Choose Metro Line 2 for a lower-cost journey toward central Shanghai; choose the maglev for the short fast ride to Longyang Road, not a direct ride to your hotel. The maglev takes about eight minutes and costs 50 yuan one way, but onward travel is extra unless covered by a combined pass.[11][12][13]
Decide by the whole journey, not the headline speed
The maglev connects Pudong Airport with Longyang Road, where you can change to Metro Line 2. It does not take you directly to People’s Square or the Bund. The city’s airport guide estimates about one hour on Line 2 from Pudong Airport Terminal 1&2 to People’s Square, with a fare of about 7 yuan; treat those as planning estimates, not a guaranteed arrival time or fare for every hotel.[11]
Our recommendation: choose Line 2 if saving money and avoiding the Longyang Road change matter most. Choose maglev plus metro if you want the experience and can comfortably manage your bags. A Reddit search snippet specifically asks about reaching Puxi with luggage; this demonstrates the practical question, not an official baggage rule.[16]
Check the airport and terminal first
This maglev comparison applies to Pudong, not Hongqiao. Pudong’s airport metro station is named Terminal 1&2. At Hongqiao, Terminal 1 is served by Line 10; Terminal 2 has Lines 10 and 2. Do not follow a Pudong maglev itinerary after landing at Hongqiao.[11]
Follow the terminal’s signed rail route after baggage reclaim. Allow time for immigration, baggage collection, walking and ticket purchase before comparing your arrival with a train’s final departure. A scheduled landing is not the moment you reach the platform.
Compare the actual ticket products
A standard maglev single costs 50 yuan; a return costs 80 yuan. The combined Maglev and Metro Pass costs 55 yuan for one maglev ride plus a metro day pass, or 85 yuan with a maglev round trip. The metro portion allows unlimited eligible rides during operating hours within 24 hours of first entry; newer suburban railways are excluded.[12][13]
Ordinary metro one-day and three-day passes cost 18 and 45 yuan, respectively, but exclude the maglev and suburban lines opened in or after 2024. Do not buy an ordinary metro pass expecting it to open the maglev gate. Compare a combined pass with your real onward travel rather than buying it automatically.[13]
Buy tickets without depending on one phone
Metro single tickets are available from vending machines; station service centers have card-payment terminals accepting several international card brands. Single tickets are valid on the purchase day and cannot be used for out-of-station transfers.[13]
The maglev’s bank-card announcement lists Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB for gate payment and requires small-amount password-free payment to be enabled. If tapping fails, ask staff and use cash or another supported payment method instead of repeatedly trying the gate. Card eligibility is not a guarantee that your particular card will work.[14]
Respect the direction-specific operating limits
The official airport guide’s timetable shows Pudong Airport to Longyang Road from 07:02 to 21:42, and Longyang Road to Pudong Airport from 06:45 to 21:40. These are different directions, not interchangeable closing times. Recheck the station’s current timetable before relying on the last departure.[15]
Do not assume the onward metro connection will still be available just because you can board the maglev. Ask staff about the final train for your complete route. This guide does not establish a current Line 2 last-train time or promise late-night maglev extras.
Change plans when the transfer stops making sense
If rail has closed or bags make another change impractical, use the signed airport taxi facility or an arranged pickup. The official Pudong guide lists taxi pickup outside Arrival Gate 12 at Terminal 1 and Arrival Gate 25 at Terminal 2; follow current airport signs if arrangements change.[11]
For a transfer between Pudong and Hongqiao, compare the separate Airport Link Line instead: the official metro guide describes about 40 minutes between airports and a 26-yuan full-route fare. That is not a downtown sightseeing route or a maglev ticket entitlement. Add terminal walks and flight check-in time separately.[13]
Before you go
Sources & freshness
Independent desk research, not a field test. No bookings or affiliate links. Numbered statements cite sources; unnumbered planning steps are editorial advice.
- [11] Transportation at Shanghai airports
International Services Shanghai · Source date: Updated June 4, 2026 · Accessed: 2026-09-22
Scope: Airport terminals, Line 2, taxi alternatives; full page read.
- [12] Getting around Shanghai: Transport options and fares
International Services Shanghai · Source date: Updated June 30, 2026 · Accessed: 2026-09-22
Scope: Maglev endpoint, journey time and standard fares; full page read.
- [13] Metro: tickets and passes
International Services Shanghai · Source date: Updated June 29, 2026 · Accessed: 2026-09-22
Scope: Metro ticket purchase, pass exclusions and Airport Link comparison; full page read.
- [14] Tap and go: Shanghai Maglev now accepts bank cards payment
International Services Shanghai · Source date: June 14, 2025 · Accessed: 2026-09-22
Scope: Payment announcement; historical launch, not a personal card test. Full page read.
- [15] Maglev operating-hours table in the airport transport guide
International Services Shanghai · Source date: Publication date not shown; parent page updated June 4, 2026 · Accessed: 2026-09-22
Scope: Entire timetable image visually read; directional operating limits, not live departures.
- [16] Are there plans to extend the Maglev or make a Line 2 express service to get to Shanghai proper from PVG with luggage? : r/shanghai
Reddit · Source date: Publication date not verified · Accessed: 2026-09-22
Scope: Reddit search snippet only; thread not fully read. Demand evidence, not operating policy.
![[15] Maglev operating-hours table in the airport transport guide](https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/cmsres/ae/ae773b1abf0f4fdf9bc286cc9e25d805/665f644e43731ff9db3d341da5c827e1.png){kind=link}