Shanghai
Jul 13th, 2004 | 08:48 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 144
Likes: 0
Shanghai
Hi fellow travelers. I have a few questions on Shanghai. We will be there in October.
1) How far east does the subway currently go to in Pudong?
2) Has anyone stayed at the Holiday Inn by the train station? I heard the area is not the best.
3) Any lodging recommendations? Say around US$80/night, good location?
Also, with regard to air travel within China, are the baggage rules similar to ours (# of pieces allowed, can checked bags be locked, etc)?
Thanks...
1) How far east does the subway currently go to in Pudong?
2) Has anyone stayed at the Holiday Inn by the train station? I heard the area is not the best.
3) Any lodging recommendations? Say around US$80/night, good location?
Also, with regard to air travel within China, are the baggage rules similar to ours (# of pieces allowed, can checked bags be locked, etc)?
Thanks...
Jul 13th, 2004 | 03:25 PM
#2
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 346
Likes: 0
1)For subway,not sure, but look at the maps to see if it is far enough. They are building and adding to the subway everyday. But remember, Taxis are cheap (and I am a Subway Guy !!!!) 2) Not sure where the train stations. I always stay at the Peace Hotel if you can. History and good location. 3) I like the Okura Garden Hotel but not sure how much. Look at the Peace hotel although I think it is more than $80. Luggage is about the same but make sure you get baggage receipts as you never know when language will be a barrier and it is tuff getting back a bag in China after it is lost. I sat through this and my bad got returned 3 weeks after I came home only because my co-worker in China stayed on them. had all my Christmas presents in the bag.
Jul 13th, 2004 | 07:13 PM
#3
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,638
Likes: 0
Hi dinks-in Mar last year subway was 4 -6 stops from Grand Hyatt, Pudong-now with new train to airport maybe longer-not sure. Stayed at Sofitel Hyland US70(great Nanjing Rd location-tell them you want new soft bed!) & Grand Hyatt US240-so don't know Holiday Inn. Baggage on China Eastern from Hong Kong was same as everywhere. We locked our checked bags and took on one small backpack each. I love Shanghai!! Don't miss the dumplings in the Bund cafes where the workers pick up their breakfast. To die for!!!
Jul 14th, 2004 | 06:44 AM
#4
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 346
Likes: 0
Agree on the dumplings for breakfast. I stayed at the Peace Hotel on my first visit and would go down to the McDoanalds on Nanjing and get an "egg Burger" (egg on hamburger bun) and the first day, my Chinese co-worker gets in the van with all these dumplings. They were great.
Jul 14th, 2004 | 07:24 AM
#5
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 231
Likes: 0
We stayed at the Panorama hotel, which is just to the north of the Bund and overlooks it (if you get on a higher floor). It was extremely reasonable and quite nice. Since we stayed there it has become part of a chain - Accor I think, so I don't know how the prices have changed. We would definitely stay there again. The only negative when we were there was that little English was spoken. We didn't care, but if you are looking for tour information, they couldn't help. Again, that may have changed. Have fun - Shanghai is wonderful.
Jul 14th, 2004 | 08:13 AM
#6
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,242
Likes: 0
Am considering a trip:
1) What are the best 5 start hotels there?
2) What are the shopping venues- markets, department stores, malls.
3) It seems English is not spoken - is it hard to get around
4) Restaurants- menus not in English- is this a problem
5) Overall how is the infrastructure compared to Bangkok?
6) Do's and don'ts please
1) What are the best 5 start hotels there?
2) What are the shopping venues- markets, department stores, malls.
3) It seems English is not spoken - is it hard to get around
4) Restaurants- menus not in English- is this a problem
5) Overall how is the infrastructure compared to Bangkok?
6) Do's and don'ts please
Jul 15th, 2004 | 08:43 AM
#8
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 346
Likes: 0
1) What are the best 5 start hotels there?
Some of these could be 4 star and the ones I know: JW Mariott, Okura Garden (furnishing a little old but nice older hotel
2) What are the shopping venues- markets, department stores, malls.
