{"id":9927,"date":"2025-03-31T21:29:15","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T19:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/?p=9927"},"modified":"2026-01-03T18:35:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T17:35:50","slug":"china-a-one-day-stopover-in-shanghai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/asia\/china-a-one-day-stopover-in-shanghai\/","title":{"rendered":"One-Day Shanghai Stopover \u2013 Air China Travel Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"9927\" class=\"elementor elementor-9927 elementor-9847\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9e0a492 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"9e0a492\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-24e54d3 elementor-toc--minimized-on-desktop elementor-widget elementor-widget-global elementor-global-10937 elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"24e54d3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;No headings were found on this page.&quot;,&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;,&quot;h3&quot;,&quot;h4&quot;,&quot;h5&quot;,&quot;h6&quot;],&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;numbers&quot;,&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTable of contents\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__24e54d3\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M207.029 381.476L12.686 187.132c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941l22.667-22.667c9.357-9.357 24.522-9.375 33.901-.04L224 284.505l154.745-154.021c9.379-9.335 24.544-9.317 33.901.04l22.667 22.667c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941L240.971 381.476c-9.373 9.372-24.569 9.372-33.942 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__24e54d3\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M240.971 130.524l194.343 194.343c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941l-22.667 22.667c-9.357 9.357-24.522 9.375-33.901.04L224 227.495 69.255 381.516c-9.379 9.335-24.544 9.317-33.901-.04l-22.667-22.667c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941L207.03 130.525c9.372-9.373 24.568-9.373 33.941-.001z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__24e54d3\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M500 975V858C696 858 858 696 858 500S696 142 500 142 142 304 142 500H25C25 237 238 25 500 25S975 237 975 500 763 975 500 975Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18ce351 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"18ce351\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Hello! \ud83d\udc4b<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">While planning our trip to Thailand, we booked our flights in a way that let us squeeze in a bit of extra exploring. <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/asia\/china-rainy-stopover-in-chengdu\/\">On the way there, we had a short stop in Chengdu<\/a>, and on the way back \u2013 we managed to fit in a one-day layover in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agoda.com\/partners\/partnersearch.aspx?pcs=1&amp;cid=1933139&amp;city=3987\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shanghai<\/a>. Since we were flying with Air China anyway, we thought\u2026 why not check out another Chinese city? <\/p><p class=\"p1\">We were curious to see if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agoda.com\/partners\/partnersearch.aspx?pcs=1&amp;cid=1933139&amp;city=3987\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shanghai<\/a> would be just as dynamic as Chengdu, or maybe completely different. But, as usual with our layovers \u2013 gloomy weather again. Vietnam \u2192 Turkey \u2192 Poland? Rainy in Istanbul. Now China? You guessed it \u2013 grey and foggy! \ud83d\ude05 At this point, we might be cursed when it comes to stopover weather.      <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4b187bc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4b187bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Where is Shanghai located?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-715ffd0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-google_maps\" data-id=\"715ffd0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"google_maps.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-custom-embed\">\n\t\t\t<iframe loading=\"lazy\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?q=shanghai%2C%20china&#038;t=m&#038;z=8&#038;output=embed&#038;iwloc=near\"\n\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"shanghai, china\"\n\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"shanghai, china\"\n\t\t\t><\/iframe>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8a82358 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8a82358\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">Shanghai is located in eastern China, right where the Yangtze River meets the East China Sea. It\u2019s a massive, modern city and one of the country\u2019s most important economic hubs. To put it simply \u2013 if you\u2019re looking at a map, Shanghai sits more or less directly across from Taiwan, just on the mainland side.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">The city is divided into two main parts, among others: <\/p><ul><li class=\"p1\">\ud83d\udc49 <span class=\"s1\"><b>Puxi<\/b><\/span> \u2013 the more traditional side, with colonial architecture and the famous Bund promenade.<\/li><li class=\"p1\">\ud83d\udc49 <span class=\"s1\"><b>Pudong<\/b><\/span> \u2013 the modern side, full of futuristic skyscrapers like the Shanghai Tower and the Oriental Pearl Tower.<\/li><\/ul><p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agoda.com\/partners\/partnersearch.aspx?pcs=1&amp;cid=1933139&amp;city=3987\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shanghai\u2019s<\/a> location makes it a perfect spot for a short stopover \u2013 many flights from Europe to Asia connect here. And it\u2019s a great chance to catch a first glimpse of China, even if it\u2019s just for a day. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2ef738f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2ef738f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Departing Thailand for China<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">Our Thailand adventure officially came to an end \u2013 we spent nearly a month there, which felt like the perfect amount of time for us. Half of it was on Phuket, the other half in Chiang Mai. It was also a great chance to see what post-pandemic Thailand is really like nowadays.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">I had actually been to Phuket before, back in 2021 during the Phuket Sandbox program \u2013 when everything was still very much in pandemic mode. A year later, in 2022, I visited Chiang Mai. This time, we finally got to return together and see how things have changed since then.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">If you want to read our latest posts, click below:<\/p><ul><li class=\"p1\">\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/asia\/thailand-phuket-in-peak-season\/\">Phuket<\/a><\/li><li class=\"p1\">\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/asia\/thailand-chiang-mai-for-digital-nomads\/\">Chiang Mai<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6c34801 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6c34801\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Chiang Mai &#8211; Bangkok Suvarnabhumi<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">Even before booking our tickets, we spent a lot of time figuring out how to get back from Thailand to Europe without spending a fortune. Unfortunately, trying to get a return ticket from Chiang Mai on a single booking came with some truly outrageous prices. In the end, we settled on flying back from Bangkok with Air China, and booked a separate domestic flight from Chiang Mai to Bangkok with THAI Airways.