Tips & Answers · Community post
Would you fly or train from HK to Shanghai in this situation?
A traveller compares a Hong Kong–Shanghai high-speed rail journey with a flight, weighing time, cost, airport stress and the desire to experience rail travel.
| Option | Advertised time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Train | 8h 8m | $194 AUD |
| Flight | 2h 30m | $144 AUD |
Besides time and cost, I have never taken high-speed rail before, so experiencing it would be cool. It would bring me into the city centre, avoid the airport process, and let me see more of China. Airports also stress me out a little.
The case for flying is less time sitting down. I'm only in Shanghai for five nights and want to make the most of them. Once I factor in city-centre-to-city-centre travel, is the flight really only two or three hours faster? I only have a backpack and cannot take a sleeper because none runs on my chosen date.
Comments (1)
For this choice, compare door-to-door time rather than the headline journey time. A flight needs the airport transfer at both ends, check-in/security time, boarding, arrival procedures and the final ride into Shanghai. The train has its own station process, but it normally arrives far more centrally.
If the direct high-speed service is available on your date and you genuinely want the experience, the train is a very reasonable choice for a five-night Shanghai stay. It gives you a predictable daytime journey and avoids turning two ends of the day into airport logistics. If you choose it, allow more than the bare minimum at departure: arrive early enough for document checks, security, finding the gate and boarding — do not plan around a guaranteed 30-minute buffer.
Choose the flight if the actual door-to-door comparison still gives you useful extra time or if an eight-hour seated day sounds draining. Either choice can work; the rail option is not merely a slower version of flying.