Shanghai Airport Transfers: Metro, Maglev and Bus

Shanghai has two airports used by travellers. Pudong International Airport (PVG) is about 30 kilometres from downtown and about 40 kilometres from Hongqiao. It handles international and domestic flights. Hongqiao International Airport (SHA), about 13 kilometres from central Shanghai, mainly handles domestic and regional East Asian flights. Check the airport code before choosing a route: the airports are on opposite sides of the city. (Shanghai airport transfer guide, checked 2026-09-28)

From Pudong, Metro Line 2 is the economical all-city route. The Maglev runs to Longyang Road, where you continue by Metro Line 2 or taxi. The Airport Link Line is the direct rail option between Pudong Terminals 1 and 2 and Hongqiao Terminal 2. Airport buses serve Shanghai Railway Station, Shanghai South Railway Station and other districts. The airport operator also lists taxi stands at both terminals. (Shanghai Airport Group: Pudong transport, checked 2026-09-28; Shanghai Airport Group: Pudong airport, checked 2026-09-28)

At Hongqiao, Terminal 1 is served by Metro Line 10. Terminal 2 has Lines 2 and 10, the Airport Link Line and access to the intercity rail hub. Airport buses leave from the airport transport centres, including an overnight city route. For a hotel near People’s Square, Jing’an, Lujiazui or another central district, compare the nearest metro station, bus stop and taxi queue rather than choosing by airport name alone. (Shanghai Airport Group: Hongqiao metro, checked 2026-09-28; Shanghai Airport Group: Hongqiao airport, checked 2026-09-28)

For an airport-to-airport transfer, take the Airport Link Line from Hongqiao Terminal 2 to Pudong Terminals 1 and 2. The route has seven stations and takes around 40 minutes. It is a suburban-rail service with its own fare structure, not an ordinary Metro Line 2 journey. (Shanghai Airport Link guide, checked 2026-09-28)

The published Pudong figures describe an airport-to-city leg, not a hotel journey. Metro Line 2 takes about one hour from Pudong Airport Terminal 1 and 2 station to People’s Square. The municipal guide gives about 50 minutes by taxi to People’s Square. Add immigration, baggage collection, the terminal walk, vehicle queues and the final city connection. (Shanghai airport transfer guide, checked 2026-09-28)

The Maglev covers the airport-to-Longyang Road section in about eight minutes. Longyang Road is not the Bund or your hotel, so continue by Metro or taxi. The Maglev saves time on the eastern airport leg but does not remove the interchange or final walk. (Shanghai transport and Maglev information, checked 2026-09-28)

For an airport connection, the Airport Link Line takes around 40 minutes between Hongqiao Terminal 2 and Pudong Terminals 1 and 2. Its intermediate stations include Zhongchun Road, Jinghong Road, South Sanlin, East Kangqiao and Shanghai International Resort. Allow extra time for walking to the correct terminal and for the airline’s check-in deadline. (Shanghai Airport Link guide, checked 2026-09-28)

Hongqiao is closer to central Shanghai. The municipal guide gives around 30 minutes by taxi to the city centre, while the final time depends on traffic and the destination. Line 2 reaches the central network from Terminal 2; Line 10 provides another route from both Hongqiao terminals. No operator publishes one fixed door-to-door time for every hotel, so use a date-specific journey planner for the final address. (Shanghai airport transfer guide, checked 2026-09-28; Shanghai Airport Group: Hongqiao metro, checked 2026-09-28)

Shanghai Metro uses distance-based fares: 3 yuan covers trips up to 6 kilometres, then 1 yuan is added for each further 10-kilometre band. The airport-to-city fare therefore depends on the destination. The municipal airport guide gives about 7 yuan for Metro Line 2 from Pudong to the city. Check the fare shown at the station or in the official journey information before entering. (Shanghai Metro fare guide, checked 2026-09-28; Shanghai airport transfer guide, checked 2026-09-28)

The Maglev fare is 50 yuan one way or 80 yuan return between Pudong Airport and Longyang Road. The city also lists a Metro-and-Maglev pass at 55 yuan for a single Maglev ride plus a 24-hour Metro pass, or 85 yuan with a return Maglev ride. Metro Line 2 or a taxi from Longyang Road remains a separate route decision unless the pass product covers that Metro use. (Shanghai transport and Maglev information, checked 2026-09-28; Shanghai Metro payment and fares, checked 2026-09-28)