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">How was the local flight with the national carrier? Honestly\u2026 not great. The plane was cramped, and there was this weird smell in the cabin that was hard to ignore. No joke \u2013 we\u2019ve had more legroom on Wizz Air, and that\u2019s saying something. The seats were fine comfort-wise, but if your knees keep bumping into the seat in front of you, it\u2019s not exactly a relaxing ride. Luckily, it was only an hour-long flight, so it was bearable.     <\/p><p class=\"p1\">We left our luggage at the airport \u2013 and here\u2019s a little tip: there are two places where you can store your bags. One is the \u201cofficial\u201d luggage storage operated by the airport, located at the arrivals level, and it costs around 30 PLN per item. But if you walk a bit further (just head down the escalator to the metro level), you\u2019ll find another spot where you can leave your bags for about half the price.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">We dropped off our stuff, headed into the city to grab something to eat, did a bit of light shopping, and then made our way back to the airport. Quick repack, quick change of clothes \u2013 and then it was just a matter of waiting. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8623218 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"8623218\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--2 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thailand-bangkok-airplane-photo-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thailand-bangkok-airplane-photo-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Interior of a plane in Bangkok, Thailand, with passengers seated among folded orange curtains\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thailand-bangkok-airplane-photo-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thailand-bangkok-airplane-photo-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thailand-bangkok-airplane-photo-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thailand-bangkok-airplane-photo-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thailand-bangkok-food-in-shopping-mall-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thailand-bangkok-food-in-shopping-mall-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Bangkok street food set on a table with crispy pork cutlets, shredded cabbage, rice, and sauces in Thailand\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thailand-bangkok-food-in-shopping-mall-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thailand-bangkok-food-in-shopping-mall-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thailand-bangkok-food-in-shopping-mall-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thailand-bangkok-food-in-shopping-mall-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ea64f0c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ea64f0c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Outbound from Thailand<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">Our flight to Shanghai was showing a one-hour delay in the system \u2013 but in reality, it was only about 20 minutes late. And on the bright side, we managed to score two lounge passes. We figured there was no point using them in Bangkok \u2013 better to save that little bit of comfort for our long stopover in Shanghai, especially since our next flight to Milan wasn\u2019t until around 2 AM.   <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-67845ba elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"67845ba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--1 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thailand-bangkok-airport-inside-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-7\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thailand-bangkok-airport-inside-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Thailand, Bangkok Airport hall featuring a large purple-robed Thai guardian statue over a decorated naga serpent pool\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-feab477 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"feab477\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Flying by plane<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">The flight to China went pretty smoothly, but we were completely exhausted. We tried to catch some sleep on the plane, but you know how that goes \u2013 you close your eyes, but keep waking up, tossing and turning, and in the end, it\u2019s not really sleep\u2026 more like a prolonged blinking session. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">At some point, they served us a meal \u2013 we honestly weren\u2019t sure if it was supposed to be dinner, breakfast, or just a \u201cmidnight snack situation\u201d, but\u2026 it was edible. We had pre-selected lactose-free and low-calorie meals, so nothing fancy, but it wasn\u2019t terrible either. Everything looked fairly normal, and taste-wise it was actually decent \u2013 by airline standards, at least.  <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-08f591a elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"08f591a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--2 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-airline-food-001-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-airline-food-001-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Shanghai Airline food tray with vegetables, chicken, a roll, and milk cartons on an airplane seat\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-airline-food-001-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-airline-food-001-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-airline-food-001-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-airline-food-001-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-airline-food-002-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-airline-food-002-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"China, Shanghai Airline food tray with fruit, bread, crackers, and a small cup of airline dessert\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-airline-food-002-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-airline-food-002-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-airline-food-002-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-airline-food-002-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-14830f0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"14830f0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Passport check-in in Shanghai<\/h3><p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Port_lotniczy_Szanghaj-Pudong\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shanghai\u2019s airport<\/a> is no joke \u2013 compared to Warsaw\u2019s Chopin Airport, it\u2019s an absolute beast. Everything is bigger, more spread out, and honestly a bit overwhelming, especially when you\u2019re running on zero sleep after a night flight. