Does anyone know if taxis are readlly availible at the pier? Our ship will arrieve at 7am and we would like to take a taxi to Yu Gardens and the Shanghai Museum then back to the pier. The Ship is not offering a shuttle into town and the price for a car and driver seems very high. Can anyone help? Thank you.

I was in Shanghai a few times last 3 years, but I don't have first hand knowledge to your question.

I notice from my Shanghai map that the International Passenger Terminal is located about a mile or so north east of the Bund. Assuming this is where the Gao Yang Pier located, then I expect you can easily get a taxi, if not immediately outside the Terminal, but certainly within short walking distance of the Terminal. Taxis are readily available in Shanghai. The one exception that I know is when it rains during rush hours. Before you leave the ship, you need to have Chinese names (including the pier) written on a piece of paper in order to show the driver where to go.

Yu Garden and Shanghai Museum are located a few miles apart and they are not far from the Bund and International Passenger Terminal.

Good luck to you and I hope I have helped a little.

Does anyone know if the Gao Yang is indeed located at the International Passenger Terminal? If that is the case, I would think taxis would be no problem. My next question is can you hire a taxi for six hours or so?

I'll try again.

I'm having trouble with the post. Sorry.

Just got another piece of related news by searching on Google.

A 160,000 square meters (about 1.6 million sq. ft) Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal is being built, located at the 158-year-old Gao Yang Pier near the downtown area.

Thanks, I saw the International Passenger Terminal on a current internet map of Shanghai. Didn't know if that is where we will be. If it is, a taxi is probably no problem. I wonder if the one being built is at the same place?

We really only want to go to those two places. A tour group I contacted wants $240US for 8 hours to drive us to the two sites and wait while we look around. The ship's tour is $180 for 9 hours and two stops we really are not interested in, thus limiting the time where we want to be! So a taxi seems like the thing, if availible. Of course, we would have to have our destinations writen in Chinese, but think that could be done. If anyone has any more help, I would love to hear it. We have about five weeks before we leave.

To: cwn

Terminal: If I remember correctly the old news I read today stating the new terminal is being built where the old one was. So the old terminal must be gone by now.

Taxi - Since you don't speak the language, your best bet is to get a taxi from point to point. Getting a taxi is as easy as getting one in Manhatten. It is also very cheap. If you are only going to visit Shanghai Museum and Yu Garden and back to the ship, you should not spend more than US$8 (in RMB of course) TOTAL! This is estimating on the conservative side. By the way, prices quoted to you are outrageous!

Will try my best to help if you have additional questions.

Ixchiang, Thanks so much. Since the ship wants us to use their tours, they have been were little help, but that is always the case. They are usually more forecoming once we are on board. I agree the private car price was way too much as is the ship's tour. Your help is much appricated, thanks. I think we will just wait till we get on board and hope we will get some more info and will be able to find a taxi. Thanks again!

You may want to post the same question at Fodor's Cruise Forum.