SHANGHAI ENGLISH SPEAKING DRIVER WITH CAB OR CAR
Aug 20th, 2005, 11:38 PM
#2
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Sorry judlar, can't help. I live in Shanghai and our full-time driver doesn't speak English and I haven't met a taxi driver who does either. I also have a feeling that if you hire a car and driver you are forced to have a guide too and s/he would speak English to a certain extent. If you can't be bothered with all that hassle, get taxis everywhere you want to go, they are plentiful and cheap. You just need to have something in Chinese to show the taxi driver. You could figure our where you want to go and have your concierge or receptionist write them all down, alongside the English equivalent and then just show him/her.
Aug 27th, 2005, 05:30 PM
#4
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I can't help with restaurants, but there should be plenty of choice in that area - I'm sure the concierge could help. What do you call a moderate price?
Shanghai isn't a difficult city to get around and I agree that if you plan what you want to see in one day and make sure you have each destination (including that of your hotel, of course) written out in Chinese characters you can't go wrong - Chinese cabbies are pretty good.
Try to get hold of a tourist map of the city too, to minimise backtracking. If possible, set aside some time for just walking around the French Concession area and nearby shopping streets. Try to see the National Museum at Renmin (People's) Park, and also some of the Old Town. Time permitting you could go up the Oriental Pearl Tower for a great view. None of these areas is very far from the central Bund/Nanjing Road area - in fact in one afternoon we walked from the FC area to Old Town to the Bund and a fair distance down Nanjing Dong Lu (Nanjing Road East).
Shanghai isn't a difficult city to get around and I agree that if you plan what you want to see in one day and make sure you have each destination (including that of your hotel, of course) written out in Chinese characters you can't go wrong - Chinese cabbies are pretty good.
Try to get hold of a tourist map of the city too, to minimise backtracking. If possible, set aside some time for just walking around the French Concession area and nearby shopping streets. Try to see the National Museum at Renmin (People's) Park, and also some of the Old Town. Time permitting you could go up the Oriental Pearl Tower for a great view. None of these areas is very far from the central Bund/Nanjing Road area - in fact in one afternoon we walked from the FC area to Old Town to the Bund and a fair distance down Nanjing Dong Lu (Nanjing Road East).
Aug 27th, 2005, 09:16 PM
#5
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Loads of restaurants in Shanghai, we are truly spoilt. `Not necessary to stick to those within walking distance to your hotel. Last night I experienced a really yummo Chinese restaurant called 1221, so popular with expats and foreigners, you need to book. The food was fantastic and it cost us around US$13 per head without alcohol. Alcohol and drinks like coffee and even Chinese tea will add quite a bit to the bill. I can really recommend this place and would be happy to book it for you from here if you tell me the date.
Dim Sum is good here, recommend Zen at Hong Kong Plaza, 283 HuaHai Zhong Rd.
If you get to Xintiandi, there are a load of restaurants to choose from - all prices and cuisines, you can't go wrong here, but it does get busy, there is another Zen restaurant there too, but hard to get in. I'm sure you could walk there.
If you want to eat with a great view of the Huangpu River, you could try M On The Bund or across the road is No. 3 On the Bund which has several restuarants and a bar but all are fairly pricey.
There are so many restaurants that it is hard for me to advise any more unless you stated a cuisine type. At the hotel you should ensure there is a Yellow Pages in your room as all locations are in Mandarin and English and there are a few pages resembling a street directory at the front.
Dim Sum is good here, recommend Zen at Hong Kong Plaza, 283 HuaHai Zhong Rd.
If you get to Xintiandi, there are a load of restaurants to choose from - all prices and cuisines, you can't go wrong here, but it does get busy, there is another Zen restaurant there too, but hard to get in. I'm sure you could walk there.
If you want to eat with a great view of the Huangpu River, you could try M On The Bund or across the road is No. 3 On the Bund which has several restuarants and a bar but all are fairly pricey.
There are so many restaurants that it is hard for me to advise any more unless you stated a cuisine type. At the hotel you should ensure there is a Yellow Pages in your room as all locations are in Mandarin and English and there are a few pages resembling a street directory at the front.
