Airport Transfer

Hello, the first and the most important detail is your entire transit time you will use during your transit through China. You have to calculate your entire transit time from your first scheduled arrival in mainland China, in your case in Xi'an, until your last departure from mainland China, in your case from Shanghai Pudong airport. This entire transit time is not allowed to be longer than 24 hours even for a minute. If it is within 24 hours, you are definitely eligible for 24 hour visa free transit and you do not need any kind of visa.

The first thing you should do is to print out your flight tickets and have them at hand because you will need them at the time of your check-in at Phuket and after that upon your landing in Xi'an. Xi'an is the place where you will approach transit counter and where you will apply for a temporary entry permit to be allowed to exit the airport because your second flight, Xi'an to Shanghai Hongqiao is a domestic one. You will present your flight tickets and your permit will be granted. By the way, this application is free of charge.

Upon your landing at Shenghai Hongqiao airport you will proceed to the metro station called Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 station (虹桥2号航站楼) where you will buy your metro ticket with cash at the machine located after you enter the metro station. This means that you will have to have some small amount of Chinese cash with you. You should take M route (option) because M route is connecting Hongqiao and Pudong airports in an uninterrupted way.