Thunderroad

I'll be arriving at Shanghai from the US (on United) and am wondering what the taxi situation is at the airport. I've only been in Shanghai once before, years ago. Are the taxis on meters? Are they honest? Do you simply get them at the curb or is there more of a process involved? And if I tell the driver I want to go to the Westin Hotel, will he understand? Thanks for any help.

moondog

You'll be fine. Just print out the hotel address (in Chinese) along with the phone number. If you're feeling thrifty and are traveling solo, you could also take the People's Square bus instead.

FYI, before the Westin came to be, what is now the Sheraton used to be the Westin so some cab drivers still get a little confused; that's why it's useful to know the address.

Thunderroad

Thanks very much! Any sense of about how much the taxi should cost from the airport to the hotel?

moondog

less than y200.

RichardInSF

Just ignore all the touts in the airport -- who will be agressive -- and walk out to the regular taxi rank, where you might have to wait in line. Taxi drivers will use the meter, you don't tip, and where there are no cops or speed traps, they drive like crazy. The ride last Monday from Pudong to the Grand Hyatt was Y130, but that's in Pudong itself and closer to the airport than the Westin.

If you want a new experience, don't have too many bags, and arrive between 9am-5pm or so, you can ride the Maglev. Show your airline ticket and the ride is Y40. You will need a taxi at the end of the ride and they usually are there in abundance, but not always.

moondog

I said 200 because I wouldn't take a taxi from the airport without having at least 200 on me, but the Westin should be closer to 150.

dawei

This is key. The touts will RIP you off. The best is to just ignore them, even saying "no thanks" will encourage them. The taxis in line will use meters and will be honest 9 out of ten times.

Try prinitng this out:

请您送我到上海威斯汀大饭店 ( 在外滩附近 )

If you prefer to take the tunnel, he/she will default to that but even though it is slighlty farther, I would prefer to go this way (via the lu pu bridge), because depending on the time of day it can be considerably faster:

请您走卢浦大桥 ( 我知道这样走远一点--没关系 )

Vulcan

If you are going to the Westin, as we did for the DO in February, when you come out of customs, turn left and walk along a row of kiosks. Thre will be kiosks on both sides. On the LEFT side you will find one for the WESTIN. Stop there and tell them you have reservations and they will walk you out to the curb and put you in a taxi and tell the driver where to take you so there should be no problems. The Westin kiosk is open late, as we came from NRT on NW and I think UA arrives around the same time.
I second the suggestion to take the Maglev if you get there when it is open, but you can get a special rate from the city (its terminus is at a Subway station) if you want to ride back and forth to the airport the same day as a tourist. I seem to remember it somewhere around $8 US RT, but could be wrong. Well worth it. 15 minutes OW, as opposed to almost an hour by taxi. Awsome ride. at 260+ MPH.

dawei

Brilliant.

Come to think of it one of them even lent my sister their mobile phone when I was late to pick her up.

Thunderroad

Wow. Thanks to Vulcan, moondog and everyone else for the great advice! I don't think I'll take the Maglev the day I arrive because I get in at 6:15 p.m., which might be too late. Plus even though I travel a lot internationally I tend to be in a daze after a long flight and a taxi will be easier. But you've gotten me very interested in trying it some other day.

This useful information leads to a couple other questions:

1. Are there ATMs at the airport? If so, where?
2. Does anyone know whether Vulcan's advice applies when I take a domestic flight and get to Beijing (arriving about mid-day on a Sunday): I will be staying at the St. Regis and am wondering if it has a kiosk that could direct me to the taxi line and instruct the taxi driver.

Thanks again!

derk99

Try taking the maglev train from the airport it runs about ever 15 minutes up until about 5:30 pm cost is about 60yaun and it's the ride of a lifetime it goes about 424kph and takes about 6 minutes to get downtown which is about 35km away then you can take a taxi from there to your hotel.

Vulcan

Its actually 6 minures of acceleration about 2 minutes of cruise and then 6 minutes of deceleration.

Vulcan

Not sure about the ATM. I am about 95% sure there is a separate Kiosk for the St. Regis. I seem to remember it on the Right side as I was walking toward the Westin Kiosk, a bit before you get the the Westin. At any rate, if you can't find it, ask at the Westin kiosk.

RichardInSF

There is an HSBC ATM just inside the customs area, just to the left of the "green/nothing to declare" exit, which I used last week rather late at night and it worked fine -- despite a mildly scary English note giving you a phone number to call if it ate your ATM card.

The advantage of using the ATM inside the secure/customs area is that there are no touts, pickpockets, or other scum there to see you use it.

There was also a large boxed in area upstairs before going down to customs that said "CITIBANK ATM to be HERE IN JUNE," but as I was there on June 4 and the boxed in area was still boxed in, and it is China after all -- it might be working or might not be by the time you get there. However, look out for it.

P.S. The entire maglev ride is 8 minutes, not 15.

moondog

relax