Need to Know
Daily Costs
Budget: less than ¥350
ADorm bed: ¥50–60; double room from ¥200 (per person)
ACheap hole-in-the-wall restaurants, food markets and street food: ¥50
ABike hire, metro or other transport: ¥20-30
AMuseums: some have free entry
ASundries: ¥40–60
Midrange: ¥350–¥1300
ADouble room in a midrange hotel: ¥250-650 (per person)
ALunch and dinner in decent local restaurants: ¥150–200
AEntertainment: ¥80
ATravelling in comfort: ¥80
Top End: more than ¥1300
ADouble room in a top-end hotel: from ¥650 (per person)
ALunch and dinner in excellent restaurants: from ¥300
AShopping at top-end boutiques: ¥300
Advance Planning
Three months before Book a room at popular hotel accommodation.
One month before Book tables for well-known restaurants; check listings on entertainment sites such as Time Out Shanghai (www.timeoutshanghai.com) for art exhibitions, live music, festivals and shows, and book your tickets.
A few days before Check the weather online (www.bbc.co.uk/weather/1796236).
Useful Websites
Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/shanghai) Destination information, hotel bookings, traveller forum and more.
Time Out Shanghai (www.timeoutshanghai.com) Authoritative, in-the-know entertainment listings.
City Weekend (www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai) Comprehensive listings website of popular expat magazine. News stories can be weak.
Shanghaiist (www.shanghaiist.com) Excellent source for news and reviews.
Smart Shanghai (www.smartshanghai.com) Quality listings website with forum.
When to Go
Summer is peak season but it’s hot and sticky with heavy rain; spring and late September to October are optimal (neither too hot nor rainy). Winter is cold and clammy.
Arriving in Shanghai
Pudong International Airport Metro into town 6am to 10pm ¥3–¥10; Maglev to Longyang Rd metro station 6.45am to 9.40pm ¥50; airport buses into town 7am to 11pm ¥16–¥30; taxi ¥160.
Hongqiao International Airport Metro into town 6.05am to 10.50pm ¥3–¥10; buses 6am to 11pm ¥6–¥30; taxi ¥70.
Shanghai Railway Station Metro into town 5.30am to 11pm ¥3–¥10; taxi ¥20–¥30.
Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station Metro into town 5.30am to 11pm ¥3–¥10; taxi ¥70.
Shanghai South Railway Station Metro into town 5.30am to 11pm ¥3–¥10; taxi ¥50.
Money-Saving Tips
Shanghai isn't cheap and costs can mount up. Here are some tips to help your yuan go further.
Target happy hour Buy one and get one free, usually from 5pm to 8pm or 9pm – this can be crucial when paying ¥35-plus for a small bottle of beer.
Take the metro It’s cheap, efficient, fast and goes almost everywhere (but doesn't run late at night).
Haggle If prices aren’t displayed, haggling is often the lingua franca, especially in markets (but not in department stores or shops).
Stay visa-free For stays of 72 hours and less, no need to fork out for a visa.
Sleeping
Sleeping in Shanghai is rarely a cheap proposition unless you snag a dorm bed or move into the suburbs. You’ll need to book your room in advance to secure your top choice, and avoid the national holiday periods.
There’s a great deal of choice in the main, fashionable and sight-heavy areas but some neighbourhoods, such as Pudong, strictly favour the top end. Finding accommodation within reach of a metro station is rarely hard. Hotels range from budget hostels and express business hotels to heritage hotels and boutique choices, and through to five-star towers.
Useful Websites
ALonely Planet (lonelyplanet.com/china/shanghai/hotels) Hotel bookings and forum.
ACTrip (www.english.ctrip.com) An excellent online agency, good for hotel bookings.
AeLong (www.elong.net) Hotel bookings.
Tourist Information
Oddly, Shanghai is not well served with tourist information offices, so get chummy with your hotel concierge/reception staff for travel pointers. Pop their number into your mobile phone to communicate with taxi drivers or for any situation requiring an interpreter. Youth hostels often offer great advice and are generally well attuned to the needs of travellers. The Shanghai Call Centre (962 288) is a handy 24-hour English-language hotline.