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">On the way to passport control, we came across these self-service fingerprint stations \u2013 which in theory sounded like a cool idea, but in practice\u2026 not so much. Out of maybe ten machines, only three actually worked. And even those were hit or miss \u2013 sometimes they took your fingerprints, sometimes they didn\u2019t, no clear instructions anywhere. In the end, we just skipped it altogether, since the officers at passport control asked for fingerprints anyway. So the whole \u201cdo it yourself\u201d thing turned out to be totally unnecessary.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Oh, and one more thing \u2013 after landing, you still have to fill out a paper arrival form. Yep, an actual piece of paper. In 2025. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0f9dd8d elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"0f9dd8d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--1 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-airport-photo-machine-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-9\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-airport-photo-machine-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"People using a self-service kiosk at Shanghai Airport in China\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c43bda7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c43bda7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Accommodation<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">And now we get to the real gem of this whole story \u2013 booking a hotel through Air China. On paper, it sounds great: free accommodation as part of your stopover. In practice? A clunky mess straight out of the early 2000s.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">In Chengdu, we didn\u2019t manage to use the stopover hotel at all \u2013 and honestly, that was probably for the best. The hotel was way out of town and would\u2019ve just made sightseeing a headache. But in Shanghai, we decided to give it another shot. Calling didn\u2019t work, so we went through the whole thing ourselves online. Of course, the form refused to accept two travelers, so I had to just put in my own name. You don\u2019t get to pick your hotel \u2013 the system assigns one at random. And the confirmation? It comes by SMS. If you lose it\u2026 good luck, because there\u2019s no way to retrieve it later.     <\/p><p class=\"p1\">The whole booking process with Air China was a mess. No comparison to airlines like Turkish or Qatar Airways \u2013 with them, everything runs smoothly. This? Felt like someone built the website back in the \u201990s and never updated it. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a410899 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"a410899\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--huge-square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-001-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-001-1300x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_huge-square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_huge-square\" alt=\"Entrance of Shanghai Hotel in China with Chinese restaurant sign and a white van in front\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-001-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-001-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-001-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-001-650x650.jpeg 650w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-002-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-002-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"China, Shanghai Hotel: neatly made bed with tufted headboard and side table by large window curtains\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-002-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-002-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-002-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-002-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-003-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-003-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Modern bathroom in Shanghai Hotel, with a white toilet, bidet, sink, and shower area.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-003-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-003-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-003-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-003-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bbf7fd0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bbf7fd0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Theory vs. Reality <\/h3><p class=\"p1\">We got the hotel address. Google Maps \u2013 shows it. Apple Maps \u2013 nope, nothing. Hmm, okay. We checked which metro stop to get off at, walked to the location\u2026 and guess what? No hotel in sight. XD      <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Luckily, we randomly bumped into someone who tried to help us out. English basically doesn\u2019t exist in China, so DeepL and Google Translate came to the rescue. Turns out the hotel pin on the map was completely wrong \u2013 someone had just dropped it in a random spot. The actual hotel was about 1.5 km away. Exhausted and not in the mood for more surprises, we ordered a DiDi and rode the rest of the way.    <\/p><p class=\"p1\">And yep \u2013 the hotel actually existed. Although the name on the building was completely different, and the \u201ccorrect\u201d name was written on a tiny little sign inside\u2026 but hey, close enough. We made it! <\/p><p class=\"p1\">The room itself? Well\u2026 let\u2019s just say it was a disaster. The window didn\u2019t seal properly, and it was freezing inside. The AC had a heating mode, but of course, it didn\u2019t work. We ended up sleeping (or more like napping for a few hours) fully clothed, wrapped in thick blankets, and we were still cold. As for the staff \u2013 the lady at reception knew exactly one word in English: \u201chello.\u201d That was the extent of the conversation.       <\/p><p class=\"p1\">The one upside to this whole situation was the airport transfer from the hotel. Other than that \u2013 a sketchy 3-star experience at best, just enough to survive the night. Overall? Wouldn\u2019t recommend it, but hey\u2026 it was one of those \u201cgood to experience once\u201d kind of adventures.   <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-efc59a0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"efc59a0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Visas and documents<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">When you\u2019re transiting through other countries, it\u2019s always smart to check in advance if you need a visa or if there are any weird transit rules. Otherwise, instead of casually strolling to your next flight, you might end up buried in paperwork and unnecessary stress. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Thankfully, this time everything was pretty straightforward. In 2024 and 2025, Polish citizens (and a few other nationalities) can enter China visa-free for up to 15 days \u2013 as long as it\u2019s for tourism, business, or transit. So for a one-day stopover in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agoda.com\/partners\/partnersearch.aspx?pcs=1&amp;cid=1933139&amp;city=3987\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shanghai<\/a>, it worked out perfectly.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">If you\u2019re planning to stay in China for longer than the visa-free period, then yep \u2013 you\u2019ll need to sort out a visa in advance. There\u2019s no online shortcut either; you\u2019ve got to go in person to a visa center or embassy to get it done.