I did the 72 hour TWOV in Beijing, so my time in China has been brief. Going Fri 26 - March 1 for a long weekend from Seoul (arrive Fri night, return Tues afternoon). Question time!

1) Is it easy to get a China Mobile SIM Card at Hongqiao?? I will only use data, not voice. In regards to price, I can pay roughly 33 USD for unlimited 3G roaming for my entire time there through my Korean phone provider (roughly 4 days, aka 96 hours).

2) We're average, middle class 32 year old Americans. I'm gay, she 's my bestie. We plan to really just shop, eat, walk around in the day..and go out drinking at night. Any local brands or cool shops to recommend?

3) As we arrive on Friday night, we'd love somewhere simple and cheap to go near our hotel (Fish Inn Bund). That's the catch for this whole trip...somewhere local, but we can't exactly speak Mandarin (or any Chinese dialect). I feel like my pointing game will be strong!

4) Is there one simple "straight" nightlife area? From my research, I can't find anything consolidated in one area. I've found the area for my people, but not hers haha.

5) Any tourist itineraries worth anything? I mean, outside of the usual museums, towers and riverside strolls. I imagine there won't be enough time to take a day trip out anywhere?

Just for point of clarity - are you flying from/to Seoul only, or to a third country?

If from/to seoul only you will need a visa, as TWOV will not be available.

1. Sims are pretty easy to get. In the past, I've advised against buying them in airports because you over pay, but the new rules make street buys challenging enough to justify the airport surcharge (going into a unicom store itself should be a last resort)

2.We have numerous threads here pertaining to Shanghai in general

3. I advise against staying near the Bund if you are cost conscious

4. Yongkang lu, hengshan lu, or those fancy places on the Bund

5. Refer to point #2, but feel free to ask for our opinions about specific options

Some random ideas:

For an expensive drink in an interesting place, there are bars (and restaurants) in some of the renovated historic buildings along the Bund. There's also a very high bar with views in the Park Hyatt on the Pudong side, but be prepared for waits for the elevator and a long taxi line in the evening.

Check out the lobby/public areas of the Peace Hotel (Fairmont now after renovation) and its annex. On the "far" end of the Bund beyond the Peninsula, there are a couple interesting historic hotels; another one is called something like Park Hotel, right across the street (Nanjing Road?) from People's Park (which has a quaint little amusement park). If you walk from there toward the Bund, there's a big old department store on the corner (another interesting historic building, but I was disappointed when they removed the huge fish tank in the window) and then a stretch of street that's closed to traffic in the early morning and filled with people doing group exercises, dancing, etc. You'll also see the group exercise/dance performances (I've been told that you can pay a bit to join) and kite flying along the Bund.

For shopping, explore the antique stores (old books, chess sets, and other small items) along "philosophers' (? or is it poets'?) walk" old pedestrian street near the Bund and the creek. Further back and almost along the creek, there's a big cluster of modern art galleries, mostly in old warehouses. The French Concession is good for boutiques while there are high end stores around Xiantendu (spelling???). There's a well known big modern mall over in Pudong.

I enjoy the art museum and the modern art museum nearby (behind the lily pond in the small park, in a modern round building).

Some of the Shangahi Expo buildings are still standing. Much of the area has been turned into a park, so this would be an interesting place for a long walk. Another interesting place to walk is the campus of Fudan University; it feels far from the tourists, but of course has international students and visiting faculty.

Some more random ideas:

Old China hand reading room on Shaoxing Road.. beautiful books on art and architecture you can look at over a pot of tea.. the street is a small street in the French concession..

Two free museums
ShanghaI Municipal Archives on the Bund ..history of Shanghai developing into a city..there has never been anyone there when we've been there
Postal Museum ..interesting building the former post office, stamps, mailboxes, communication methods and how they changed I know it might sound boring, but the exhibits and the English translations are really interestung

Ride on the river..do it at dusk to see the buildings in daytime and as the light show starts at night

You will have a great time