Route
Shanghai to HangzhouHangzhou to Shanghai: take the train or fly?
Barely an hour between two of the Yangtze Delta's big draws, with a train every few minutes from Shanghai Hongqiao. Treat it like a long metro ride — the only choice to make is which Hangzhou station.
Hangzhou 杭州
Hangzhou East
Shanghai 上海
Shanghai Hongqiao
- 2nd class
- from ¥73 ≈ $10
- business to ¥219
- Departures
- ~300/day
- 06:00–23:00
- Train types
- G · D
- Flight
- no flights — too short
It's under an hour, leaves constantly from Shanghai Hongqiao, and costs about ¥73. There are no flights on this route worth a second thought.
Should you take the train or fly?
Take the train — nothing else makes sense. It’s 159 km, the fast G-trains cover it in about 45 minutes, and one leaves Shanghai Hongqiao every few minutes from early morning to late evening. Second class is about ¥73.
There is essentially no air service between Shanghai and Hangzhou, and there’s no reason there would be — you’d spend longer getting to the airport than the whole train trip.
Stations, tickets and what to expect
Which stations. Nearly everything runs Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou East (Hangzhoudong). Both are large interchange stations on their city’s metro. A handful of trains use Shanghai Railway Station or Hangzhou’s smaller stations — check the name on your ticket.
Getting to West Lake. Hangzhou East is not near the lake; take metro line 1 or 4, about 20–25 minutes.
How to book. Trip.com or the 12306 app, passport as the ID type. Electronic ticket, scan your passport at the gate. On a trip this short and cheap, second class is all you need.
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FAQ
Common questions
How long is the train from Shanghai to Hangzhou?
About 45 minutes on the fastest G-trains, up to an hour or so on slower ones. Around 300 trains run each day.
How much does it cost?
Second class is about ¥73 (≈ $10), first class around ¥117, business seat about ¥219. Fares are fixed, but weekends and holidays sell out.
Which stations does it use?
Almost all trains run Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou East (Hangzhoudong), both major interchange stations on the metro. A few use Shanghai Railway Station or Hangzhou's other stations — check your ticket.
Is Hangzhou East near West Lake?
Not walking distance. Metro line 1 or 4 gets you from Hangzhou East to the lake in about 20–25 minutes.
Should I fly?
No. It's 159 km — the train is faster than getting to an airport, and there's effectively no air service between the two.
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