Traveling in a foreign country doesn’t have to be a huge hassle if you know how the locals get around! Usually in tourist friendly cities like Shanghai, the public transportation will be explained in many travel guides, and it is actually very simple to get around the city.
Shanghai runs on transportation cards, which can be charged at metro stations and used interchangeably among public buses, metro lines, and taxis. If you have this card, you don’t need to buy tickets. Taxis charge a base fare of 14 RMB (around 2 USD) and then charges for each additional kilometer. You can generally get from one main district of a city to another for around 20 RMB to 60 RMB. Traveling across the Bund to Pudong will cost a little bit more, expect around 100 RMB. The taxi drivers will usually know where to go if you show them pictures in your travel guide. If you speak Chinese, many of them will have interesting stories to tell you during the drive. It is not neccessary at all to tip, but it will probably make their day, so I always try to. 🙂
Finding a travel guide with a format you find easy to follow will definitely make your tourist experience a lot more enjoyable, especially if it is your first time visiting Shanghai.
