Traffic tips

As private cars and personal transportation vehicles, including bicycles and motorcycles, will be banned from the Expo Garden area for security concerns, public transportation will serve the majority of the 70 million visitors during the six months of Expo 2010 Shanghai. China Daily tried three major public transportation routes and here are some helpful tips:

Subway

The subway is the best choice for most visitors for its convenience, quickness and stability.

It costs only 4 yuan (59 cents) and the People's Square, where many of the subways connect, is only 12 minutes away from the Expo Garden. A one-day subway pass costs 18 yuan and allows unlimited subway trips within 24 hours.

Metro Line 13 is an exclusive "Expo line" with three stations to shuffle visitors between Puxi and Pudong Expo sites and will be free of charge for people with Expo admission tickets.

Subway stations are all equipped with facilities, including ATM machines, and ticket vending machines. Computer information inquiry machines (with "i" on them) are also seen at the entrances.

Volunteers are ready to provide help for visitors at Expo volunteer service desks, where Expo route maps, or Shanghai Tourist Guide booklets are free.

Visitors, however, are highly recommended to avoid peak hours on weekdays, from 7 am to 9 am, and 5 pm to 7 pm.

Bus

A bus trip boasts comfort and also allows visitors to see the Shanghai sites. For those who are not in a rush and would like a more visual option, a bus trip may be ideal.

A bus trip by Bridge Line 1 (Daqiao Yixian) takes 2 yuan and 30 minutes from Huaihai Road to Expo Garden at Pudong. Along the streets on the bus route are various stores specializing in porcelains, stationery, groceries and even socks.

As the bus climbs on the Nanpu Bridge, passengers can have a bird's-eye view of the Expo gardens in both Pudong and Puxi. Visitors may get off at Huafeng Road, a two- minute's walk from gate 4 of the Expo Garden.

For more information about planning a bus trip to the Expo Garden, visitors can call 962010, or browse http://www.jt.sh.cn/shanghaimap/index.html.

Taxi

If you are not on a tight budget, going by taxi will probably be the most efficient option, as it will save you a lot of time and energy. Only taxis with the "Expo" logo on its top light are allowed into the Expo Garden area.

Setting out from West Nanjing Road, the major business area in Shanghai, your ride will only take about 18 minutes to reach the China Pavilion in Pudong as long as you are not in rush-hour traffic. Once on the Lupu Bridge, your trip to the Expo site begins, with all the pavilions on display on both sides. You will have to pay about 35 yuan to get to your destination.

As many as 3,650 Volkswagen Tuans and 350 Buick Junyues have been put into use to better serve the visitors heading for the Expo pavilions. Spacious, smooth and steady, passengers will enjoy the experience in the car. And even taxi drivers themselves like the cars better, for the broader view that the cars provide. All the 340 taxis of Qiangsheng Group are specially designed to help the handicapped easily get in and out of the car.

Passengers will also enjoy the quality service of taxi drivers who are rated at least with three stars (with the highest of five). Foreigner language speakers can also feel free to talk to them in English. Standing out from among the staff of the five major taxi companies in Shanghai, the taxi drivers are well acquainted with English, French, Spanish and other languages.

To reserve an Expo taxi, call 96822.

Expo tickets

All Expo 2010 Shanghai tickets for May 1 have been sold out, organizers said.

Tickets for May 1 fall under Peak Day admission.

There will be 17 Peak Days during the Expo's 184-day period until October. These include:

Labor Day holiday (May 1-3), National Day holiday (Oct 1-7) and the last week before the Expo's closing date (Oct 25-30).

One Peak Day admission ticket costs 200 yuan. A Standard Day ticket costs 160 yuan. Peak Day tickets that are not used on their designated days can be used on Standard Days.

Tickets for May 2 and May 3 are still available. If they are sold out before April 30, officials will not provide more tickets at the Expo site.

For more information, visit http://en.expo2010.cn/expotickets/indexn.htm.

China Daily

(China Daily 04/29/2010 page7)