Shareholder

I've read through this thread but it is not all that clear how one does the transfer from the Maglev to the subway. (A distinct bias against public transit is apparent.) Is the transfer a matter of an escalator ride or two or three down to the subway, and purchase of a ticket? Or is it a long walk from one terminal to another?

While I know cabs are cheap, the ones at the Maglev terminal sound a bit dicey. Also, my hotel in Pudong (the IC) is a short walk from the Century Avenue/Dongfang Road metro station. As a veteran of the Beijing and Tokyo subway systems, among others around the world, I really don't see how daunting taking the subway would be? Likely time of transfer would be around 6p on a Monday so I suspect there are rush hour crowds to contend with, though these would surely be going in the opposite direction? Also, I'd have a small 22" roller bag, so not a lot of luggage.

mosburger

Transfer from Maglev to subway is indeed walking down three sets of escalators and switching to the adjacent building in the process.

Subway tickets are cheap (your ride should cost 3RMB), and the cars safe and rather comfortable. It will not take more than a few minutes from Longyang Lu to Dongchang Lu.

Just try to get the right exit, as it minimizes walking/schlepping distance. The IC can be some distance if you get the furthest exit out.

Shareholder

Thanks for the clarification. Now, just need to determine the right exit for the IC...Google Earth time!

bjexpat

I'm curious what you paid. Twice, I've gotten in a cab at PVG (after the Maglev stopped running) and both times, the meter was set to double the advertised rate of 2.20. One time, I gave the Taxi driver a hard time and the second time I just paid it and expensed it. Does anyone actually know if they really double their rates after midnight or I'm I getting screwed?

For example, my last run from PVG to Grand Hyatt in Jin Mao was 178RMB!!!. But again, this was probably around 12 am.

Chinatrvl

- Taxi fares are more expensive after 10 pm. Both, base fare and additional kilometers. (The latter is, someone please correct me, 3.60 CNY and after the first 10 (?) km, 4.40 CNY):
- Taxi fares are more expensive after the first 10 (?) kilometers.

- Usually pay less than 200 CNY in the night, and, due to traffic jam, about the same during the day, from Puxi area to PVG.

- Avoid the blue taxis ... (my very personal experience, please don't rant )

rdchen

The base fare for taxi in Shanghai:

rmb11 for the first 3km, afterwards rmb2.1/km. After 11pm, there is a 30% surcharge for the first 10km, & 50% surcharge for >10km.

iahphx

FWIW, I took the Maglev from the airport and then connected at the Maglev station for my Pudong hotel. The trip was without incident -- no "issues" at the typical taxi stand at the station.

FWIW, I don't believe taking the Maglev is faster. And it may have been because of the heightened Olympic security, but I had to pass through security to get on the Maglev, which further slowed things down. I really would only take the Maglev for the entertainment value.

BTW, the Rough Guide alerted me to a railway ticket office at the Pudong maglev station. Unfortunately, the Guide didn't say exactly where, and it took me 10 minutes to find it (nobody at the station had a clue, including a couple of ex-pats who took pity on me and tried to help). It is right next to the maglev museum, and is typical of these things, looks like a non-descript office. A useful stop if you'll be leaving Shanghai by train after a couple days and need some train tickets.

mosburger

These offices are located in several wards of Shanghai. I think opening times are typically from 8am to 6 or 8pm.

What is best about them is the absence of the lengthy queues when buying rail tickets at the station.

Btw, this very nice concept has now been adopted at least by Deutsche Bahn in Frankfurt and Cologne. Probably by some McKinsey consultant who took a holiday trip to China and then sold the idea to them for big bucks.

iahphx

Yeah, they seem to work pretty well. I "discovered" them 2 years ago in Shanghai when the J.W. Marriott concierge wanted to charge me about a US$60 commission to buy 4 tickets to Hangzhou. I got out a Lonely Planet guide which listed some ticket offices and found one a couple blocks from that hotel.

The downside is that it's a bit tricky to locate the offices, since nobody seems to know about them and they don't look like much (think a cross between a travel agency and an off track betting operation). If you can get a street address, you can usually stumble upon them. Both Lonely Planet and Rough Guide list some. I've never seen a complete list. I've been able to buy tickets without speaking Chinese, but obviously having some idea of where you're going and how you want to get there (cities in Chinese, train numbers) will likely help.

mosburger

Btw, just had brunch followed by a meeting with senior management types at the Shanghai IC yesterday. All participants (apart from me & my biz partner taking a cab from another hotel) arrived by subway. Some resident in Shanghai, some not.

There is some construction going on in the neighbourhood but the IC tower is visible from afar.

Shareholder

Well, did the trip in from the airport on the Maglev, then walked across the laneway to the Metro station. It was about 5:45p so big crowds but I lined up with a dozen others at the ticket kiosk and bought my ticket without incident by showing a print-out of the station name I wanted (map from the link supplied above), 3RMB. First train was crowded, as was the platform, so I just waited another few minutes and the next train had plenty of space for the three stops I was riding. Only problem was the exit numbers. On the map it showed 12, but in fact it is now exit 1. However, the street name on the metro signs were in Chinese and English so I managed to find my way to the surface. As noted, once I was at ground level I could easily see the IC's logo and name on the top of the building down the way.

Tomorrow I will do the transfer of hotels, over to le Meridien at People's Square. That's four stops away on the same Green line, and a run I made to the Pearl Tower district today at about the same time I plan to do my hotel move suggests that loads on the Metro will be light, so I think all should go well.

I enjoyed the Maglev ride though we never broke 310Km/hr. I must say, however, that after having ridden Concorde and watched its mach meter hit its numbers, this was a bit anticlimactic!

While I am sure a cab would have been faster, I thrive on these little urban challenges...

-------------

And other than some unclear signage at Peoples' Square metro station, no problem with my transfer from the IC to the Meridien. Very light crowds at 2p on both trains and in stations.

imz14u

Taxi fares have been recently revised in shanghai, sometime during oct 2009, it is about 25% more expensive now. More efficient now to use the Maglev/Metro option, quicker and less wait time in traffic.

moondog

Usually not quicker IME; I suppose much depends on your destination.

anacapamalibu

10% increase

Effective Oct. 11, 2009.

start price increased 11 to 12 RMB
16 RMB for night

each additional KM went from Y2.10 to Y2.40

imz14u

Quicker vs. driving on A20 which can get very congested at unexpected times of the day.

Seems like 10% on the start fare and per km basis, i think they have also tweeked the wait time charges. Overall experience feels like a 20 to 25% hike for cost per trip.