By Bus in Shanghai

By Bus

Shanghai claims to have more bus lines than any other city on earth -- around 1,000 -- though so much choice probably hinders rather than helps. In fact, unless you know Shanghai well, public buses aren't the best choice for getting around. Although there are more and more air-conditioned services, most buses are hot and crowded in summer and cold and crowded in winter. Just getting on and off can be, quite literally, a fight. Pickpocketing is rife so watch your belongings very carefully. Fares on regular services cost Y1; air-conditioned routes cost Y2; longer routes can cost up to Y4. To buy a ticket you drop the right change into the box next to the driver as you get on, or swipe your Jiatong card. If you do decide to take city buses, Micah Sittig's encyclopedic Web site has English translations of all of Shanghai's routes.

There are some exceptions to the no-bus rule. Bus route 911 runs down Huaihai Lu through the Old French Concession, with great views over the compound walls of the beautiful old Shanghai buildings that line the thoroughfare. Route 936 runs between Pudong and Puxi, passing the Shanghai Zoo, and number 20 passes by the Bund, Jing'an Temple, Nanjing Road, and Renmin Square.

Local Bus Information

Micah Sittig's Shanghai Bus Route Translations (msittig.wubi.org/bus/talk/). Passenger Hotline (Chinese only. 021/1608-8160).