connects Pudong and Hongqiao in about 40 minutes on the train. Include terminal walks, baggage formalities and the next airline's check-in deadline when planning a connection.
6. Save a short arrival plan
Use the arrival-card tool below to save these details as an image or print them as a PDF. Enter the exact address sent by your accommodation; a district name alone is not a usable destination.
A useful phrase to show staff is: 请问去这个地址怎么走？ — How do I get to this address? Show the full Chinese address with it.
- Accommodation in Chinese: [name and full address]. Reception: [number]. Late check-in: [confirmed time].
- Main route: [transport, destination stop and final walk].
- Backup: [night-bus stop and onward route, or official taxi].
- Payment backup: [your chosen method]. If delayed, contact [reception contact].
CHECK THE DETAILS
Sources & current information
Source information checked on 2026-10-03. Check changing details for your own trip using these links.