We're going to be in Shanghai in mid-May and would like to visit the Shanghai Expo for one day while there. I've been to the official Expo website but there isn't a ticket purchase option. Has anyone found a website where tickets are sold? I saw the tour bus option on ctrip.com but I don't need transportation. Maybe I should try the concierge at my hotel? Or will we be able to just show up at the Expo and buy tickets at the gate? Thanks in advance for the advice.

http://www.worldexpochina.net/

Thanks!!

http://en.expo2010.cn/a/20090327/000001.htm

This is the foreign ticketing page of the official Expo site, which I've been watching for some weeks. Peregrine Travel, which Mike suggests, is the one for the USA. For Australia, it was one in Melbourne. However, we found an ad. in a local paper for Expo Tours, rang the company in Sydney, (Helen Wong), a reputable travel agent, and they posted our tickets to us - they are not readily available from travel agents generally.

Although tickets bought here are quite a bit dearer than the site suggests, we didn't want to wait in queues in Shanghai to buy tickets. They are expecting 70 million people, afterall!

The tickets are like a credit card, and I believe include free public transport to the Expo sights. The above site says that printed official guides in foreign languages will be out from next Saturday, so am hoping to get one of those before we go too.

We won't be there till July - am looking forward to a report from you, Cleo, before we leave! It looks amazing.

I contacted Peregrine Travel here in the USA, they will sell you a voucher, which you must then take to their office in Shanghai and exchange for the actual ticket. They have no tickets in the US. It seems a cumbersome and time-consuming process. Has anyone found a source for direct access to tickets in the US before leaving for China?

I found the same process when I checked with Peregrine, DNSmiley. So, I contacted the concierge at the Shanghai hotel where we'll be staying (JW Marriott at Tomorrow Square) and they went ahead and bought two tickets for me. All I have to do is pay when I arrive. I'll be there in a few weeks and will let you all know how that went. The hotel also is offering free transportation to/from the Expo and has Expo packages, so they seemed well in tune with the global traffic they hope to see.

DO NOT buy the travel vouchers from Peregrine. The telephone number on the ticket was fake and nobody at the expo had even heard of them. Another $52.00 down the drain. Also, you can buy evening tickets there or student tickets so you might be able to get a deal. Lastly, Peregrine charges a few extra dollars for their tickets. We went in the evening and there was no line so I STRONGLY recommend not buying from them.