I always ride the #Metro in whatever City I visit. I think it allows you to really experience the City as the locals do…plus it it usually a hell of a lot cheaper than paying for a taxi. If I can save $25 a day on transportation and reallocate those funds to a cocktail or two in the evening I call that a win.
The Shanghai Metro System has 12 separate lines that will connect you with all aspects of the City. The Metro is extremely easy to use and has signs in both Mandarin and English (the upcoming station announcements are also in English as well).
We only rode on three separate lines but they were all very clean and well lit. Unlike some Metro systems, Shanghai felt very safe. I wouldn’t think twice about taking it anywhere a tourist would be interested in going. Like any large City, I am sure there are places that one wouldn’t go (on the train or off), but we didn’t come across that at all.
Like the Paris Metro, several lines in Shanghai use a continuous car system – unlike Chicago where the L trains are made up of 8 separate cars. In Shanghai you can walk from the front to the back of the train without issue – on continuously long corridor allows for the maximum passenger capacity.
Metro germs are his Kryptonite.
I recommend to hop on the Metro in any City you are visiting. You get a better feel for the City and you really get to live like a local. Do it, but be wise about it.