Pudong Airport to central Shanghai: daytime and late-night options
Short answer
For a hotel near People's Square, East Nanjing Road or Jing'an Temple, start by considering Metro Line 2. The Maglev requires another journey from Longyang Road, while the Airport Link Line is especially useful for Hongqiao. After rail services finish, choose the official night bus if its stops suit your hotel, or take a taxi directly. Base the decision on when you reach the arrivals hall, not when your flight lands.
Source check: 12 September 2026. All times are Shanghai local time. Prices are in Chinese yuan, CNY.
First, confirm which Shanghai airport you are using
Pudong International Airport is PVG. Hongqiao International Airport is SHA, on the other side of Shanghai. Both have a Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, so a message saying only "Terminal 2" is not enough to arrange a pickup. Shanghai's airport transport guide
Save your hotel's full Chinese name, street address and telephone number before boarding. Add the nearest metro station and the entrance the hotel recommends for someone carrying luggage. A hotel described as "near the Bund" may still require a substantial walk after you leave the train.
Keep the first evening flexible. Immigration, baggage collection, customs and the walk to ground transport all happen after landing. A flight scheduled to land at 21:30 does not give you a confirmed place on a 22:15 train.
Choose a route by your hotel, not by the train's advertised speed
| Option | Where it takes you | Cost or useful reference |
|---|---|---|
| Metro Line 2 | Central stations including People's Square, followed by your hotel walk | About CNY 7 and about one hour to People's Square station in the city's guide |
| Maglev | Longyang Road, where you continue by metro or road | Standard single ticket CNY 50; onward transport costs extra |
| Airport Link Line | Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2, with intermediate stops | CNY 26 for the full airport-to-airport ride; about 40 minutes on the train |
| Airport bus | A specified roadside stop or transport hub | Choose by the actual route; the late-night service costs CNY 18 to 34 |
| Taxi | Your hotel's vehicle entrance | Metered; the city's rough People's Square example is CNY 180, before treating your time and route as a separate case |
These are different products. The rail figures exclude the walk from arrivals, buying a ticket, waiting and reaching your hotel. The taxi figure is a reference estimate, not a fixed airport fare. City airport guide, airport Maglev information, Airport Link Line guide
A straightforward daytime route to People's Square
Once you have collected your bags, follow the airport signs for Metro Line 2. At the station, select People's Square, 人民广场, as your destination and confirm the citybound platform before passing the gates.
Ride to People's Square and use your saved hotel directions to choose the exit. If your hotel is closer to East Nanjing Road, 南京东路, or Jing'an Temple, 静安寺, choose that station instead of automatically travelling to People's Square. These destinations are on Line 2. Shanghai's transport and attraction guide
For planning, allow roughly 90 minutes to two hours from the public arrivals hall to a central hotel by metro. That is an editorial allowance for walking, waiting and finding the hotel, not a measured journey or an immigration estimate. Add time if you need lifts, have several bags or are travelling with children.
If payment setup fails, ask station staff for help buying a single journey ticket instead of repeatedly trying an app. Show the destination's Chinese name. Shanghai's official transport guidance lists ticket vending machines as an alternative to app tickets. Getting around Shanghai
When the Maglev or Airport Link Line makes sense
Choose the Maglev if you want the experience or its connection at Longyang Road, 龙阳路, suits your journey. The airport's posted timetable, dated 17 March 2025 and still displayed when checked, lists Pudong departures from 07:02 to 21:42. You still need onward transport to the hotel; the short Maglev ride is not your whole city journey. Airport Maglev information
Choose the Airport Link Line for a Hongqiao destination. Its full airport-to-airport ride costs CNY 26, and the published last departure from Pudong Airport T1 & T2 towards Hongqiao is 22:15. The operator's city guide describes the transfer at Hongqiao as an out-of-station transfer, so allow time to reach a metro platform or the correct terminal. Airport Link Line guide, updated 31 March 2026
A hotel in central Puxi does not automatically become easier to reach by riding all the way to Hongqiao. Compare the complete route. For an onward flight or train, the rail journey time also excludes check-in, security and any terminal or station walk.
Arriving after rail services finish
The official airport timetable lists a Late Night Bus, 守航夜宵线, from both terminals.
| Departure point | Published operating window |
|---|---|
| Pudong Terminal 1 | 23:00 to 05:30 the following morning |
| Pudong Terminal 2 | 23:03 to 05:33 the following morning |
The listed fare is CNY 18 to 34. Departures respond to demand, with a stated maximum interval of 30 minutes. The route serves stops in Pudong and central Puxi before ending at Hongqiao Hub's East Transportation Center. Traffic can alter departures. Shanghai Airport's bus timetable
For a People's Square-area hotel, compare its address with the East Yan'an Road/Zhejiang Middle Road stop, 延安东路浙江中路. For Jing'an Temple, compare Middle Yan'an Road/Huashan Road, 延安中路华山路. These are roadside stops, not a promise that your hotel is beside them.
Here is a workable late-arrival example. You reach the Terminal 2 arrivals hall at 00:30 and your hotel is near People's Square. Show airport staff the hotel's address and the named night-bus stop; confirm the boarding bay and fare, then take the bus only if you have a usable walk or road transfer from that stop.
Before boarding, tell the driver which stop you need. Do not assume the metro will be open when you get off at a stop named after a metro station. If the remaining journey is awkward with your bags, take a taxi directly from the airport instead.
The published timetable does not identify a numbered night-bus boarding door. Follow the Airport Bus signs and ask the airport information counter for 守航夜宵线. Do not confuse it with a terminal or car-park shuttle. The bus information number is 021-68346612. Official bus information
Taking a taxi all the way to the hotel
The published Pudong taxi pickup locations are outside Arrival Gate 12 at Terminal 1 and Arrival Gate 25 at Terminal 2. At T1, the city's instructions direct passengers from Arrival Gates 4 or 8 south towards Gate 12. Use the signed taxi queue and show the complete hotel address. Official airport pickup directions, updated 4 June 2026
Ask for the meter and keep the receipt. The fare depends on route, waiting and time of day; the city's tariff applies a 30% night surcharge to the base and distance fares between 23:00 and 05:00. A late-night journey should not be budgeted using a daytime estimate alone. Shanghai taxi tariff
For a prepaid hotel car, save the exact meeting point and a contact method that works after landing. If the driver is missing, stay at the agreed point while contacting the provider. Decide before departure how long you are willing to wait before using the official taxi queue.
Save one main route and one backup
Your arrival note can be brief: "PVG T2; hotel name and Chinese address; Line 2 to People's Square if available; otherwise taxi from Arrival Gate 25." Add the hotel's late-check-in confirmation and reservation number.
If you expect to reach transport near the end of rail service, check that day's departure board before buying a ticket. A special holiday train or a delayed flight is not something to build the whole arrival plan around. Finish with a route that gets you to the hotel door.