Shanghai Layover: Free Tours, Temporary Entry Permits, and Tips for Pudong Airport
Essential Tips for Your Shanghai Transit Adventure
Hello everyone, it's me again with some helpful travel insights! In today's post, I'm sharing my personal experience of transiting through Shanghai on my way to Europe. This might be a lifesaver for those of you planning to fly with China Eastern or Shanghai Airlines (they're actually the same group!) and will be stopping over at Pudong Shanghai Airport. The most crucial part, which I'll cover in section 3, is how to handle immigration. 1. Flying with China Eastern
The price for China Eastern flights is incredibly affordable. You can snag a round-trip ticket from Hanoi to Paris for around 14 million VND if you book in advance. Booking directly through their website is just as good as using third-party sites, and you won't find a price difference. Plus, their website is available in English, so that's a relief. For such a budget-friendly option, one doesn't expect a lot from the service. I certainly didn't. However, I found the experience to be quite good overall. Aside from the rather uninspiring food, I had no complaints during my two flights. A small heads-up: the staff at the Hanoi check-in counter are quite thorough and will likely verify your itinerary, visa, return ticket, and hotel bookings. Having these documents ready digitally on your phone will speed things up significantly. 2. The Free Layover Tour
I suspect many travelers are unaware of this fantastic offering, and perhaps don't even think to look into it. For me, sitting still for extended periods is a form of torture, especially after being on two flights from Hanoi to France. I was eager to explore and stretch my legs during my transit. What's truly amazing is that Pudong Airport offers four different free layover tours, generously sponsored by Trip. Here's a breakdown: * Tour 1 (9 AM - 2 PM): Visit Yu Garden and the Bund. * Tour 2 (10 AM - 4 PM): Explore Wukang Road, Wuzhong Market, People's Square, Nanjing Road, and the Bund. * Tour 3 (2 PM - 8 PM): This tour, running from September 23rd to October 6th, includes the World Expo Museum, China Art Museum, and "Old Shanghai" Alley 1192. * Tour 4 (6 PM - 11 PM): Enjoy a Huangpu River cruise and a visit to Yu Garden. You can select the tour that best fits your transit time. The tour timings already incorporate travel to and from the airport, meaning the latest return to the airport is at 11 PM. You can even combine two tours in one day, like Tour 1 and Tour 4, or Tour 2 and Tour 4, but be sure to keep a close eye on the departure time of your second flight. Important note: these tours cannot be booked online. You'll need to head to the Shanghai Tourist Information & Service Store on the first floor of the international arrivals hall at Terminal 1 at least one hour before the tour departure time. The tours are led by English-speaking guides. My guide was kind enough to provide free internet data for the entire journey, which was a lifesaver as I hadn't purchased a Chinese SIM card beforehand. You'll travel by bus, and for later tours, there's a boat segment. All sightseeing is free. For meals, your guide will take you to a restaurant, and you'll pay for whatever you order. 3. Navigating Immigration
If you're keen to join one of these complimentary layover tours, or if you simply wish to explore the city at your own pace independently, you'll need to obtain a 24-hour temporary entry permit. Upon disembarking, **do not** head straight for the transit security check and then to your departure gates. As you proceed, you'll encounter China Eastern staff. Make sure to ask them about the "24-hour temporary entry permit." They are there precisely to assist with this, so when you inquire, they will guide you through the next steps: filling out a declaration form, proceeding to customs for a photo, and finally, having your entry permit affixed to your passport. What if you've already passed baggage check and are in the departure gate area? That's a tricky situation, and it was exactly what happened to me. Back when I traveled, there wasn't much information available like this. I tried speaking to nearby security staff, but unfortunately, none of them spoke English. No matter what I said, I was met with a simple "No" or even responses in Chinese. Just as I was about to resign myself to spending over ten hours at the airport, I spotted a "Passenger Assistance" counter. The staff member there understood English. After a lengthy explanation, she simply said "OK," tapped "1" on her phone, and pointed towards Gate 1 of the baggage check area. This is the only exit you can use to go back out after clearing baggage inspection (of course, there will be security personnel there who will ask for your reason for exiting). At this point, it's crucial to have a picture of the "24-hour temporary entry permit" saved on your phone from this article to show them. They'll immediately understand what you need. Honestly, it's probably only those who accidentally went through baggage check like me and still want to explore who would attempt to go back through that exit. After that, I recall going through about five or six different checkpoints. At each one, they'd ask what I needed, and I'd just present the image and say, "24-hour temporary entry permit, please." They processed it and allowed me to proceed until I finally reached customs to get the stamp and clear immigration. In summary, you can avoid all this hassle if you don't go through the baggage check area in the first place. 4. Pudong Airport Overview
This airport is quite vast and has two terminals, T1 and T2, which are quite far apart. If you arrive at T2 and need to get to T1 to register for a free transit tour, you'll need to go upstairs, exit the building, and take the free shuttle bus to T1. The shuttle bus runs every 5 minutes. There are two ways to connect to the airport's free Wi-Fi: via SMS and via ID and Password. * **Via SMS:** Turn on your phone's Wi-Fi, select "AIRPORTPVG-FREE-WIFI." Open any browser; it should automatically redirect to the login page. Then, choose to log in via SMS. Enter your mobile number and tap "Get Code." You'll receive a verification code via text within seconds. * **Via ID and Password:** Head to the Wi-Fi code dispensing machines at the airport and scan your passport. Follow the same steps as above, but instead of selecting SMS login, choose to log in with your "ticket." **Locations of Wi-Fi Code Dispensing Machines:** * **T1 Boarding Area (after security check):** International Information Counter (near Gates 17/18), International Gates 19/20, Domestic Gates 8/9. * **T2 Boarding Area (after security check):** International Information Counter (near Gate D73), International Gate D75, Domestic Gate C58. Wishing you a pleasant flight and a wonderful journey!
