Pudong Airport Hotel

Airport hotel guide for early flights, overnight layovers and visa-free transit stops at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Pudong Airport to Shanghai City: Maglev, Metro Line 2, Airport Link Line and Taxi Compared

Pudong is 30 km east of Lujiazui and 45 km from the Bund, and the airport station between Terminals 1 and 2 offers three trains plus buses and taxis at the door. The right choice depends on your luggage, your destination and the time of day. All three trains leave from the same station in the central area between the terminals, a five- to ten-minute walk from either arrivals hall.

Maglev: eight minutes to Longyang Road

The Shanghai Maglev runs 30.5 km from the airport to Longyang Road station in about eight minutes, every 15 minutes from 6:45 am to 9:30 pm, at a capped 300 km/h since 2021. An economy single is 50 yuan, reduced to 40 yuan on showing a same-day boarding pass or flight ticket; VIP class is 100 yuan. Longyang Road is not the centre: from there Metro Lines 2, 7, 16 and 18 fan out, and Line 2 reaches Lujiazui in about 15 minutes and People’s Square in about 25. Total door to door to People’s Square is roughly 45 minutes for 54 yuan, with one change and stairs at Longyang Road.

Metro Line 2: the cheap all-the-way option

Metro Line 2 runs from Pudong International Airport station through Chuansha, Longyang Road, Century Avenue and Lujiazui to People’s Square, Jing’an Temple and on to Hongqiao. The fare to People’s Square is 7 yuan and the journey about 68 minutes. Trains from the airport usually terminate at Guanglan Road, where you change across the platform to a main-line train; the airport section runs shorter trains and can be crowded with luggage at peak times. First trains leave the airport around 6:00 am and the last around 10:00 pm; check the station board on the day.

Line 2 also serves the shuttle hotels in Chuansha directly, which is why the Novotel Shanghai Chuansha, Wyndham Shanghai Pudong and The Qube Hotel Shanghai Pudong work without a taxi.

The Airport Link Line, opened in December 2024, is a suburban railway from Pudong Airport T1 and T2 station to Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 and Hongqiao railway station in about 40 minutes, with stops including Shanghai International Resort for Disney. Fares run from 4 to 26 yuan and trains leave about every 15 minutes. It is the choice for a connection to a domestic flight at Hongqiao or a high-speed train; our Airport Link Line guide has the details.

Airport buses

Airport bus lines run from both terminals to Hongqiao, Jing’an Temple, the railway stations and other districts for 8 to 34 yuan, roughly every 15 to 45 minutes from 6:30 am until about 45 minutes after the last arrival, with a night bus to Hongqiao. They are slower than the trains in traffic but take luggage without stairs; see our airport buses and taxis guide.

Taxi and ride-hailing

The taxi ranks are outside the arrivals halls of both terminals. Expect 150 to 200 yuan to the Bund by day and 180 to 250 yuan at night, when a surcharge applies after 11:00 pm, plus highway tolls of 15 to 20 yuan; the ride takes 45 to 60 minutes. DiDi works from the designated pick-up points and shows the fare up front, at similar prices with surge pricing at peaks. After the last Maglev at 9:30 pm and the last metro around 10:00 pm, a taxi or the night bus is the only way in.

Which to choose

Lujiazui or Pudong hotels with light luggage: Maglev, then Line 2. Puxi hotels with heavy luggage or a late arrival: taxi. Budget and time to spare: Line 2 all the way. Hongqiao or a train onward: Airport Link Line. A night at the airport first: the hotels in our hotel shuttles guide and on Yingbin Avenue let you leave the decision until morning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest way from Pudong Airport to central Shanghai?

The Maglev to Longyang Road takes about eight minutes and runs every 15 minutes from 6:45 am to 9:30 pm; from Longyang Road, Metro Line 2 continues to Lujiazui, People's Square and Jing'an in 15 to 25 minutes. A taxi door to door takes 45 to 60 minutes.

How much is the Maglev?

An economy single is 50 yuan, or 40 yuan with a same-day boarding pass or flight ticket; the VIP class is 100 yuan. Metro Line 2 all the way to People's Square is 7 yuan.

Do I have to change trains on Metro Line 2 from the airport?

Usually yes, at Guanglan Road, where the airport section meets the main line; it is a cross-platform change. Some through trains run at busy times. Allow about 68 minutes to People's Square.

Information last verified: September 7, 2026