Car rental at Shanghai’s airports

Both airports have rental car counters in the terminal, and international booking platforms operate desks at Pudong and Hongqiao. Renting a car is a practical way to reach the Yangtze Delta region, the water towns around Suzhou, or destinations such as Hangzhou and Nanjing.

Where to rent

• Pudong — rental desks are located in the terminal, with vehicles collected from the adjacent car park.
• Hongqiao — rental counters are situated in the terminal, with direct access to the road network and the Hongqiao transport hub.

What you need

• A valid driving licence, and an International Driving Permit alongside it.
• Your passport and the credit card used for the deposit.
• A minimum age of 21 is typical, with a surcharge under 25 [TO VERIFY].

Driving and road rules

• Traffic drives on the right.
• The Shanghai–Nanjing and Shanghai–Hangzhou expressways are the fastest routes out of the city.
• Chinese cities have strict emissions and licence-plate regulations for driving into the central districts. Foreign plates may need a local permit to enter the inner ring road [TO VERIFY].
• Pedestrian and scooter traffic is heavy in central Shanghai; allow extra time and space.

Getting to the car park

Rental car parks are adjacent to the terminals. At Pudong, the parking structures sit within a few minutes’ walk of the terminal entrances, and a free shuttle bus links Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 for passengers who collect or return a vehicle at the other end.