A week in/around Shanghai
Discussion
Hi
We are lucky enough to have a BA companion voucher which is in danger of expiring later this year
Me and the missus have a week of leave booked in November however she then has a business trip to Sydney immediately afterwards whilst I come back to the UK
Ive been looking at destinations between LHR and Sydney to redeem the voucher however the only one with good availability is Shanghai. When I say good availability I mean we have a choice of days over the whole week whilst I cannot use it at all to fly to Singapore/KL/HK/Thailand etc etc etc
Consequently recs welcome for things to do in Shanghai
We like cities/history/food/culture and would be happy to split our time there 50/50 with any destinations relatively nearby if worth the hassle on Chinese public transport
Cheers, and thanks in advance
I love Shanghai, do you have any idea what you want to get out of your visit? It's a pretty modern city now, so aspects of old China are not so prevalent.
I'd definitely get over to PuDong and go up the Oriental Pearl TV Tower or the World Financial Tower. Have a walk up the Bund and check out the architecture, the European influence is fascinating. Nanjing Street East is where most of the shops are, but obviously are lot are western brands now which you'll be more than familiar with!
Yu Garden and the JingAn Temple are good for a glimpse of the old China. Try and find some Xiaolongbao if you can. Steamed dumplings with gravy and meat inside, good ones are amazing.
If you fancy a modern take on Chinese food or even their take on western food then there are plenty of options in the New World area, near Tai Ping Qiao Gong Yuan park.
The subway is pretty easy to navigate, very cheap and the tickets machines have an English option which is very useful! I can't recommend any good night spots now as all my favourite places closed down during covid and never reappeared
I'd definitely get over to PuDong and go up the Oriental Pearl TV Tower or the World Financial Tower. Have a walk up the Bund and check out the architecture, the European influence is fascinating. Nanjing Street East is where most of the shops are, but obviously are lot are western brands now which you'll be more than familiar with!
Yu Garden and the JingAn Temple are good for a glimpse of the old China. Try and find some Xiaolongbao if you can. Steamed dumplings with gravy and meat inside, good ones are amazing.
If you fancy a modern take on Chinese food or even their take on western food then there are plenty of options in the New World area, near Tai Ping Qiao Gong Yuan park.
The subway is pretty easy to navigate, very cheap and the tickets machines have an English option which is very useful! I can't recommend any good night spots now as all my favourite places closed down during covid and never reappeared
MrBig, generally nailed the main points.
Shanghai specific.
The French Concession is worth a visit for the art deco architecture
Visit Hangzhou for the famous West Lake and Shouzhou, described as the Venice of the Orient, for obvious reasons. Both easily accessed by high speed train, avoid on weekends as they can be insanely busy.
Copied from another post I made.
Don’t underestimate the times to clear passport control
Most go to websites, you use at home; you will not have access without a VPN
Money, increasingly a lot of places no longer accept cash, traditional credit cards not widely used, except international hotels. Download Wechat pay or use Alipay.
Travel, don’t underestimate distance; trains, very fast, clean and punctual. Metro systems in most major cities are excellent.
WiFi is not widely available, even when it is, it’s generally pass word protected, which presents its own problems, although often a young member of staff will help you log in.
Pocket WiFi and local sims are a real PITA to get, you work out if it’s worth it.
Download DIDI which is basically the Chinese Uber, there is an English version and this will make getting around so much easier,
With regard to cost and convenience, only you can put a value on what you think is reasonable. I stay in i-biz hotels (but I’m cheap) they are good enough for me, just need a place to sleep.
Is a guide necessary, not really, but if you have a limited time in one place, it may make sense.
Be patient, many things seem to take a long time to be processed (esp. hotel rooms), but its just people doing their job.
Youtube ‘jetlag warrior’ has some interesting videos on Shanghai and the surrounds.
Shanghai specific.
The French Concession is worth a visit for the art deco architecture
Visit Hangzhou for the famous West Lake and Shouzhou, described as the Venice of the Orient, for obvious reasons. Both easily accessed by high speed train, avoid on weekends as they can be insanely busy.
Copied from another post I made.
Don’t underestimate the times to clear passport control
Most go to websites, you use at home; you will not have access without a VPN
Money, increasingly a lot of places no longer accept cash, traditional credit cards not widely used, except international hotels. Download Wechat pay or use Alipay.
Travel, don’t underestimate distance; trains, very fast, clean and punctual. Metro systems in most major cities are excellent.
WiFi is not widely available, even when it is, it’s generally pass word protected, which presents its own problems, although often a young member of staff will help you log in.
Pocket WiFi and local sims are a real PITA to get, you work out if it’s worth it.
Download DIDI which is basically the Chinese Uber, there is an English version and this will make getting around so much easier,
With regard to cost and convenience, only you can put a value on what you think is reasonable. I stay in i-biz hotels (but I’m cheap) they are good enough for me, just need a place to sleep.
Is a guide necessary, not really, but if you have a limited time in one place, it may make sense.
Be patient, many things seem to take a long time to be processed (esp. hotel rooms), but its just people doing their job.
Youtube ‘jetlag warrior’ has some interesting videos on Shanghai and the surrounds.
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