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f6fb15b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f6fb15b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Traffic conditions<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">If you\u2019re thinking about renting a car in China \u2013 just a heads-up: it\u2019s not that simple. International driver\u2019s licenses aren\u2019t recognized there, so if you want to drive legally, you\u2019ll need an actual Chinese driver\u2019s license. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">We didn\u2019t even consider renting a car \u2013 for a one-day stopover it just doesn\u2019t make sense, especially when the metro covers everything you need. But it\u2019s good to know that, at least in theory, Chinese traffic laws strongly protect pedestrians and cyclists. In practice though, we\u2019ve read that drivers often don\u2019t yield \u2013 even at crosswalks or when the light is green. Luckily, we didn\u2019t run into any of that. Everywhere we walked, drivers actually stopped and let us cross without any issues.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Out on the streets? It\u2019s busy, for sure \u2013 but surprisingly well-organized. And pedestrians and bikes are literally everywhere \u2013 especially scooters. They pop out of nowhere, so you really need to keep your head on a swivel, especially at crosswalks and in smaller side streets.  <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-61b7a6e elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"61b7a6e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-004-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-11\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-004-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Shanghai street with parked motorbikes along a tree-lined sidewalk and storefronts\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-005-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-11\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-005-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Shanghai street storefronts with Fmart and Suning EasyBuy signage and parked cars in front\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-005-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-005-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-005-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-005-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7116208 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7116208\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>DiDi<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">As we mentioned during our stopover in Chengdu \u2013 getting around China by car on your own is pretty much a no-go, so you\u2019re left with local transport options. And once again, DiDi comes to the rescue \u2013 China\u2019s version of Uber. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">We used the app in Shanghai too \u2013 no surprises there, it worked perfectly. Just like before, we used it through Alipay. No need to mess around with extra installs, settings, or any complicated steps \u2013 you type in the address, order the ride, and the payment goes through automatically. All from one app, in English, with no need for a local SIM card or a Chinese bank account.   <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-00c9310 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"00c9310\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Public transport in Shanghai<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">Getting around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agoda.com\/partners\/partnersearch.aspx?pcs=1&amp;cid=1933139&amp;city=3987\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shanghai<\/a> is super easy with public transport \u2013 especially the metro, which is incredibly well-developed. It\u2019s actually one of the largest metro networks in the world, with 20 lines and hundreds of stations, so you can pretty much get anywhere you need to go. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">In theory, we could\u2019ve tested out the famous <a href=\"https:\/\/pl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Transrapid_Szanghaj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maglev<\/a> \u2013 the magnetic levitation train that flies from Pudong Airport to the city center at speeds of up to 250 km\/h. But in practice, it just didn\u2019t work out. The time of day and where our hotel was located made it more hassle than it was worth. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">The city is way bigger than Chengdu, so taking DiDi everywhere didn\u2019t really make sense. Plus, the travel times would\u2019ve been pretty much the same as with the metro \u2013 so we stuck with public transport, and honestly, it was the right call.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">You can buy tickets from machines (they have an English option), or just use Alipay or WeChat Pay. Stations are clearly marked, the trains are clean, and they run on time. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8ffcec7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"8ffcec7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-009-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-009-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Shanghai Public transportation metro station corridor with glowing purple arches and route signs.\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-006-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-006-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Shanghai public transportation subway platform with train doors open and a passenger waiting\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-007-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-007-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Shanghai public transportation station entrance with Line 2 and 14 signs and commuters walking past.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-007-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-007-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-007-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-007-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-010-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-010-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Shanghai Public transportation self-service ticket vending machines with route map screens and payment slots\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-008-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-008-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Shanghai public transportation display screen with Line 14 route and next stop information\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f9a5271 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f9a5271\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Bus communication<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">We didn\u2019t end up using the buses in Shanghai ourselves, although Apple Maps did suggest them a few times as a decent option. And honestly \u2013 no surprise there. The city has a massive bus network that covers both the downtown area and the more far-out neighborhoods.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">If you\u2019re planning a longer stay, know some Chinese, or just enjoy a bit of a challenge, buses can actually be a solid alternative \u2013 especially for getting to places that aren\u2019t easily reachable by metro.