You do not need to memorise the network
Shanghai Metro reaches both airports, the main railway stations and most areas visitors use. Start with four details: origin, destination, interchange and exit. In a large station, the walk to another platform or the right side of the street can take longer than expected.
Use this map for orientation. It labels lines that are under construction or not yet open, so it is not proof of current passenger service. Check Shanghai Metro for today's operating network.
Paying and entering
Short-term visitors have several practical choices:
- Tap a supported contactless international bank card at the gate. Use the same physical card, or the same digital card on the same device, to enter and exit.
- Use Metro Daduhui, SH MaaS, or a Shanghai transit code in Alipay or WeChat. Initial setup may require payment binding and identity checks.
- Buy a single-journey ticket from a machine or service centre. Staff can help when an international card does not work as expected.
- Use a Shanghai Public Transportation Card or a visitor-focused transport card if the length of the stay makes it worthwhile.
A physical bank card and the version stored in a phone wallet can be treated as different payment media. Do not tap in with one and out with the other. If the gate or fare record fails, keep the entry details and ask at the service centre.
Interchanges, security and exits
Metro entrances normally include a security check. Interchanges such as People's Square (人民广场), Century Avenue (世纪大道), Longyang Road (龙阳路), South Shaanxi Road (陕西南路), Xujiahui (徐家汇) and Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station can involve a long walk. A small interchange symbol on the map hides all of that corridor.
Before arriving, check the exit number and the road, shopping centre or landmark beside it. The nearest station for the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Nanjing Road, Jing'an Temple or Lujiazui does not always have an exit facing the place you want. Lifts and accessible paths may also be worth a slightly longer route with luggage.
Useful lines and hubs
- Line 2: Pudong Airport, Lujiazui, East Nanjing Road, People's Square, Jing'an Temple, Hongqiao Airport T2 and Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station.
- Line 10: Hongqiao Airport T1 and T2, Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, Xintiandi and Yuyuan Garden.
- Line 1: Shanghai Railway Station, People's Square, Xujiahui and Shanghai South Railway Station.
- Line 4: a central loop with Shanghai Railway Station and Century Avenue among its interchanges.
- Line 9: Songjiang, Xujiahui, Dapuqiao and parts of Pudong, with a connection to Shanghai Songjiang Railway Station.
- Line 11: Shanghai Disney Resort, western Xujiahui and northwestern Shanghai.
- Airport Link Line: Hongqiao Airport T2, Pudong Airport and suburban interchange stations. It is not an ordinary metro line.
When catching a flight or train
Work backwards from check-in or boarding, not from the train's running time. Add the walk to the station, security, interchanges, the exit and the distance inside the airport or railway terminal. Check again the night before an early train, late flight or holiday journey.
