There are many ways to travel from Beijing to Shanghai.

For one, the fastest method would be to take the plane. Flight duration is 1.5 hours and there is nearly every hour a flight to Shanghai (either to the Hongqiao International Airport or the Pudong International Airport). The Hongqiao Airport is unlike the Pudong Airport nearly in within the city itself where it is very convenient to get anywhere you want. You will need at least an hour with a taxi from the Pudong Airport to Shanghai City Center.Plane tickets from Beijing to Shanghai cost depending on seasonal and special events from 200RMB to 1130RMB plus around 200RMB for tax and Airport fee.

For further information please visit http://www.ctrip.com or http://www.elong.net.

Traveling by train is another possibility. This will take you one night. There are many trains that leave in the evening

from Beijing and arrive in the morning (very early so) in Shanghai. Tickets cost from 88RMB (hard seat) to 499RMB

(soft sleeper – a cabin with 2 storage beds). One website has started to offer online train tickets booking and buying just recently (http://www.kuxun.cn). But unless you can speak and read Chinese or have Chinese friends to help you the only way for buying tickets is to go to an travel agency and ask them to book train tickets from Beijing to Shanghai for you.

The best choice to travel from Beijing to Shanghai depends on the time and money you have.

Just remember: don't forget to book early, otherwise you won't be able to get cheap tickets or the tickets you wanted.

You are able to book train tickets 5 days in advance.