If you’ve been walking all day through the Shanghai heat, perhaps taking breaks only to get some delicious grub at a street stall, it might be time for a break. Sure you could pay US$30 for an open-air bus tour of Shanghai, with commentary, and hop-on, hop-off service, or you could just RELAX, and let the breeze flow through the hair.
That’s exactly what public bus 911 is for! No need for alarm, this bus costs just 2 RMB, and cuts through the city. On a warm, sunny day, there will be no one to bug you (you’ve seen the umbrellas in use for both rain and shine), and you’ll be able to enjoy the French Concession and more from a high perch.
It can be a bit tricky, since the bus won’t stop at every single stop, and not every single bus on the 911 route is the open-air double decker variety, so you may need to let a few go by.
Here’s the simplest way to catch it:
Take the Subway to Changshu Lu stop, line #1 or #7, and go to exit #3. There is a bus stop right there (near the KFC). Wait there.
You can take it all the way to the end past Hongqiao Airport (you could take it to the airport too, get off just past when you see the runways, but you still may need to take a very quick taxi or a bit of a hike to the actual terminal), where you’ll have to get off, and get back on again to come back into town, down Huaihai/People’s Square area. You can also take it directly to the Shanghai Zoo.
You may not learn a whole lot on this tour, but it’s a fun way to relax if you’ve got some downtime, the weather is decent, and there’s NO way you want to be sitting in the hotel room on your trip to China. ENJOY!
PS: For the best subway map of Shanghai, complete with times between stations and easy drag and drop route suggestions, check this out:
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