Shanghai has two airports, Hongqiao International Airport (SHA), which is close to the city center, and Pudong International Airport (PVG), which is at least an hour’s drive from the city.
I lived in China for over 3 years, including one year in Shanghai, in the French Concession, and I’ve used both airports a lot. For international flights, my DJ shows, and weekend trips around China. I also still fly to Shanghai sometimes now that we live in Seoul.
In short, most visitors from outside Asia will land at Pudong. But IF you’re flying from within Asia, it’s totally worth checking whether you can land at Hongqiao, and it might even be worth adjusting your schedule.
Quick tips when you arrive:
- Show the driver your hotel address in Chinese characters.
- Bring cash just in case your card or Alipay doesn’t work.
- Don’t worry about being scammed or anything by a taxi driver; this is China, and it’s super safe.
- Hongqiao International Airport (SHA)
- Where to Stay Near Hongqiao Airport
- Pudong International Airport (PVG)
- Where to Stay Near Pudong Airport
- Jump to FAQ section →How many airports does Shanghai have?Shanghai airports, Pudong vs Hongqiao, which is better?Which Shanghai airports handle international flights?What is the difference between PVG and SHA?Which Shanghai airport is closer to the city?Which airport is for Shanghai Disneyland?Which Shanghai airport is better for connecting to other Chinese cities?
- My Honest Take
Hongqiao International Airport (sha)
Hongqiao is the smaller airport that’s much closer to the city center. It mostly handles domestic flights within China, plus some regional flights to Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. It is way closer to central Shanghai, only about 20-30 minutes from most areas!
The airport has been around longer, but it is just as modern as Pudong Airport. Personally, I love this airport not just because it’s closer to the city, but also because security and check-in are always super fast. I can be at the gate within 15 minutes after arriving at the airport. And there are plenty of stores to eat and shop, so you will not get bored at the gate.
If you can, really, try to land on this airport when visiting Shanghai. Check for SHA on trip.com and see of ther are flights. It will save you so much time and money.
Getting from Hongqiao to the City
Metro Line 2 connects Hongqiao to the city (same line as Pudong, just on the other end). Line 10 is another option. Takes 20-30 minutes to most central areas. Metro costs are just a few yuan.
A taxi from Hongqiao to central Shanghai costs around 80-100 yuan ($11-14) and takes 20-30 minutes in normal traffic. Way cheaper and faster than Pudong.
Didi works the same way, but I recommend just taking a taxi at the taxi stand. Booking a taxi through Didi at the airport can be a bit difficult because of all the different levels. Just go to the taxi stand, and taxis are waiting. Show the driver your hotel address in Chinese characters (this is important), and off you go. Bring cash just in case your card or Alipay doesn’t work. And you don’t have to worry about being scammed or anything by a taxi driver; this is China, and it’s super safe.
Hongqiao Is Also a Train Station.
This is kind of cool and really useful. Hongqiao Airport is connected to Hongqiao Railway Station, Shanghai’s main high-speed rail hub. So you can basically fly into Hongqiao Airport, then walk over to the train station and take a bullet train to Hangzhou (45 min), Suzhou (30 min), Nanjing (1.5 hours), or Beijing, which is 1200 km (745 miles) away, but it only takes 4.5 hours! Again, just book them on Trip.com, it’s honestly the best platform to get train tickets in China.
For day trips from Shanghai, or if you are going to another Chinese city after Shanghai, this is really convenient. I actually used this a few times,s and it just saves so much time compared to going back to the city first.
Where to Stay Near Hongqiao Airport
If you have an early or late flight from Hongqiao, or you are doing a quick Shanghai stopover before taking a bullet train to Hangzhou or Suzhou, staying close to Hongqiao makes a lot of sense. Let me break down the options.
Hongqiao Airport Area Itself
There are a few international chain hotels right at the airport or within a 5-minute taxi ride. These are really convenient for early flights, but, honestly, not that exciting. The area is kind of a business district. I would only stay here if you are really just using Shanghai as a transit stop, or if you have a super early flight.
Hotels to look at: There aren’t that many options, but the Swissotel at Hongqiao is pretty good. Just an OK airport hotel.
What are the Shanghai airport codes? Pudong International is PVG. Hongqiao International is SHA. These are the IATA codes you will see on your flight ticket,
Hongqiao Railway Station Area (city)
This is actually a really smart spot to stay if you are combining Shanghai with a day trip to Hangzhou or Suzhou. Hongqiao Railway Station is the high-speed rail hub, and it is connected to the airport. You can walk between them.
The area itself is really not that interesting, and it’s a bit less clean than most other areas in Shanghai, same business district vibe, but it’s easy to get a train.
French Concession/jing an (my Actual Recommendation)
Unless your flight is in the next 2-3 hours, you really don’t need to stay right at Hongqiao. Jing’an and the Former French Concession are 20-30 minutes away by metro or taxi, and they are waaay better places to spend your time.
All three hotels below are 20 to 25 minutes from Hongqiao Airport
Campanile is my favorite budget hotel in Shanghai. Nothing fancy, but I always had a good time staying there. Clean, modern, and the location is really good, almost all major attractions are within walking distance.
Paramount Gallery Hotel is a mid-range hotel that’s super easy to reach, and it’s across the famous Jing’an Temple. I loved the breakfast when I stayed there. This is a great overall value place to stay.