Yuan Garden and the area around, Copy market a block from Okura, nanjing road, almost everywhere
3) It seems English is not spoken - is it hard to get around
No, just make sure you get business cards from your hotel for taxi driver and collect business cards from everywhere you go in case you want to go back to that area.
4) Restaurants- menus not in English- is this a problem
Yes, but there are soem resturants, especially in business areas that have English. Also, there is always Tony Romas and Hard Rock. There is an area call Xientedi (SIC) that has western style returants and some nightlife
5) Overall how is the infrastructure compared to Bangkok?
Never been but here is fact on Shanghai. You have seen those huge cranes that are built into the ground when a building is built. Around 1999-2000, 1/5 of the worlds cranes were in Shanghai. Shows how much building and new stuff is around. There is building everywhere and so much of it is new.
6) Do's and don'ts please
1)Don't yell at someone because you don't understand them. 2) Don't give deformed children on the street money (buy them chicken fingers at KFC and be very discreet about giving it to them) since their handlers get the money and it continues a awful cycle of child abuse (all I will say) 3) Don't look at someone when they try to sell you something on the street. 4) Tell a street hawker "Don't block me" or "Don't touch me" if they get too agreesive to sell you a fake Mont Blanc pen or something else. 5) Leran to say Hello, Thank You and Goodbye in Manderin. 6) If you go to a bar for a drink, don't be annoyed if they sit you with someone else, even at a small table, or they put someone else at your table, this is customary 7) Don't point or talk about women standing around at bars, or in well travel places as they are only working !! 8)Tried not to be annoyed to much if people stand right beside you and look you over, ezpecially when you take your wallet out. They just want to look and most often are harmless. 9)Space is a limited thing and the idea of "American space" does not exist. 10) If you go to Karoke, Sing your heart out as it is somewhat disrespectful not to sing. 11) If you go to Chinese meal with locals, let them order and do not talk trash about the food. Buy a large beer and chase a little bite of everything with Beer. Find what you like and fill up on that. 12) Chicken has bones. Be careful, they are not chicken nuggets. It is OK to put a piece of chicken in your mouth and chew the meat off and take the bone back and put on your plate 13) Look around at the young people and see that it is a wonderful time to be a young, educated Chinese person in Shanghai. You can see it on their faces and they don't really care about how it is done in America. 14) Be careful about being loud as they are generally quiet in their own person space. 15) Many locals will be extremely nice as they are proud to welcome you to their city/culture and proud to be chinese 16) If you see someone on the street (no the deformed children) like a blind person or an elderly begger, give them a few RMB as I am not sure of the government programs 17) remember Chinese culture is "Servival of the fittest" due to the number and the weakest are not protected (seeitem 16) 18) The biggest thing to get use to. The Chinese culture does not always understand the concept of a que/line when at taxi stands or resturants. Stand your space and maybe give a stern look at someonewho blantently breaks in front of you, but don't yell at them/talk at them for being rude. First, good chance they will not understand and second, they all do this and it is part of their culture. 19) Don't be afraid to walk at night on the streets even though as Americans, we are very careful. It is very safe. 20) If people come up to you at a well-traveled place and ask to have your picture taken with their child, do it. You could end up on some wall in a far-away Chinese province 100 years from now only knowsas that Westerns that Great, Great Grandma saw as a kid back when she went to Shanghai in the early 2000's.
Sorry, got carried away as I would move to Shanghai in a nano-second if I was not chained to my desk here in RTP
Some of these could be 4 star and the ones I know: JW Mariott, Okura Garden (furnishing a little old but nice older hotel
2) What are the shopping venues- markets, department stores, malls.
Yuan Garden and the area around, Copy market a block from Okura, nanjing road, almost everywhere
3) It seems English is not spoken - is it hard to get around
No, just make sure you get business cards from your hotel for taxi driver and collect business cards from everywhere you go in case you want to go back to that area.
