Shanghai airports to the city: metro, Maglev or taxi
Both Shanghai airports connect to the city by metro, and neither is far from a station. From Pudong (PVG): Metro Line 2, ¥7–8 and 60–70 minutes to People's Square, or the Maglev, ¥50 for 8 minutes to Longyang Road plus a Line 2 ride. From Hongqiao (SHA): Line 2 or Line 10, roughly ¥5 and 30–35 minutes.
| Option | From Pudong (PVG) | From Hongqiao (SHA) |
|---|---|---|
| Metro Line 2 | ¥7–8 to People's Square, 60–70 min, city-bound trains 06:00–22:30 | ¥5 to People's Square, about 35 min, from T2 only |
| Maglev | ¥50 one-way, 8 min to Longyang Road, then Metro | Not served |
| Airport Link Line | ¥26 to Hongqiao T2, under 40 min — not downtown | Same line, western terminus |
| Taxi | ¥14 first 3 km, then ¥2.5–3.6/km; ~¥160–190 to central hotels | Same meter, shorter distance |
Metro Line 2 from Pudong
- Follow the 地铁 / Metro signs down to the station on B1, between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
- Board a city-bound train. At Guanglan Road the route splits and everyone changes to the 8-car train on the same platform — it looks like a problem, it isn't.
- Pay with an Alipay or WeChat transit QR code, a Shanghai transport card, or a paper ticket from the machine.
- The last city-bound train leaves Pudong International Airport Station around 22:30. A 23:31 departure shown on some maps is a train arriving at the airport, not one going into town.
The Maglev: ¥50 for eight minutes
The ticket hall is on the second floor of the Pudong T1&T2 Maglev station. Trains run every 20 minutes, 07:02–21:42 from the airport and 06:45–21:40 from Longyang Road. A round trip is ¥80, valid 7 days, and showing a same-day boarding pass at the counter drops a one-way ticket to ¥40. It stops at Longyang Road, which links to Lines 2, 7, 16 and 18 — useful, but not downtown.
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Hongqiao: check your terminal
T2 sits directly above Line 2 and Line 10 on B1; Line 2 eastbound reaches People's Square in about 35 minutes for ¥5. T1 is served by Line 10 only, so if you need Line 2, ride one stop to Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 and change there.
Late arrivals and the Airport Link Line
Since 27 December 2024 the Airport Link Line has joined Pudong T1&T2 with Hongqiao T2 in under 40 minutes, ¥26 end to end, every 15 minutes, first train 06:00 from Pudong and last 22:15. It reaches neither downtown nor Hongqiao T1 — it's for airport-to-airport transfers and Shanghai Disney Resort.
Once the metro and Maglev stop, Pudong's night bus runs 23:00–05:30, ¥18–34, taking roughly 80 minutes to its final stop via People's Square and Jing'an Temple. Metered taxis start at ¥14 for the first 3 km, then ¥2.5–3.6 per km, with higher rates late at night. Use the official ranks — T1 Gate 12 and T2 Gate 25 at Pudong — and ignore anyone offering you a fare inside the terminal.
Last checked: 2026-09-24
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