BlaakLane.com offers a chauffeur service in Shanghai booked in English at a fixed fare. Enter your flight or train, the address and the vehicle; the price covers included waiting, while Pudong or Hongqiao parking is charged at actual cost and added to the booking. Pudong and Hongqiao arrivals are flight-tracked, and every trip is driven by a vetted Shanghai affiliate named on your confirmation.
How to book a chauffeur service in Shanghai
Book through the reservation engine on this page or at book. Enter the pickup (a Pudong or Hongqiao terminal, Hongqiao Railway Station, a hotel on the Bund, an office in Lujiazui or the cruise terminal), the drop-off, date, time and vehicle. The engine shows a fixed price before you confirm; there is no meter and no surge.
For many visitors, the practical value is language and payment. You book and pay in English before you travel, and the confirmation gives the chauffeur's name and vehicle plate, which you can show at the pickup. Addresses in Shanghai are best supplied in Chinese characters as well as English; if you have them, add them to the booking notes. Trips are driven by a vetted local affiliate from the LimousineWorldwide.Directory network, contracted to the BlaakLane.com written standard. The reservations desk is in Toronto and staffed 24/7.
For a day between a factory visit in Jiading, a lunch in Xintiandi and a dinner in Lujiazui, book hourly chauffeur service rather than several transfers.
The fixed Shanghai fare
- Included waiting: 60 minutes from actual landing for international arrivals, 30 minutes for domestic flights (many Hongqiao flights are domestic), and 15 minutes on hotel, office, rail and cruise pickups, then 15-minute blocks.
- Child seats on request, free, in most cities including Shanghai.
Airport parking at Pudong or Hongqiao is extra to the fixed fare, passed on at actual cost. Planning ranges are on rates. Cancellation: more than 72 hours before pickup is free; 72 hours or less, 10%; 48 hours or less, 50%; 24 hours or less or a no-show, 100%.
Pudong or Hongqiao: two very different airports
| Pudong (PVG) | Hongqiao (SHA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Most international and long-haul flights | Mainly domestic, plus flights to Tokyo Haneda, Seoul Gimpo, Hong Kong and Taipei |
| Location | East coast of Pudong | West side of the city, Changning and Minhang |
| Terminals | T1 and T2, with satellite concourses S1 and S2 | T1 and T2 |
| Lujiazui by car | 35-60 minutes, about 35 km | 40-60 minutes, about 25 km |
| The Bund, Jing'an by car | 45-75 minutes, about 45 km | 25-45 minutes, about 15 km |
Pudong International
Shanghai Pudong is the main gateway from Europe, North America and most of Asia. Terminals 1 and 2 face each other across a central transport hub, with the satellite concourses reached by an airside train, and a Terminal 3 is under construction. We read your terminal from the flight number. The chauffeur waits at the designated pickup point for pre-arranged cars at that terminal, which is standard; a name-board meet and greet inside the arrivals hall is an add-on, and add-ons are only available in selected locations. Immigration queues at Pudong vary widely, from 20 minutes to more than an hour, which the 60 included minutes are there to absorb.
Hongqiao International
Shanghai Hongqiao is much closer to the centre and is part of the Hongqiao Transport Hub, where Terminal 2, the metro and Hongqiao Railway Station are connected under one roof. Terminal 1 handles the airport's international and regional flights and some domestic ones; Terminal 2 handles most domestic flights. If you fly into Pudong and leave from Hongqiao, allow at least 60-90 minutes to cross the city between them by car.
The Maglev, and when a car is better
The Shanghai Maglev runs about 30 km between Pudong Airport and Longyang Road in Pudong, with a capped top speed of 300 km/h, and takes around eight minutes. It is quick, but Longyang Road is still some distance from most hotels, so the traveller must change to the metro or a taxi with luggage. A car from the terminal curb to the hotel door usually takes about as long overall and avoids the transfer, which is why most business travellers with bags choose one. The Wikipedia article on the Shanghai Maglev has the full route history.
Hongqiao Railway Station and high-speed trains
Hongqiao Railway Station is one of the largest stations in Asia, the terminus for high-speed trains to Beijing, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou and many other cities. The station has separate pickup areas for private cars and for taxis, and the walk from the platforms can be long, so we ask for the train number and coach. Fast trains reach Beijing in about 4.5 to 6 hours, Hangzhou East in under an hour and Suzhou in about 25 minutes. See Beijing and Hangzhou for the car at the other end, and international chauffeur service for multi-city China itineraries.
Choosing the right car in Shanghai
From the fleet:
- Standard Sedan: one or two passengers, the standard for Lujiazui and Jing'an meetings.
- Luxury Executive Sedan: senior executives and visiting principals.
- Executive SUV: families and heavier luggage.
- Standard Black SUV or Sprinter Van: business teams and visiting delegations. Large business MPVs are very popular in China for executive travel.
- Minicoach or motorcoach: exhibition groups to the National Exhibition and Convention Center, planned by a coordinator and confirmed in writing.
- Rolls-Royce, Maybach or Bentley (partner): weddings and ceremonies.
- Armoured SUV or sedan (partner): on request, after a risk assessment.