Swissotel is another great option close to the Jing An Temple, a bit close to the city center, but either Paramount or this one is easy to reach from the airport within 25 minutes.
Overall really good value and location
For my full breakdown of Jing’an and Shanghai, check out my ” Where to Stay in Shanghai guide.
Pudong International Airport (pvg)
Pudong is the big one. This is the main international airport, and it is where most international flights land. It is on the east side of Shanghai, in the Pudong district, which is about 45-60 minutes from central Shanghai, depending on how you travel.
Getting from Pudong to the City
You have a few options.
Metro Line 2 is the cheapest and actually the one I used most often. It costs 7 yuan (about $1), runs directly into central Shanghai, and takes about 60-90 minutes depending on where you are going. The thing is, when you’re in the city, you still wil ned either a taxi or a transfer to another subway line to our hotel, which isn’t always practical.
Maglev train is a fun option. It is the fastest commercial train in the world (it goes up to 430 km/h). It is more expensive than the metro; it costs around 8 dollars, but honestly, it is worth doing at least once just for the experience. From Longyang Road, you switch to the regular metro to get to your hotel, so that will add some time to your trip.
As you can see, Longyang Road Station is just southeast of the city.
Taxi costs around 200 yuan (about $25) to central Shanghai. I usually take a taxi. China is a country where taxis are quite affordable compared to most Western or North Asian countries, so why not take advantage of that? Taking the subway is fine, but you’ll be traveling a lot if your hotel isn’t close to a metro station.
Didi, the Chinese Uber, also operates from Pudong. But you need the app set up and working, which is a pain if you just landed. Plus, as I mentioned, it’s a bit difficult to find your ride when you booked one at the airport.
Verdict: Take a taxi from the taxi stand at the airport, wait in line until one is assigned to you, show the driver your hotel address in Chinese characters, sit back and relax, and pay with either Wise/Revolut with your phone or cash (always bring some cash just to be sure).
When Pudong Is the Right Choice
Most of the time, honestly. If you are flying in from outside China, you are probably landing here whether you like it or not. And it is a good airport, modern, easy to navigate, with some Western food options.
It also has way more international flight options than Hongqiao. So if you are looking at flights, most of your options will route through Pudong.
Where to Stay Near Pudong Airport
Pudong Airport is way further from central Shanghai than Hongqiao, so staying near it is a bigger trade-off. Let me break down where you can stay.
Pudong Airport Area
If you really need to stay at the airport for a transfer, there aren’t that many great options, to be honest. If I had to choose, I’d go for the Ramada Plaza Pudong. It’s easy to walk to the airport, and they have some amazing kids’ playrooms, so if you have to transfer with your family, this is a good choice.
Pudong Central (lujiazui Area)
This is where you get the iconic Shanghai skyline, the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Shanghai Tower, and all the famous photos. Pudong Central is about 30 to 45 minutes from Pudong Airport by taxi, or 8 minutes on the Maglev plus a short metro connection.
Near Disneyland Shanghai
Disney is in the far east of Pudong, about 20 minutes from Pudong Airport by taxi. So if you are visiting Disney and flying through Pudong, staying near the park instead of the airport actually makes a lot of sense. You get the same airport convenience,ce plus you are right next to Disney.
I wrote a whole guide on where to stay near Disneyland Shanghai, but the short version: skip the international chains, check out the boutique hotels. Ruochu Designer Guesthouse is super nice if you want something different. We stayed at boutique hotels near Disney twice, and they were some of the most fun places we stayed in all of China.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Shanghai has two main airports. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) on the east side and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) on the west side. They are about 40 km apart and serve completely different types of flights mostly.
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If you can, always choose Hongqiao.
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Both handle international flights, but Pudong (PVG) handles the vast majority. If you are flying from Europe, the US, Australia, or most of the world, you are going to Pudong. Hongqiao (SHA) has some international flights too, mostly to Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
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PVG (Pudong) is the big international airport, far from the city, with tons of global flight options. SHA (Hongqiao) is the smaller airport, closer to central Shanghai, mostly domestic and regional Asian flights. PVG is where you fly into for a trip from outside Asia. SHA is where you fly into or out of for trips within China.
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Hongqiao. is only 20-30 minutes from central Shanghai by metro or taxi. Pudong is 45-60 minutes away depending on how you travel. If arrival time into your hotel matters, Hongqiao wins every time.
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Pudong is much closer. Disney is in far east Pudong, about 20 minutes by taxi from Pudong airport. From Hongqiao it is about 1 hour by taxi or metro.
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Hongqiao, no contest. Hongqiao is connected to Hongqiao Railway Station, which is the main high speed train hub in Shanghai. You can walk from the airport to the train station and take a bullet train to Hangzhou (45 min), Suzhou (30 min), Nanjing (1.5 hours), or Beijing (4.5 hours). For multi-city China trips, Hongqiao is the obvious winner.
My Honest Take
Most visitors to Shanghai will end up at Pudong, whether they planned to or not, because that is where most international flights go. And Pudong is actually a fine airport, once you know how to get out of it quickly (hint: just get a taxi straight to your hotel).
Hongqiao is the underrated one. It is smaller, closer, easier, and connects directly to the high-speed train network. If you ever have the option between a flight into Pudong or Hongqiao, I would really recommend taking Hongqiao. The 60 extra minutes you save getting to your hotel are worth a lot when you are tired from a long flight.
