How do I get to Shanghai?

Pudong International (PVG), 30 km east of People's Square, is where your international flight will land. Terminal 1 handles Star Alliance carriers (United, Air China, Lufthansa); Terminal 2 is SkyTeam (Delta, China Eastern, Korean Air). The walk between terminals takes 15 minutes through a covered corridor that smells faintly of instant noodles from the convenience shops lining the walls. Hongqiao International (SHA), 13 km west, connects to domestic routes and a handful of regional flights to Tokyo Haneda, Seoul Gimpo, and Taipei Songshan. If you're arriving from within Asia on a budget carrier like Spring Airlines or Peach, you might land at Hongqiao instead. The two airports sit 50 km apart, so double-check which one your booking uses before arranging ground transport.

From the US West Coast, United flies nonstop LAX-PVG in about 13 hours. Delta runs a seasonal SEA-PVG route. China Eastern, Shanghai's home carrier, operates daily nonstops from LAX and JFK. Expect $800-1,300 round-trip in economy, dropping to $650-900 if you book during the January-March shoulder season. From the US East Coast, add 2-3 hours and $100-200. London to Shanghai runs 11 hours nonstop on British Airways or China Eastern at £500-850. A Gulf-hub connection via Dubai on Emirates or Doha on Qatar drops that to £400-700 but adds 6-8 hours. From Tokyo Narita, it's under 3 hours on ANA or JAL for ¥30,000-50,000 ($200-340). Seoul Incheon to PVG is 2 hours on Asiana or Korean Air, often under $150 one-way.

Shanghai's cheapest flights fall in January through March, after Chinese New Year ends and before the April-May spring tourism wave picks up. Golden Week (October 1-7) is the worst week to fly into China. Fares from every market roughly double, and PVG's immigration queues stretch past 90 minutes. The summer months from June through August bring humid 35°C heat and afternoon thunderstorms that delay about 15% of PVG arrivals. If you have flexibility, late September and early November tend to offer tolerable weather at 18-24°C with low humidity and reasonable fares. Worth noting that the 144-hour visa-free transit policy currently covers 54 nationalities, including US, UK, Canadian, Australian, and most EU passport holders, provided you have an onward ticket to a third country.

If you're already in China, the high-speed rail network makes flying optional for anything under 1,000 km. Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station sits directly above Hongqiao Airport's Terminal 2. Beijing to Shanghai takes 4.5 hours on the G-class bullet train at ¥553 ($82) for a second-class seat, with departures every 10-15 minutes from Beijing South. Hangzhou is 50 minutes away at ¥73 ($11). Nanjing, 1.5 hours at ¥134 ($20). The trains are quiet and smooth, rarely delayed. The seats feel like business-class airline seats, and the windows frame rice paddies giving way to factory towns and then the sudden concrete wall of Shanghai's suburban sprawl. Book through 12306.cn (the official app, now available in English) or Trip.com. Buy 3-7 days ahead for peak routes.

eSIM connectivity matters more in Shanghai than most cities. Google Maps, WhatsApp, and Gmail are blocked behind China's firewall. Download Amap or Baidu Maps before you land, and set up a VPN if you need access to Western services. The Maglev train from PVG to Longyang Road station hits 431 km/h and covers the distance in 8 minutes for ¥50 ($7.40), but Longyang Road is still in Pudong's suburbs, not central Shanghai. You'll transfer to Metro Line 2 from there. International credit cards work at the airport and most hotels, but street vendors, small restaurants, and the metro all run on Alipay or WeChat Pay. Both apps now support foreign bank card binding, so set that up before you arrive.