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c8d2226 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c8d2226\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>SIM card<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">Internet in China is definitely something you want to sort out in advance \u2013 especially if you plan on navigating the city, using a translator, or ordering DiDi rides. We\u2019d used an eSIM from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.t-sim.hk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">T-SIM.HK<\/a> before and were happy with it, but this time we tried something new \u2013 we bought an eSIM directly through Alipay. It turned out even cheaper, and the whole process took maybe two minutes. We paid just a few bucks for a couple of gigabytes \u2013 probably around 6 PLN, definitely less than our previous 3 GB for 18 PLN deal.   <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ed9361b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ed9361b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"p1\">China&#8217;s Great Firewall<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">And here we are again, back to a true classic \u2013 the Great Firewall of China. It\u2019s definitely something you should sort out before you even think about landing in the country. Seriously, it\u2019s not a myth. If you don\u2019t come prepared, you might suddenly find yourself in the middle of Shanghai without access to Google Maps, Facebook, or even a properly working translator.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">This wasn\u2019t our first rodeo with the Great Firewall \u2013 we already dealt with it during our Chengdu stopover, so this time we came prepared. The key thing to remember: you need to have your VPN installed before you land in China. Once you\u2019re on the ground, it might be too late \u2013 even app stores can stop working properly.   <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ea50d99 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ea50d99\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"p1\"><b>Navigation access<\/b><\/h2><p class=\"p1\">This is where the classic Chinese game of \u201cguess which app will actually work\u201d begins. Google Maps? Forget it \u2013 it won\u2019t even load. Our main tool was Apple Maps. It worked pretty well and even let us search for public transport routes \u2013 but only while physically in China.    <\/p><p class=\"p1\">If you really want detailed info on walking routes, public transport, or street layouts, <a href=\"https:\/\/map.baidu.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Baidu Maps<\/a> is your best bet. The catch? It\u2019s entirely in Chinese \u2013 not a single word of English.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">There\u2019s also <a href=\"https:\/\/amap.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">Amap (Gaode Maps)<\/span><\/a> \u2013 another local alternative to Baidu. It\u2019s just as accurate, and also completely in Chinese. That said, some travelers say it\u2019s slightly more user-friendly when it comes to navigating the interface. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">For those who want something simpler and not so local, <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.me\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">Maps.me<\/span><\/a> is worth considering \u2013 it works offline, so you don\u2019t need internet access. It\u2019s not always perfectly accurate, but it can be a handy backup when other apps fail. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ba642b7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ba642b7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Food<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">This time, there was no culinary adventure \u2013 we went for simple and safe options. On one hand, it\u2019s a shame we didn\u2019t get to try some proper local food, but on the other\u2026 time and exhaustion definitely won that battle. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">For a late breakfast, we went with a classic \u2013 McDonald\u2019s. And honestly? It was cheaper than in Poland. Two breakfast sets cost us around 33 PLN. Familiar vibes, no surprises, and just the right fuel for wandering around the city afterward.    <\/p><p class=\"p1\">For lunch, we stepped it up a bit and went to Shake Shack. Burgers were just what you\u2019d expect \u2013 tasty, familiar, and not crazy expensive. Honestly, we were kind of surprised that fast food in China isn\u2019t as pricey as you might think.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Coffee? That\u2019s a different story. Starbucks came with premium-level prices. Sure, it tastes the same as anywhere else, but when you\u2019re paying, you really start questioning whether you actually needed that coffee. \ud83d\ude09<\/p><p class=\"p1\">We also came across some random street food along the way \u2013 nothing fancy, just a quick snack, and of course we paid with Alipay. That was probably the only truly \u201clocal\u201d food moment we had during the day. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Do we regret not trying any proper Chinese food? Yeah, a little. But between the hotel mess, figuring out transportation, being exhausted, and racing against the clock \u2013 the \u201cfamiliar and fast\u201d option won. Let\u2019s be real, no one explores the world well on an empty stomach.   <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-85505a0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"85505a0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-011-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-13\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-011-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"China, Shanghai Foods table with drinks, fries, and takeaway bags and cups in a fast-food set\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-011-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-011-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-011-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-011-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-012-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-13\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-012-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Shanghai Foods in China: vendor in a mask arranges bamboo steamer baskets of dumplings and buns in a market stall\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-013-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-13\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-013-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Worker in Shanghai Foods, China, in a busy kitchen cooking dumplings on a hot griddle with steam rising\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-014-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-13\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-014-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Grocery shelves in Shanghai Foods, China, with packaged food and a red promotional banner in Chinese\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-014-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-014-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-014-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-014-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-901d738 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"901d738\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Exchange office or ATM?