4) Restaurants- menus not in English- is this a problem
Yes, but there are soem resturants, especially in business areas that have English. Also, there is always Tony Romas and Hard Rock. There is an area call Xientedi (SIC) that has western style returants and some nightlife
5) Overall how is the infrastructure compared to Bangkok?
Never been but here is fact on Shanghai. You have seen those huge cranes that are built into the ground when a building is built. Around 1999-2000, 1/5 of the worlds cranes were in Shanghai. Shows how much building and new stuff is around. There is building everywhere and so much of it is new.
6) Do's and don'ts please
1)Don't yell at someone because you don't understand them. 2) Don't give deformed children on the street money (buy them chicken fingers at KFC and be very discreet about giving it to them) since their handlers get the money and it continues a awful cycle of child abuse (all I will say) 3) Don't look at someone when they try to sell you something on the street. 4) Tell a street hawker "Don't block me" or "Don't touch me" if they get too agreesive to sell you a fake Mont Blanc pen or something else. 5) Leran to say Hello, Thank You and Goodbye in Manderin. 6) If you go to a bar for a drink, don't be annoyed if they sit you with someone else, even at a small table, or they put someone else at your table, this is customary 7) Don't point or talk about women standing around at bars, or in well travel places as they are only working !! 8)Tried not to be annoyed to much if people stand right beside you and look you over, ezpecially when you take your wallet out. They just want to look and most often are harmless. 9)Space is a limited thing and the idea of "American space" does not exist. 10) If you go to Karoke, Sing your heart out as it is somewhat disrespectful not to sing. 11) If you go to Chinese meal with locals, let them order and do not talk trash about the food. Buy a large beer and chase a little bite of everything with Beer. Find what you like and fill up on that. 12) Chicken has bones. Be careful, they are not chicken nuggets. It is OK to put a piece of chicken in your mouth and chew the meat off and take the bone back and put on your plate 13) Look around at the young people and see that it is a wonderful time to be a young, educated Chinese person in Shanghai. You can see it on their faces and they don't really care about how it is done in America. 14) Be careful about being loud as they are generally quiet in their own person space. 15) Many locals will be extremely nice as they are proud to welcome you to their city/culture and proud to be chinese 16) If you see someone on the street (no the deformed children) like a blind person or an elderly begger, give them a few RMB as I am not sure of the government programs 17) remember Chinese culture is "Servival of the fittest" due to the number and the weakest are not protected (seeitem 16) 18) The biggest thing to get use to. The Chinese culture does not always understand the concept of a que/line when at taxi stands or resturants. Stand your space and maybe give a stern look at someonewho blantently breaks in front of you, but don't yell at them/talk at them for being rude. First, good chance they will not understand and second, they all do this and it is part of their culture. 19) Don't be afraid to walk at night on the streets even though as Americans, we are very careful. It is very safe. 20) If people come up to you at a well-traveled place and ask to have your picture taken with their child, do it. You could end up on some wall in a far-away Chinese province 100 years from now only knowsas that Westerns that Great, Great Grandma saw as a kid back when she went to Shanghai in the early 2000's.
Sorry, got carried away as I would move to Shanghai in a nano-second if I was not chained to my desk here in RTP
Jul 25th, 2004 | 05:00 PM
#9
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,425
Likes: 0
The checked baggage limit for internal domestic flights is 20 kg per passenger when traveling in economy class. First class is either 30 or 40 kg, I can't remember which. This limit is sometimes enforced, sometimes not. There seems to be no limit as to what you can carry on. You can't have alcohol in your carry-on on domestic flights or China Eastern's transpacific flights. Small swiss army/leatherman knives are usually OK on domestic flights, subject to some scrutiny at the security checkpoint.
5 top hotels in Shanghai - Grand Hyatt, JW Marriott, Four Seasons, Westin, and the Portman Ritz Carlton. The Portman is the oldest and I feel doesn't hold up as well now but is very well located. The St. Regis is a great property but the location is not what most people would consider convenient. It's in Pudong (as is the Grand Hyatt) but lacks any views and is farther away from the Huangpu river. The others are all on the Puxi side.
