🇨🇳 Shanghai Airport Transfer | Moving from Pudong Airport to Hongqiao Airport via Airport Link Line | Airport Transfer in About 1 Hour
My 12-day trip to Europe is finally coming to an end.
Since I booked my flight only a week before departure, the European flights ended up being quite expensive.
Therefore, I decided to:
• Europe → Shanghai
• Shanghai → Japan
I purchased tickets by connecting two budget flights.
However, this method has one problem.
That is the transfer between airports in Shanghai.
Shanghai has two airports.
• Shanghai Pudong International Airport
• Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport
This time, I will record the actual method I used to travel from
Pudong Airport → Hongqiao Airport.
By the way, my transfer time was about 4.5 hours.
I felt that having at least 4 hours is necessary.
This is because:
• Entering China
• Airport transfer
• Re-checking in
• Departure immigration
All of these are required.
If I hadn't used the railway I'm introducing, I might not have made it...
Let's get started.
The "Airport Link Line" is convenient for inter-airport travel
This is what I used this time.
Shanghai Airport Link Line
It is a new railway connecting Shanghai's airports,
**known as the Airport Link Line**.
Its features are as follows:
• Runs approximately every 15 minutes
• Travel time: about 40 minutes
• Total travel time: about 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes
• Fare: about 26 yuan (about 600 yen)
It is quite cheap and convenient for moving between airports.
How to take the Airport Link Line from Pudong Airport
Once you arrive at Pudong Airport,
first go through immigration and pick up your luggage.
After that, follow the signs in the airport toward
Airport Link Line
.
The entrance is near the area between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
You can reach the station in about 10 minutes on foot from the arrival lobby.
The passageways are wide, so
I was able to walk with my suitcase without any problems.
Chinese railways have security checks
Unlike subways in Japan,
Chinese railways have security checks before entering the station.
The flow is like this:
① To the station entrance
② X-ray baggage inspection
③ Ticket gate
④ Platform
⑤ Boarding
It is not as strict as the airport, but
all luggage must pass through the X-ray machine. 
Payment methods
At the ticket gate,
• Alipay
• WeChat Pay
• Transportation card
• Credit card tap
seem to be available, but
I was very confused by this.
Because there were these ticket vending machines on the ticket gate floor, and no matter what I pressed,
I couldn't press the Airport Link Line button.
Just recently in Hungary, I was almost fined for suspected fare evasion, so I was desperate to buy a ticket.
After talking with the staff at the counter for about 10 minutes using a translator,
I found out that I could pass through the gate with a credit card,
and I just had to tap it.
A kind, tough-looking station attendant on the train
The inside of the train is quite new and clean.
It is designed more for airport users than regular subways,
• Suitcase storage
• Wide aisles
• Charging ports
and more were available.
Also, there was a station attendant with a scary face, but
he was actually quite kind, and he came over to tell me how to get to Terminal 2,
using a translator to explain it carefully.
As a transfer for a flight,
it was quite comfortable.
Arrival at Hongqiao Airport
After about a 40-minute ride,
I arrived at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.
Since I arrived at Terminal 1,
I could access Terminal 2 from here
by transferring to Line 10.
After that,
• Check-in
• Departure immigration
Actual time required (for reference)
This is my timeline for this time.
4:30
Arrival at Pudong Airport
5:30
Immigration
Baggage claim
Departure immigration
Moving within the airport
6:15
Boarding the Airport Link Line
7:00
Arrival at Hongqiao Airport Station
7:30
Security check after arriving at Terminal 2
Total
About 3 hours
Estimated time for transfer
Based on my experience, this is the recommended way.
Flight arrival → Hongqiao Airport
You need at least 2 hours.
Furthermore,
• Check-in
• Immigration
considering these,
it is safer to have 4-5 hours for an inter-airport transfer.
This time,
a 4.5-hour transfer was just on the safe side.
Lesson learned: Check the "airport" for budget tickets
On this trip,
because European flights were too expensive,
I bought separate tickets.
This is a great way to save money, but
the point to note is
that the airports might be different.
Like this time,
• Airport transfer
• Immigration
• Re-check-in
will be required.
When buying airline tickets,
you should definitely check the airport codes (PVG / SHA).
At the end of the trip
12-day trip to Europe.
The end was a little adventure in Shanghai.
But things like this,
• Airport transfer
• Connecting flights
• Local trains
including these,
I think are part of the fun of traveling.
If there is anyone
who will be transferring airports in Shanghai
in the future,
I highly recommend the city rail.
I was traveling in Europe! Please take a look at my other articles as well.
#Shanghai #HongqiaoAirport #PudongAirport #CityRail #EuropeTravel #Hungary #Budapest #Prague