Hi

I'm going to Shanghai in May and it is my first visit to this city (I have been to Beijing, Xi'an ad Hong Kong before). I'm going to buy a guidebook - what guidebook do you guys recommend: Lonely Planet or DK Eyewitness Guide? How many days are recommended to check out Shanghai? I normally like to take it slow to get to know a city a little bit and we might have about 10 days. Are there any other things that we should not miss in the "neighborhood"? I like to taste local cuisine when I travel - any recommendations for what to eat and where to eat? Sorry for the vague questions - I'm in the start phase of the planning of the trip ;-)

1. Subways are easier to navigate as there are english signs. They are cheap and pretty good. Don't waste your money on cabs.
2. Try ordinary restaurants-budhist restaurants if you like vegetarian food. They are awesone and you will find them closer to budhist temples.
3. The tower is great to see the skyline if the day is clear.
4. Yes, do get a tour book-unfortunately there aren't that many english language maps of Shanghai.
5. If you are arriving or departing not before 7:30 AM, take the maglev instead of the taxi.
6. There are numerous great Hotel deals-don't pay hundreds of dollars-there are surplus Hotel rooms.
7. Watch out for english speaking girls scam. There are many postings about them in many forms.
8. Go to the International market before 9 AM. You wil see russian looking chinese trying to sell any kind of watch-one of my friend was caught at the airport with these fake watches while the other brought home three "Rolexes".
9. Before 9 AM (before the shops open) it is fun to sit in the comfortable benches and see local aged population practicing polka dance!
10. Don't buy any toys-they are more expensive in china as most of them are made for Western market.
11. Go to the underground market near the city center. You can wander for hours and find great bargains.

The Shanghai World Expo is May 1–October 31, 2010. If you haven't been to a World's Fair before, it might be fun.

http://en.expo2010.cn/

http://en.expo2010.cn/sr/node2292/indexn.htm

Please continue to follow this thread in the FT China Forum.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Thanks for the feedback. I enjoy taking the subway and I have managed to find my way around the subways in places like Tokyo, Osaka, Beijing etc and I would love to also try out the Shanghai subway. And I would also love to try the maglev :-)

What is the English speaking girl scam?

Pair of ladies would try to engage you in English and usually would try to sell you high priced junk art. You may waste hours of your time and money for worthless piece of junk.

Buy the book "6 Shanghai Walks" or its successor "6 more Shanghai Walks". I have the original and Walk 4 (French Concession) is my favorite, though I've done a mix of Walks 1-3 too.

Buy the book, read the walk before getting into SH, and then follow it step by step (with small camera in hand). Also be sure to stop by any coffee shops, stores, galleries, etc that are en route and interact with people. You will be surprised by how many people (usually younger) in the shops and galleries can speak some English and will engage you in some friendly chat even after its clear that you won't buy anything.

Shanghai (not Pudong) is very very walkable.

I don't think its really a scam. Usually its dongbei girls who just want to practice their english skills with, maybe, a foreigner.

Just be sure to order off the menu in any tea houses, I guess.

Also, I feel compelled to chime in on the subway topic. Basically, I only take it when I know it will save me time because taxis are still pretty cheap. What's more, any time a transfer is in the cards, I'd prefer to spend an extra few minutes in a taxi as an alternative. The People's Square transfer is a bit difficult to describe to those that haven't experienced it, but it's not cool at all.

Thanks for the feedback so far guys :-)

10 days is a bit long for only Shanghai. Take the train or hire a car and go for a 1 day trip to Hangzhou, Suzhou or one of the water towns.

Where will you be staying?

Hi

Not sure yet but maybe at the Westin. Got any experience with the hotel?

Oh, Westin is one of the best hotel in Shanghai. It is located in Puxi and you can look across Huangpu river enjoying the skyscrapers in Pudong.

Will you be paying for the hotel or using the SPG points for the stay? I know the price is very expensive.

I don't care for the Westin location, personally. Assuming you are using points, the LRM is a much better choice (IMO). If you're not tied to SPG, there a number of other good choices abound.

What is LRM?

Yes. I also admit there are a lot of other good hotels. But it really depends on whether you will pay cash or you use the points for the stay. But even if you use the hotel points, there are many choices. SPG should have at least 6 hotels in Shanghai. Marriott should have about 6 hotels. IHG should have more than 6.