🛫 T1 + S1 — Star Alliance & Mixed

Airlines: Air China (Star Alliance), Lufthansa, United, ANA, Asiana, Singapore, Thai, Korean, Aeroflot, Ethiopian, Qatar, Etihad, Cathay, Turkish, plus most Star Alliance long-haul.

Vibe: The older terminal (2008). S1 satellite is reached by APM from T1 airside, ~3 minutes. Pier-based gate clusters with Plaza Premium and Air China VIP lounges.

🛬 T2 + S2 — SkyTeam, Oneworld, Domestic + LCC

Airlines: China Eastern (SkyTeam, dominant T2 carrier), Shanghai Airlines, Delta, Air France, KLM, Saudia, China Airlines (Oneworld), American, BA, Iberia, Qantas, JAL, Cathay (T2 ops), HK Express, Spring Airlines, plus most LCCs.

Vibe: Newer (2008+); S2 satellite reached by APM from T2 airside. Larger, more modern; usually busier than T1.

240-Hour Visa-Free Transit (Dec 2024)

55 eligible nationalities (US, UK, all EU, Australia, NZ, Canada, Japan, Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, +others) can now stay up to 240 hours (10 days) in mainland China without a visa, provided they’re onward to a third country after the stop. Apply at the dedicated Visa-Free Transit counter at PVG arrivals; bring the onward-flight ticket.

30-Day Full Visa-Free

From September 2024, China expanded full 30-day visa-free entry to citizens of 40+ countries including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, Belgium, Greece, Australia, NZ, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and others. No need for the third-country onward ticket — round-trip from home is fine. UK and US still need a visa or use the 240-hour transit.

Customs & Security

PVG has deployed CT scanners on most lanes — liquids and laptops can stay in the bag. Belt and shoes off when prompted. Customs is strict on certain items: meat products (including jerky), un-canned dairy, fresh fruit, and seeds are confiscated. Allow 30–60 min for arrival immigration during the morning Asia-inbound wave.

⭐ Maglev Train — 300 km/h Spectacle

The world’s only commercial Maglev. Cruises at 300 km/h (max 430) from PVG to Longyang Road metro station in just 8 minutes. From Longyang Road, transfer to Metro Line 2 / Line 7 / Line 16 for onward connections. Trains every 15–20 minutes, ~06:45 to 21:40 daily.

🚇 Metro Line 2 — Cheapest, Slowest, Direct

Direct metro from PVG Pudong Airport station (between T1 and T2) all the way to People’s Square (Renmin Guangchang) in central Shanghai. RMB 3–9 single (distance-based), 60–90 minutes journey. Operates ~06:30 – 23:00.

🚖 Didi (China’s Uber) — The Rideshare Default

Didi Chuxing is China’s dominant rideshare app. RMB 180–280 to People’s Square, ~50 minutes off-peak (longer in rush hour). Western credit cards now work in Didi via the new English app version launched in 2024. Pickup zone is signposted at PVG arrivals.

🚕 Official Taxi (Regulated Meter)

Official taxi rank is at the kerbside outside arrivals. RMB 200–300 to the Bund / People’s Square; meter runs honestly. Cash or Alipay/WeChat Pay. Plus a RMB 25 toll for the Yangtze tunnel/bridge — driver collects this separately.

✨ Plaza Premium Lounge (both T1 and T2 airside)

If you eat one Shanghai thing at PVG, eat xiao long bao (soup dumplings) — they originated in Shanghai. Din Tai Fung (the Taiwanese chain that perfected the form) has airside outlets in both T1 and T2. Yang’s Fried Dumpling kiosks serve the equally-good local sheng jian bao (pan-fried pork buns). Skip the McDonald’s — you’re in the global capital of dumplings for a few hours.

PVG’s tea counters carry Longjing (Dragon Well, the green tea from nearby Hangzhou), Pu-er (fermented Yunnan tea), and Tieguanyin (oolong) at city-comparable prices. TenFu Tea is the reliable airside chain — vacuum-sealed packets travel fine. The connoisseur picks are first-flush (春茶) varieties available March–April; later harvests are perfectly fine for daily drinking.

Shanghai’s duty-free leans into Chinese silk, jade jewellery, and traditional crafts. Quality varies wildly — for silk, the Chinese Brand Showcase at PVG carries the more reputable producers. For jade, prices fluctuate; non-experts should stick to brand-name sellers rather than market kiosks. Maotai (Kweichow Moutai) and Wuliangye are the prestige Chinese baijiu spirits — duty-free prices are notably better than retail in town.

Spring Festival shifts on the lunar calendar (late January to mid-February). The 7-day national holiday drives the world’s largest annual human migration — billions of trips, mostly domestic. PVG sees 2× normal volume; international flights are normal but domestic chaos can affect connections. Build a 2-hour buffer if connecting via PVG to a Chinese-domestic onward leg during this period.

Shanghai air quality has improved significantly over the past decade but winter (November–February) can still hit elevated PM2.5 levels. The airport is fully air-conditioned and filtered; outside operations sometimes suspend due to fog (separate from pollution). Travellers with respiratory conditions should pack N95 masks for the city visit.

China runs on Alipay and WeChat Pay — cash and even Visa/Mastercard are sometimes refused at smaller vendors. Both Alipay and WeChat Pay now accept foreign Visa/Mastercard top-ups (since 2023 expansion), making them usable for tourists. Set up the apps before flying; activate at passport-verification kiosks at PVG arrivals. Once active you can pay anywhere in China — restaurants, transport, museums.

Chinese tap water is not safe to drink for foreign visitors. Stick to sealed bottled water (RMB 5–10 at the airport), use filtered-water dispensers airside, or boil before drinking. Brushing teeth with tap is generally fine; don’t swallow. Hotels typically provide a kettle and free bottled water.

Google, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, X/Twitter and many other Western apps are blocked behind the Great Firewall. Set up a paid VPN (ExpressVPN, NordVPN) on your phone before flying — installing one in China is significantly harder. International roaming SIMs typically bypass the firewall; local Chinese SIMs do not.

Shanghai is one of the safer Asian capitals at any hour. Metro and Maglev are CCTV-monitored end-to-end. Didi has in-app safety features. The airport itself is well-policed by PSB. Avoid kerbside “black taxi” (黑车) drivers — only use the official taxi rank or Didi.