<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">When you\u2019re traveling anywhere, you usually end up wondering whether it\u2019s better to exchange cash beforehand or just hit up an ATM on arrival. But in China, things work a bit differently. Cash is slowly fading out, and mobile payments have completely taken over everyday transactions.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Apps like <span class=\"s1\"><b>Alipay<\/b><\/span> and <span class=\"s1\"><b>WeChat Pay<\/b><\/span> are king \u2013 they let you pay for just about anything using QR codes. From shopping in stores to buying metro tickets, all it takes is a quick scan and tap. The best part? Both apps now let international users add foreign credit cards like Visa or MasterCard, which makes using them during short visits way easier.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">ATMs are available in bigger cities, but not all of them accept foreign cards. You\u2019ll need to look for machines with the Visa or MasterCard logo to have any luck. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2608e96 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"2608e96\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--1 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-015-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-14\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-015-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Shanghai ATM machines at Bank of China in China, with one open screen and card slot\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f0a62a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7f0a62a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Climate and weather conditions<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">In our case, Shanghai greeted us in true classic China style \u2013 low-hanging clouds, drizzle, chilly air, and an overall gray vibe. That was the welcome package for March 2025. It wasn\u2019t the worst weather in the world, but definitely far from the sunny, vibrant image you picture when planning an adventure in Asia.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">But generally speaking, Shanghai has a subtropical climate \u2013 so you get all four seasons, just with a bit of a twist. Summers? Hot, humid, and not for the faint-hearted. The air feels heavy, temps regularly shoot past 30\u00b0C, and sudden downpours or storms can roll in out of nowhere. Peak summer, especially July and August, can be a tough time for sightseeing \u2013 you\u2019ll be sweating buckets before you even make it to your first stop.    <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Winter, on the other hand, tends to be chilly but not exactly freezing \u2013 it rarely drops below zero, but the high humidity makes it feel colder than it actually is. Snow? Technically possible, but super rare. It\u2019s usually overcast, kind of grey, and sometimes windy \u2013 not exactly the kind of weather that makes you want to go on long scenic walks.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Spring and autumn are supposedly the best times to visit. April and May, then September and October, bring mild temperatures, less rain, and a bit more sunshine. That\u2019s when the city really comes to life \u2013 perfect for strolling through the streets, exploring parks, or taking in the skyline from Pudong. Too bad we landed right in the middle of that gray, in-between phase\u2026 but hey, can\u2019t win \u2018em all. \ud83d\ude04<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e0a434 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4e0a434\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Safety<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">When it comes to safety, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agoda.com\/partners\/partnersearch.aspx?pcs=1&amp;cid=1933139&amp;city=3987\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shanghai<\/a> left a really good impression on us. Not once did we feel uncomfortable or unsafe \u2013 whether it was on the metro, walking down the street, or even later in the evening. The city feels well-organized and calm, and people mostly just go about their business rather than paying much attention to tourists.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">One thing that really stands out \u2013 the security checks. Seriously, they\u2019re everywhere. Want to take the metro? First, your bag goes through the scanner. Backpack, tote, whatever you\u2019re carrying \u2013 it all has to be scanned. It gets a bit tiring, especially if you\u2019re lugging a lot of stuff and have to keep taking things on and off. But hey, that seems to be the standard in China. It\u2019s the same at the airport \u2013 though there, at least, you kind of expect it.       <\/p><p class=\"p1\">That said, the checks are handled pretty efficiently \u2013 no one stops you without reason, and no one gives you a hard time. They scan your stuff, wave you through, and that\u2019s it. It feels more like a precaution than anything else, not some intense search for trouble.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Did we see anything sketchy or feel uneasy at any point? Not at all. It was calm, clean, and predictable \u2013 which, when you\u2019re traveling, is honestly a huge plus. You can just focus on exploring instead of constantly watching your back or worrying about someone eyeing your phone.   <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2433ef9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"2433ef9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--2 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-016-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-15\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-016-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Police vehicle at a street in Shanghai, China, with McDonald\u2019s storefront in the background\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-016-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-016-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-016-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-016-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-017-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-15\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-017-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Shanghai street sign on a traffic pole with high-rise buildings in the background, China\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-017-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-017-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-017-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-017-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8a17257 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8a17257\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Places we were able to see in Shanghai<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">We didn\u2019t have much time for sightseeing. After landing, we crashed hard and didn\u2019t wake up until around 1 PM. And with the weather being what it was \u2013 foggy, damp, and gray \u2013 we weren\u2019t exactly in adventure mode. So yeah, no pretending here that we checked off every must-see spot. We just went for a little walk and saw what we could, within the limits of our energy, time, and visibility.    <\/p><p class=\"p1\">We started with the <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/ZVXDCTv1ihHbXM6q9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">Oriental Pearl Tower<\/span><\/a> \u2013 it might be an iconic building, but with all that fog, going up wasn\u2019t really worth it. We could barely see it from the ground, let alone imagine any kind of view from the top. Other skyscrapers like <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/FJSx6MHw1SLDYGt66\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">Jin Mao Tower<\/span><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/HtuxvAVgDUAhAYBe8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">Shanghai Tower<\/span><\/a> were playing peekaboo too \u2013 visible one second, completely swallowed by clouds the next. Classic Shanghai skyline, just in its default foggy mode.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">After that slightly underwhelming skyline experience, we headed over to <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/6zct5Ff3My6CCjnJ7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">Yuyuan Old Street<\/span><\/a> \u2013 and things got a bit more interesting. It\u2019s definitely a touristy spot, but not in the \u201cpacked with Europeans and selfie sticks\u201d kind of way. Most of the tourists were other Asians. There was even a funny moment when a Chinese lady asked Jadzia for a photo together \u2013 no shared language, but plenty of enthusiasm. \ud83d\ude02<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6f7370b elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"6f7370b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-020-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-16\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-020-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Two travelers pose with Shanghai skyline behind them, with China\u2019s Shanghai attractions in hazy weather.\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-019-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-16\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-019-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Shanghai attractions view of the Oriental Pearl Tower rising above a foggy skyline with event banners in front\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-019-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-019-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-019-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-019-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-021-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-16\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-021-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Woman posing with a bronze Mickey Mouse statue at Shanghai Atractions in China\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-021-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-021-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-021-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-021-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-018-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-16\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-018-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Shanghai attractions storefront with a red sign reading \u201c\u7edd\u5473\u9e2d\u8116\u201d and \u201c\u805a\u8fa3\u7206\u8fa3\u5473\u201d\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ba9e1ba elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ba9e1ba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">We wrapped things up with a quick ride over to the area around <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/zUWmMeRLfmNo4xaT7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">People\u2019s Park<\/span><\/a> to check out a bit of the city center. And that\u2019s when it really hit us \u2013 Shanghai is massive. Wide streets, towering buildings, and everything just on a whole other scale. It became clear that this city has a lot to offer\u2026 you just need more than a few hours and better weather than \u201cfog with a chance of drizzle\u201d to really enjoy it.  <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b9efb99 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"b9efb99\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-024-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-17\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-024-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Neon signs for Coffee, Tea, and Beer outside a Shanghai attractions shop in China\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-024-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-024-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-024-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-024-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-023-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-17\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-023-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Shanghai Atractions street with colorful butterfly lanterns over a crowded pedestrian walkway in China\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-022-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-17\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-022-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Shanghai Atractions storefront with ornate golden eaves and Chinese signage in a historic street scene\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-025-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-17\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-025-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Colorful Shanghai attractions mural with neon-style Chinese signs and a yellow building facade\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-025-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-025-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-025-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-025-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-65c99f4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"65c99f4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Summary<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">How to put it\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agoda.com\/partners\/partnersearch.aspx?pcs=1&amp;cid=1933139&amp;city=3987\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shanghai<\/a> definitely left us wanting more. Partly because of the weather, partly because we didn\u2019t have much time \u2013 but we both felt like we\u2019d love to come back. Preferably when the skies are a bit clearer, because seeing the city through a gray fog filter wasn\u2019t exactly what we had imagined.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Even though we only saw a small slice of the city, we already know our \u201cwant to see next time\u201d list is way longer. And somewhere in the back of our minds, there\u2019s this wild idea: a motorcycle trip to China. Sounds impossible, right? Between the paperwork, the licenses, and all the logistics, it\u2019s definitely next-level complicated \u2013 but hey, who knows? Maybe one day.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Not being able to drive on your own in China is definitely a limitation. For short stopovers like this, it\u2019s not a huge deal, but if you\u2019re planning a longer stay, it forces you to get creative \u2013 whether that means relying on public transport or booking organized tours. