Going for a Ride

Tickets for the hop-on, hop-off, open-top City Sightseeing Buses (Dushi Guanguang; www.springtour.com; 6252 0000; tickets Y30; 9am-8.30pm summer, to 6pm winter) last 24 hours and are, besides touring Shanghai’s highlights, a great way to get around the centre of town and Pudong. A recorded commentary runs in eight languages; just plug in your earphones (supplied). Buses have their own stops across central Shanghai, including the Bund, the Old Town () and People’s Square. Big Bus Tours (www.bigbustours.com; 6351 5988; adult/child US$44/29) also operates hop-on, hop-off services, lassoing the sights along 22 stops across two routes. Tickets are valid for 48 hours and include a one-hour boat tour of the Huangpu River plus admission to the 88th-floor observation tower of the Jinmao Tower.

Bicycle

If you can handle the fumes and menace of Shanghai’s intimidating traffic, cycling is a good way to get around town, but you will need to link it in with public transport.

» Bikes are banned from major roads, so cyclists often surge down the pavements (sidewalks) of busy streets.

» Cars will give you little room; if you’re new to Shanghai, allow a few days to adjust.

» Bicycle repairmen dot the side streets, charging around Y1 to pump up your tyres.

» Make sure that you have your own bicycle cable lock and try to leave your bike at bike parks (available at most shopping areas and subway stations for Y0.50): an attendant will keep an eye on your wheels.

» Cyclists never use lights at night and Chinese pedestrians favour dark clothing, so ride carefully.

» Several hostels around town, including Le Tour Traveler’s Rest (Click here), can rent you a bike.

You can pick up a cheap mountain bike for as little as Y250 at supermarkets and hypermarkets such as Carrefour. Purchased bikes need to be taxed, with a disc (available at bike shops) displayed.

Giant (Jieante; 6426 5119; 666 Tianyaoqiao Rd; 9am-8pm) Has a good collection of bikes.

Oyama (Ōuyama Zhedieche; 6426 5218; 666 Tianyaoqiao Rd; 10am-8pm) Has lightweight fold-up bikes starting from Y678 and kicking off from around 8.5kg.

BOHDI and SISU (see Tours) also sell and rent quality bikes.

The city has a public bike-hire scheme (Forever Public Bike Hire Scheme; bikes Y4 per hour) with stations for the orange bikes dotted around the city, but it has not proved popular with visitors. To register for a card (Y300 deposit and Y100 credit), you will need to take your passport to the Xujiahui Tourist Information Center (Xujiahui Lǚyou Zixun Zhongxin;; 1068 Zhaojiabang Rd; 9.30am -4.30pm) or the Wukang Road Tourist Information Center (Wukang Lu Lǚyou Zixun Zhongxin;; 393 Wukang Rd; 9am-5pm).

Car

It is possible to hire a car in Shanghai, but the bureaucratic hurdles are designed to deter would-be foreign drivers – you can’t just pick up a car at Pudong International Airport. You will need a temporary or long-term Chinese driving licence and a residency permit. If your visa is for less than 90 days, Hertz ( 6085 1900; www.hertzchina.com) or Avis ( 6229 1118; www.avischina.com) can help you apply for a temporary Chinese driving licence, but this takes up to a week to arrange and includes a physical exam. If your visa exceeds 90 days, you can apply for a long-term Chinese driving licence, but this takes up to a month to arrange and includes a theory text plus medical exam. Residents can apply for a Chinese licence at their local Public Security Bureau or the Shanghai Transport Bureau (www.jt.sh.cn). For most visitors, it is more advisable to hire a car and a driver. A Volkswagen Santana with driver and petrol starts at around Y600 per day – it may be cheaper to hire a taxi. Ask for more information at your hotel.

Ferry

Ferries cross the Huangpu River between Puxi on the west bank and Pudong on the east. The most useful ferry operates between the southern end of the Bund and Dongchang Rd in Pudong from the Jinling Road Ferry (Jinling Donglu Dukou; 6326 2135; 127 East Zhongshan No 2 Rd; 127), running every 15 minutes from 7am to 10pm. Tickets (Y2) are sold at the kiosks out front. The Fuxing Road Ferry (Fuxing Lu Lundu Zhan;) runs from Fuxing Rd north of the Cool Docks in the South Bund to Dongchang Rd as well. Ferries (Y2) run every 10 to 20 minutes from 5am to 11pm.

Transport Cards & Tourist Passes

If you are making more than a fleeting trip to Shanghai, it’s worth getting a Transport Card (; Jiaotong Ka). Available at metro stations and some convenience stores, cards can be topped up with credits and used on the metro, some buses and ferries, and in taxis. Credits are electronically deducted from the card as you swipe it over the sensor, equipped at metro turnstiles and near the door on buses; when paying your taxi fare, hand it to the taxi driver, who will swipe it. They don’t save you money, but they are much more convenient than fishing through your pockets for change every time you want to go somewhere. A deposit of Y20 is required; refunds are available at the East Nanjing Rd metro station.

Other handy cards include a one-day tourist pass (Y18), offering unlimited travel on the metro for one day, and the three-day travel pass (Y45), also for use on the metro system. Both passes are available at metro stations.

Tours

Fun and handy bus tours of Shanghai that cover the top sights of Puxi and Pudong include City Sightseeing Buses and Big Bus Tours (see the boxed text, Click here). Other intriguing tours:

China Cycle Tours ( 1376 111 5050; www.chinacycletours.com; half-day tours from Y400) City and rural tours in Shanghai and Suzhou.

Shanghai Sideways (www.shanghaisideways.com; from Y800) Unusual motorcycle-sidecar tours of the city for up to two passengers, setting off from the Peninsula Hotel.

BOHDI ( 5266 9013; www.bohdi.com.cn; tours Y220) Night-time cycling tours on Tuesdays (March to November) and trips around the region.

SISU ( 5059 6071; www.sisucycling.com; tour Y150) Night-time cycling tours on Wednesdays and trips out of town.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14