The major shopping streets are Huai Hai road and Nanjing road. Nanjing road has a pedestrian only section. More locals shop on Huai Hai road. There are department stores and shopping malls everywhere. For ultra high-end goods, try the shopping centers near the Portman. For knock-off items, go to the Xiang Yang market at the corner of Xiang Yang road and Huai Hai road. On the Pudong side there are two major shopping malls, the Super Brand mall in front of the Hyatt (forgot the Chinese name) and Nextage (ba bai ban in Chinese) further southest on Zhang Yang road.
Taxi drivers generally don't speak English, so have your hotel name AND location written in Chinese. The name is often not enough as many taxi drivers aren't familiar with all of the hotels especially the newer ones. The metro is easy to navigate with signs in pinyin (most of the time).
5 top hotels in Shanghai - Grand Hyatt, JW Marriott, Four Seasons, Westin, and the Portman Ritz Carlton. The Portman is the oldest and I feel doesn't hold up as well now but is very well located. The St. Regis is a great property but the location is not what most people would consider convenient. It's in Pudong (as is the Grand Hyatt) but lacks any views and is farther away from the Huangpu river. The others are all on the Puxi side.
The major shopping streets are Huai Hai road and Nanjing road. Nanjing road has a pedestrian only section. More locals shop on Huai Hai road. There are department stores and shopping malls everywhere. For ultra high-end goods, try the shopping centers near the Portman. For knock-off items, go to the Xiang Yang market at the corner of Xiang Yang road and Huai Hai road. On the Pudong side there are two major shopping malls, the Super Brand mall in front of the Hyatt (forgot the Chinese name) and Nextage (ba bai ban in Chinese) further southest on Zhang Yang road.
Taxi drivers generally don't speak English, so have your hotel name AND location written in Chinese. The name is often not enough as many taxi drivers aren't familiar with all of the hotels especially the newer ones. The metro is easy to navigate with signs in pinyin (most of the time).
Jul 26th, 2004 | 04:33 PM
#10
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,264
Likes: 0
Hey Subway Scoundrel makes some great points! I just got back from my third trip to China/Shanghai..Hotter than Hell! Yikes! Now I know what the Chinese fans are for!!
Did see a deformed person on the curb..that is soo sad that they have 'Handlers", felt almost as bad about the the cute puppies being sold outside the subway station!
Great place to people watch! Watch for the agressive salesmen, harmless but a real pain..I am a fairly large guy and they followed me for 10 blocks! I now have my new Chinese Name: "Mr. DVD/CD"
JW Marriot was a beautiful HOtel for around 140 US
Great City!
JOHN
Did see a deformed person on the curb..that is soo sad that they have 'Handlers", felt almost as bad about the the cute puppies being sold outside the subway station!
Great place to people watch! Watch for the agressive salesmen, harmless but a real pain..I am a fairly large guy and they followed me for 10 blocks! I now have my new Chinese Name: "Mr. DVD/CD"
JW Marriot was a beautiful HOtel for around 140 US
Great City!
JOHN
Jul 26th, 2004 | 06:23 PM
#11
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 17,106
Likes: 0
Subway-Scoundrel: One of the bestest postings I have ever read! Do write more often!
Thanks a mil!
Reminds me of my brother-in-law - salt-and-peper hair, over six feet, panama hat, white beard - this Chinese family pursued him all over the Forbidden City and EACH member of this immense family wanted to take a picture with him! Had him laughing and had my sister in swearing fits! LOL!
"No! No! No! No! He's not a freak! He's MY husband...arghhhh!" LOL!
Thanks a mil!
Reminds me of my brother-in-law - salt-and-peper hair, over six feet, panama hat, white beard - this Chinese family pursued him all over the Forbidden City and EACH member of this immense family wanted to take a picture with him! Had him laughing and had my sister in swearing fits! LOL!
"No! No! No! No! He's not a freak! He's MY husband...arghhhh!" LOL!