All affiliate vehicles are four model years old or younger; Rolls-Royce, Maybach and Bentley are accepted up to seven.
Districts and addresses
- Lujiazui, Pudong: the financial district under the Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center and Jin Mao Tower.
- The Bund and the Huangpu riverfront: heritage buildings, hotels and restaurants.
- Jing'an and Nanjing West Road: offices, malls and many international hotels.
- Xintiandi and the former French Concession: restaurants, shops and tree-lined streets.
- Hongqiao Business District: offices near the airport and the National Exhibition and Convention Center.
- Zhangjiang and Jinqiao: technology parks and factories in Pudong.
Hotels include The Peninsula Shanghai, the Fairmont Peace Hotel and Waldorf Astoria on the Bund, Park Hyatt Shanghai in the World Financial Center and J Hotel in the Shanghai Tower, named as places only.
Venues and the events calendar
The National Exhibition and Convention Center at Hongqiao is one of the world's largest exhibition buildings; the Shanghai New International Expo Centre is in Pudong; concerts use the Mercedes-Benz Arena on the former Expo site. The Formula 1 circuit is at Anting in Jiading, about 35 km from the centre. Shanghai Disney Resort is in eastern Pudong, about 25 minutes from Pudong Airport.
- January or February: Chinese New Year, when many factories and offices close for a week or more.
- March or April: the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit.
- April, in odd-numbered years: Auto Shanghai, the city's motor show.
- June: the Shanghai International Film Festival.
- Early October: the National Day Golden Week holiday, with very heavy intercity traffic, followed by the Shanghai Masters tennis.
- November: the China International Import Expo at the National Exhibition and Convention Center.
For dates, check the organisers or the Shanghai municipal government's English portal. For exhibition shuttles, see event transportation.
Wusongkou cruise terminal
Most cruise ships use the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal in Baoshan, where the Huangpu meets the Yangtze, about 30 km north of the centre. Allow 45-75 minutes from the Bund or Jing'an, about an hour from Hongqiao and 60-90 minutes from Pudong Airport. A smaller terminal on the North Bund handles some ships. Give us the ship and the berth, and we time the car to the disembarkation schedule.
Payments, messaging and phones in China
Visitors to mainland China often find that everyday payment runs through Alipay and WeChat Pay, and that many overseas apps and websites do not work without roaming data. A pre-booked car removes several of those problems at once: the fare is paid when you book, in your own currency, and the chauffeur needs nothing from you at the curb. Keep the confirmation email offline on your phone, since it shows the chauffeur's name and the vehicle plate.
International roaming usually works on arrival, and many visitors buy a local or travel eSIM. If your phone has no data when you land, the chauffeur waits at the agreed pickup point regardless, and the included waiting time protects you. Most chauffeurs in Shanghai speak limited English, so the booking notes are the best place for anything specific: the Chinese hotel name, a second stop, a child seat, or extra luggage. The Wikipedia entry for Pudong airport lists the airlines at each terminal.
Road rules and traffic in Shanghai
Mainland China drives on the right, unlike Hong Kong, Macau, Japan or Singapore. Shanghai's traffic moves on a system of elevated expressways, including the Inner Ring, the Middle Ring, the Yan'an Elevated Road and the North-South Elevated Road. Cars without Shanghai plates face restrictions on the elevated roads during weekday peak hours, which is one reason local, Shanghai-registered affiliate vehicles are used. Peak traffic runs roughly 7:30am to 9:30am and 5pm to 7:30pm on weekdays, and cross-river tunnels between Puxi and Pudong are the usual pinch points.
China does not recognise International Driving Permits, so visitors cannot self-drive on a foreign licence. With a chauffeur, that is not your concern.
Intercity trips from Shanghai
| Destination | Road distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| Suzhou | about 100 km | 1.5-2 hours |
| Kunshan | about 60 km | 1-1.5 hours |
| Wuzhen water town | about 120 km | 1.5-2 hours |
| Hangzhou | about 180 km | 2.5-3.5 hours |
| Ningbo | about 220 km via Hangzhou Bay Bridge | 3-3.5 hours |
| Nanjing | about 300 km | 3.5-4.5 hours |
Intercity transfers explains how long drives are priced; city tours and day trips covers water-town excursions.
Visa-free entry and transit rules in 2026
China has widened visa-free access. Nationals of 57 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, can use the 240-hour visa-free transit, staying up to 10 days if they arrive with a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region; Shanghai's airports are eligible ports, and travel is allowed within a set list of provinces. Separately, ordinary passport holders from a list of more than 40 countries, including France, Germany and Italy, can visit for up to 30 days under the unilateral visa exemption, which runs to 31 December 2026 for most of them. Rules depend on nationality, so check the National Immigration Administration before booking. Keep your passport with you: hotels register every foreign guest.
Corporate, delegation and crew travel
Manufacturers, banks and trade delegations make up much of Shanghai's demand. Corporate accounts bring monthly invoicing, cost centres, traveller profiles and duty-of-care data, with a named coordinator. Delegations are arranged through government and diplomatic planning, and exhibition groups through group transportation. Other China cities: Beijing, Hangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, all listed on the China country page.
