Originally Posted by
IluvSQ
The Maglev train may be very fast, but it only runs every 30 minutes or once
every hour. ( Sorry, I don't recall the exact figure)
If you just miss one, it's a long wait till the next, such that the regular subway may be faster.
That said, I personally don't believe that 5 hours is sufficient to clear
immigration ( especially the transit without visa rigamarole), reclaim bags,
go into town, come back, recheck, re-do security and immigration.
It often takes well over 1.5 hours to get bags and clear incoming immigration.
I would just stay in the airport.
The maglev runs 3-4 times per hour, depending on the time of day.
But, taxis are still faster if you want to go all the way into town.
I've been flying into PVG on a regular basis since it opened and the longest airplane to curb has ever taken me is 50 minutes (half that is most typical).