Best Time To Visit

Most of Shanghai attractions are city sights, so the change of seasons has little impact. However, given the weather, it is recommended to visit in spring or autumn, for winter might get too cold and summer too hot for comfort. There is also the possibility of typhoons during summertime and even early autumn. Try to avoid Chinese public holidays such as between October 1st and 7th, during which the city could be flooded by local tourists.

Passport/Visa

For citizens of the following countries, a visa is not requested for short term stays: - 90 days: Bosnia and Herzegovina, San Marino - 60 days: Mauritius - 30 days: Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Qatar, Serbia, Seychelles, Tonga, United Arab Emirates. - 15 days: Brunei, Japan, Singapore. Holders of passports issued by the following 49 countries do not require a visa for a 144-hour stay if they are transiting through Shanghai Airport. However, passengers need to provide a ticket showing their first destination, which should be outside China, nor could it be in the same country as the inbound flight. - All European Union citizens, Albania, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Iceland, Japan, Macedonia, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Qatar, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine, United States. - Passengers who enter China via Shanghai Airport under transition condition cannot leave the area of Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport

Another airport called Hongqiao Airport, which handles domestic flights, lies 15 km from downtown. Both Metro and buses run from this airport. A taxi from Hongquiao Airport will take 30-45 minutes. Make sure you have your destination written in Chinese. Hongqiao Airport has regular shuttle buses to many areas in the city. The major hotels have desks at the airport and will arrange the transfer.

• Web:

  www.shanghaiairport.com/

• Address:

  Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport

• Phone:

  +86 21 96990

Shanghai Pudong International Airport

Shanghai has two airports one of them is the international airport in Pudong, 35 km from the city centre. From the Pudong Airport, the most enthralling way to travel is on the Maglev (the high-speed magnetic-rail train) to Longyang Road in Pudong. Purchasing a round-trip comes with a discount. There are an underground station and a taxi rank at Longyang Road for onward travel. Metro Line 2 is available when departing or arriving at Pudong International Airport. Operating Time 6 am 10 pm and leaves every 8.5 minutes. Hotline: +86 21 6437 0000, www.service.shmetro.com/en A taxi from Pudong Airport to the city centre takes up to an hour. Make sure you have your destination written in Chinese. The airport has regular shuttle buses to many areas in the city and the major hotels have desks at the airport and will arrange the transfer.

• Web:

  www.shanghaiairport.com

• Address:

  Shanghai Pudong International Airport

• Phone:

  +86 21 96990

Taxi

The traffic in Shanghai can be heavy, but taxis are easy to flag down. Be aware that most taxi drivers only speak Chinese and may not understand English. A great solution comes from a set-up called Guanxi: you text the English name of your destination to 885 074 and back it comes in Chinese characters. Just show your phone to your taxi driver. You can also use taxi cab hailing service with WeChat or Alipay (like the Chinese version of Uber).

Bus

Buses are usually busy and the network can be complicated to negotiate for non-speakers of Chinese. The 911, which runs along Huaihai Road, can be useful. Keep some loose change when travelling by bus, coins need to be placed in the slot at the entrance.