Shanghai Hong Qiao International Airport (SHA) can be found just 13kms west of downtown Shanghai. It offers a number of international flights to both Asian and worldwide destinations. Facilities include ATMs and an exchange bureau, a post office, duty-free shopping opportunities, a variety of eateries, information desks and a business centre. For those who find themselves with time before a flight, there is a shopping mall located just outside the entrance to the airport.

Ground transfer options include city taxis, which can be found outside the airport and offer set fares into the city; buses are another alternative offering services from the airport to People's Square and the main railway stations. The bigger hotels provide courtesy shuttle buses and for those who wish to drive themselves, there are car hire options in Arrivals.

Pudong International Airport (PVG) is a little bit farther out, located approximately 30kms from central Shanghai. This airport is however bigger then Hong Qiao and offers more direct services to worldwide destinations. Facilities at Pudong include ATMs and currency exchange kiosks, a post office, luggage storage, business centre and internet facilities. You will also find a number of restaurants and opportunities for shopping, both duty-free and duty-paid.

The airport is linked to Shanghai's metro by a new ‘magnetic-levitation’ train, the Maglev. The journey into Shanghai’s city centre takes just 8 minutes and is quite an experience. Taxis are also available and offer a direct and convenient way to reach your final destination although they are a more expensive option.

Most visitors to Shanghai opt to hire taxis to take them to their preferred destinations and even use them on a daily basis to take them round the city’s attractions. All taxis are metered and are generally Volkswagen cabs which are easy to identify and of course, plentiful. The smaller and older cars are generally cheaper. It is normally easy to hail a taxi on the street as there are so many, but if for some reason you cannot find one, or if you would like to book in advance, taxis can be booked at your hotel.

The option of hiring a car and driving yourself around is not practical due to the amount of traffic and the unregulated traffic laws. If you do decide to drive, you will need to obtain a temporary Chinese license.

If you want to keep fit while on holiday, a good option for travelling around is to rent a bicycle. However, this isn’t practical for long distance travel, which you may prefer to use the Metro for. The Metro covers the downtown area as well as Pudong Airport and a few surrounding areas. It is however currently being extended. Public buses are extremely cheap but very uncomfortable, often unreliable and teeming with pickpockets and other petty criminals.