SHANGHAI AIRPORT
 

I'm going to Shanghai in April as a stopover for a business trip to Europe. As I have miminum time I thought I'd use the Maglev rapid train to get into town (staying at the Peace Hotel) but I've heard its hard to use and doesn't run after 17:00 (My plane gets in at night) Should I just book a transfer to the hotel or wait and see what happens when I get there. i only have one full day to see the sights so what do you all recommend ??

Liesel

Liesel, travelling at a smooth 430 km/hr on a train is certainly an experience, but in your situation it's not very practical. It's very easy to use, actually - the station is in the airport terminal and well signposted. The problem is that it terminates at Long Yang station, which is still within the Pudong district and well short of your destination. This means that you'll then have the hassle of changing onto a metro train or going outside and hailing a cab.

The easiest and cheapest way to do it (unless there's a convenient shuttle that serves the Peace Hotel) is to just take a taxi outside the terminal. You'll need the name of the hotel written in Chinese characters - I suggest you just print their home page (take a shower or something while the site loads, though, it's as slow as a wet week) to show the cabbie. We found Shanghai drivers honest and efficient. They even make you do up your seatbelt, which after 2 weeks in China came as a shock.

Otherwise, I'm sure an English-speaking airline staff member would be happy to write the name out for you.

Our fare (in the opposite direction) was 140 yuan or about AU$23. It's a long way, 40 km or so from memory. If you're lucky you'll see a maglev belting past, as the road parallels the track. I'm sure the hotel would add a hefty surcharge for sending a car.

Thanks Neil I will take your advice
Liesel

Not sure why I used AU$ in my post though - brain fatigue? Y140 is about US$17, anyway. Incidentally, all the Chinese cabs we took (except for the unlicenced taxi I foolishly took in Beijing, more brain fatigue) were properly metered and provided a printed receipt. Having said that, the airport-city fare in Beijing was 50% more than the reverse direction, with no obvious explanation - maybe the same phenomenon applies in Shanghai, not sure.

Liesel,
you said you were going to stay at the Peace Hotel. I am planning a trip to Shanghai in January and thought it looked like a good place to stay. Were you happy with it and its location? I will be there on my own for some of the time and wanted to stay somewhere central.

liesel1960
The maglev train is definitely worth the experience. Perhaps on your return to the airport, you can take a taxi from your hotel to the maglev station in PuDong, then maglev train non-stop to the airport. By the way, 430 kmh given by Neil_Oz is equivalent to about 270 mph !