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">What really surprised us was how few Europeans we saw. In a lot of places, we definitely felt like a bit of a novelty \u2013 like, \u201cOh look, foreigners!\u201d Not quite on the level of Cairo, where locals actually stare because most tourists stick to Hurghada, but still \u2013 Shanghai isn\u2019t like Bangkok or Dubai, where every other person on the street is a tourist from Europe.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1141613 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1141613\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Return to Poland<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">And finally \u2013 the journey home. And let\u2019s be honest: we\u2019re probably not going to do this kind of flight-and-timing jigsaw ever again. It was all way too drawn out, exhausting, and honestly just not enjoyable.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">First, we had a flight from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agoda.com\/partners\/partnersearch.aspx?pcs=1&amp;cid=1933139&amp;city=3987\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shanghai<\/a> to Milan Malpensa. Then a connection with Wizz Air from Bergamo to Warsaw. Sounds manageable on paper, but in reality? It was rough. The departure experience at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agoda.com\/partners\/partnersearch.aspx?pcs=1&amp;cid=1933139&amp;city=3987\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shanghai\u2019s<\/a> airport was a nightmare \u2013 the security check felt like no one had ever considered passenger flow or capacity. Too little space, long lines, and an intense screening of every backpack, bottle, cable \u2013 you name it. Not saying being thorough is a bad thing, but the whole setup was just super poorly organized.     <\/p><p class=\"p1\">After security, we headed to the Juneyao Air lounge since we had access through our card. It was decent overall, but unfortunately \u2013 even though there were lounge chairs available, we weren\u2019t allowed to lie down because we weren\u2019t flying with their airline. A shame, really, because with a 2 AM flight, even a short nap would\u2019ve been pure gold.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">The flight itself? A culinary disaster. We both got some bland, flavorless rice mush. Sure, it was marked as lactose-free, but come on \u2013 you can make something dietary and edible. Breakfast wasn\u2019t any better. Honestly, we would\u2019ve been better off skipping the meals altogether.     <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-60731cd elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"60731cd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-028-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-18\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-028-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Inside Shanghai Airport terminal hall with passengers waiting under a curved glass-and-steel ceiling\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-028-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-028-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-028-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-028-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-029-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-18\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-029-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Reception desk at Shanghai Airport with a red Journeyao Air backdrop and Chinese lettering\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-027-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-18\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-027-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"China, Shanghai Airport: modern airport lounge with marble tables, warm lighting, and decorative tree-like ceiling arches\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-026-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-18\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-026-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment- size-\" alt=\"Woman serving drinks at China, Shanghai Airport airport lounge counter with bottles, cups, and glassware\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-026-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-026-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-026-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-026-320x240.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-026-800x600.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-026-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-026-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-026-512x384.jpeg 512w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-026-920x690.jpeg 920w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-026-1600x1200.jpeg 1600w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-026-3200x2400.jpeg 3200w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-026-1920x1440.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fc065fa elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fc065fa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">We landed at <span class=\"s1\">Malpensa<\/span> and then had to make our way to <span class=\"s1\">Bergamo<\/span> for the next flight. And here\u2019s where the next issue kicked in \u2013 <span class=\"s1\">Milan has three airports<\/span> (Malpensa, Linate, and Bergamo), and each one is in a completely different part of the region. Getting from Malpensa to Bergamo isn\u2019t just a quick hop \u2013 it\u2019s an hour on a packed, stuffy bus to Milano Centrale, followed by another hour to actually reach Bergamo. All that with full luggage and zero energy left. Fun times. \ud83d\ude09    <\/p><p class=\"p1\">And to top it all off \u2013 Jadzia\u2019s suitcase arrived in Warsaw damaged. So of course, we had to deal with the whole claims process and fill out all the paperwork for compensation. Just the cherry on top of an already exhausting journey.  <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4fa585e elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"4fa585e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--2 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-030-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-19\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-030-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Shanghai Airport meal tray with wrapped cutlery and foil-covered food containers\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-030-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-030-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-030-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-030-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-031-mfrh-original-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-19\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-031-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Shanghai Airport check-in counter with staff, a yellow suitcase, and a red travel bag\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-031-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-031-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-031-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/china-shanghai-031-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Make the most of a Shanghai layover with Air China \u2013 from transport tips to quick sightseeing and practical travel 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