Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station Self-service Ticket Office — Local services in Shanghai

Tips for foreigners traveling here: TL;DR- book online, arrive 1.5-2hr early, it’s a station with 30(!) tracks. 4 stars cause not so efficient and not enough signage to find places.

1. it’s best to buy your ticket on the official website/app 12306. You can also search for it on the Alipay app. It can be buggy so best to try with both and in Chinese with translation to English. The English version often gives white spaces. I had issues at first but was told it will take me ages to do it on site.
2. Once you’ve booked it you need to pick up the ticket at the station- it’s quite hidden so ask an officer. It’s close to the metro exit. My line on a weekday in Sept was 15 min.
3. Go UPSTAIRS, your luggage and passport will be checked. The luggage control is nothing special, like in the metro. No worries :)
4. The station has 30 tracks, A&B… so make sure you’re on time. It’s already written on the online reservation but check just in case
5. I queued 40 min beforehand cause I saw the crazy other queues and didn’t want to be in between a long line where people don’t stick to the rules anyway.

There are lots of food options when you arrive by subway. Also options after the luggage control. I’m not vegetarian but I didn’t find many healthy // veggie filled options. Some places are halal, there’s a few McD,KFC, Burger King in case you prefer sth else

Good luck! PS: if you liked what you read- give a...

I recently traveled from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station to Beijing via high-speed train, and the experience was seamless and impressive. This station is one of the largest and busiest in China, and it definitely lives up to its reputation. The station itself is huge – more like an airport than a traditional train station. It’s incredibly well-organized, clean, and efficient, with clear signage in both Chinese and English, which made navigating around very easy even for a non-native speaker. The layout is logical, and the security and ticket check processes were fast and well-managed. There’s a wide variety of shopping and dining options, including everything from quick bites to sit-down restaurants, convenience stores, and popular retail brands. Whether you're looking for a coffee, a meal before your journey, or some last-minute shopping, the station has you covered. The high-speed train experience from this station was fantastic. Trains are punctual, comfortable, and a great way to travel between major cities like Shanghai and Beijing. The boarding process was smooth and organized, and the waiting areas were spacious and well-kept. Overall, Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station offers a top-tier travel experience and is a great example of how modern infrastructure can make long-distance travel easy and enjoyable. Highly recommended for anyone traveling...

A good way to access Shanghai or to travel from Shanghai to the rest of China is to use trains. Shanghai Hongqiao is conveniently located adjacent to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport (although, as is often the case in China, English signage is very limited and directions are confusing when they exist at all. Add in a little extra time for getting lost😉)

The ticketing process is reasonably clear (as opposed to at Shanghai Railway Station where it is a challenge to find the ticket windows which are housed incongruously in a separate and fairly distant building).

The station is well appointed with many high-end shops, fast food outlets, convenience stores. The station waiting area is very clean. Regrettably, the bathrooms are not always. You might want to wait until you are on the train.

WiFi is not available in the station and you will struggle nightly to charge your device as well.

Pro Tip: Please take into account the size of the station (equivalent to a mid-sized airport) and the lines and times at security checks (at busy times, waits can be considerable) and the fact that ticket gates close 5 minutes before train departure.

In other words, arrive early and allow an hour or so. If you end up waiting, there is plenty to see in the station in terms of shopping and...