The Airport Link Line starts at 4 yuan and costs 26 yuan for the full Hongqiao–Pudong journey. A bus-to-Airport-Link transfer within 120 minutes can receive a 1-yuan discount under the published rule. Transfers onward to Metro Line 2, Line 10 or another local route use the applicable fare calculation. (Shanghai Airport Link guide, checked 2026-09-28)

Airport buses publish route-specific fares rather than one airport tariff. Pudong Airport Line 4 costs 2–28 yuan, Line 7 costs 4–20 yuan, Line 8 costs 1–10 yuan and the Late Night Bus costs 18–34 yuan. Hongqiao examples include 2-yuan city buses and a 36-yuan overnight service to Pudong Airport. (Shanghai Airport Group: airport buses, checked 2026-09-28)

The Airport Link Line is published as a daily service at 15-minute intervals, without a separate Sunday timetable. For an early or late flight, confirm the first and last departure for your direction in the current operator timetable before choosing rail. The municipal overview and airport page do not agree on the first and last trains, so a fixed early-morning or late-night departure is not recorded here. (Shanghai Airport Link guide, checked 2026-09-28; Shanghai Airport Group: Airport Link Line, checked 2026-09-28)

Pudong’s Maglev operates from the airport to Longyang Road at 07:02–21:42 and in the reverse direction at 06:45–21:40. The airport page presents this as a daily service window but does not publish a separate Sunday interval. Outside these hours, use Metro Line 2, an airport bus or a taxi. (Shanghai Airport Group: Pudong Maglev, checked 2026-09-28)

Pudong Airport Line 4 runs from Terminal 1 at 07:00–23:00 and Terminal 2 at 07:03–23:03, every 20–70 minutes. Airport Line 7 runs until 23:00 from Terminal 1 and 23:05 from Terminal 2, every 25–45 minutes. The airport operator warns that traffic can change departure times, so check the route information before leaving the terminal. (Shanghai Airport Group: Pudong buses, checked 2026-09-28)

Hongqiao examples include Line 941 from the East Transportation Center to Shanghai Railway Station at 05:30–23:00, roughly every 20 minutes, and Line 316 from 23:00–05:00, every 30–50 minutes. Terminal 1 has Line 10; Terminal 2 has Lines 2 and 10. Use the operator’s route display for the terminal, direction and date. (Shanghai Airport Group: Hongqiao transport, checked 2026-09-28; Shanghai airport transfer guide, checked 2026-09-28)

Pudong’s dedicated Late Night Bus runs from Terminal 1 at 23:00–05:30 and Terminal 2 at 23:03–05:33. It serves stops near Longyang Road, Century Avenue, People’s Square, Jing’an and Hongqiao Road before reaching Hongqiao Hub East Transportation Center. Departures follow passenger flow: buses leave when full during busy periods, with a maximum interval of 30 minutes. (Shanghai Airport Group: Pudong buses, checked 2026-09-28)

Hongqiao Line 316 runs from the East Transportation Center to Yan’an East Road and Zhongshan East Road from 23:00–05:00, every 30–50 minutes, for 2 yuan. A separate scheduled overnight service to Pudong Airport runs from 22:30 to 01:00, with departures at 22:30, 23:10, 23:40, 00:30 and 01:00, for 36 yuan. Confirm the boarding hall because these services use different transport-centre locations. (Shanghai Airport Group: Hongqiao buses, checked 2026-09-28)

Taxis are the overnight fallback at Pudong. The airport lists stands outside Arrival Gate 12 at Terminal 1 and Arrival Gate 25 at Terminal 2, with 24-hour service. Its published urban tariff starts at 14 yuan for regular vehicles or 16 yuan for specified electric vehicles for the first 3 kilometres, then adds 2.7 yuan per kilometre. A 30% night surcharge applies from 23:00 to 05:00, with further long-distance charges. The final meter fare depends on traffic and route. (Shanghai Airport Group: Pudong taxis, checked 2026-09-28)

Sunday service follows the published daily pattern for the Airport Link Line and Maglev. Airport bus pages provide operating windows rather than a universal Sunday timetable, and some Hongqiao local routes explicitly stop on weekends and public holidays. Check the named operator for the exact date, terminal and direction, especially for early flights, late arrivals and airport-to-airport connections. (Shanghai Airport Group: Hongqiao buses, checked 2026-09-28; Shanghai Airport Link guide, checked 2026-09-28)