Expert Shanghai travel guide for expats

by Alex
8. August 2015

How to get around in Shanghai

The ancient center Yuyuan and the historic buildings around “the Bund” is best to have a look at by foot. When you want to travel longer distances is the subway a cheap and good alternative. A good advice for expats in Shanghai: buy a Shanghai Jiaoting card which you can charge with cash so you dont have to stand in line to buy a ticket every time you travel. A journey costs between 3 and 9 yuan, dependent on how far you’re going.

Cheap to live in the city centre

Shanghai is one of the cheapest hotels cities. You can stay at a luxury hotel for 500, and at a budget hotel for 150 yuan. There are a wide range of affordable hotels in all districts in central Shanghai.

You will find the most modern hotels in the Pudong area.

There is also properties available to rent if you want to save some money. The real estate market in Shanghai is pretty cheap compared to other big cities in Asia.

Delightful mix of old and new architecture

In Shanghai you will find an amazing mix of old and new buildings. “The Bund district” is full of grand houses from the turn of the century which is lined by the river. On the other side of the river would you see the amazing skyline with huge skyscrapers in Pudong. There you can also enjoy the views from some of the world’s tallest buildings; Oriental Pearl Tower (468 meters), Shanghai World Financial Tower (492 meters) and Jim Mao Tower (421 meters).

As an expat in a multinational company in Shanghai, there is a big chance that you will be working in this area.

The properties for expats in Shanghai are often very nice and cheap.

The properties for expats in Shanghai are often very nice and cheap.

Take a boat trip on the river

Huangpu River flows right through Shanghai’s most interesting parts. There are dozens of boats and ferries sailing the river, and if you want perfect pictures required almost sure you take a boat trip on the day and one at night. Granted when in Shanghai is drinking tea in a classic teahouse, after all it is here that the popular beverage coming from. In tea rooms, they often have a table with cakes that are free. For guests traveling to Shanghai with kids they have a large haiakvarium near Oriental Pearl Tower, amusement Jinshan and a long beach of Hangzhou Bay.

The world’s longest shopping street

The best shopping street in Shanghai’s Nanjing Road, or Nanjing Lu, frequented by one million people – every day. The six-kilometer-long street can be divided into two parts; The eastern part is car free with many shopping, restaurants and plenty of visitors while the western part has primarily luxury shops. Those who live here and think that the prices on Nanjing Lu is too high shopper nor the parallel street Huaihai Lu Zhon. The cheapest products in Shanghai is such, both in fabric and clothing. In clothing stores you can find the latest fashion at extremely low prices. Jewelry, jade, gold and silver is cheap, but you should learn something about it to not be fooled.

Shimao Riviera Shanghai. Beautiful view of the world famous river.

Shimao Riviera Shanghai. Beautiful view of the world famous river.