Train from Shanghai to Nanjing

Train from Shanghai to Nanjing at a glance

Here is what the train from Shanghai to Nanjing looks like with China Railway G-series high-speed train: direct, with no change of train, about 1 hour 5 minutes from platform to platform, every 10-15 minutes, roughly 300 km. You board at Shanghai Hongqiao and step off at Nanjing South. Haqqi Tours checks the seats for the date you travel and tells you the cost before anything is booked.

• Route: Shanghai to Nanjing (about 300 km)
• Operator: China Railway G-series high-speed train
• Journey time: about 1 hour 5 minutes
• Connection: direct train
• Frequency: every 10-15 minutes
• Departure station: Shanghai Hongqiao
• Arrival station: Nanjing South
• Classes: second class and first class
• Booking: form on this page, confirmation in the WhatsApp chat, e-ticket by message

Arrival: Nanjing South

The train arrives at Nanjing South - Nanjing is the old southern capital on the Yangtze, with the Ming city wall, the Sun Yat-sen mausoleum and the Confucius temple quarter. From the platform you are minutes from taxis, local transport and the city itself. Haqqi Tours arranges a private transfer from Nanjing South to your accommodation in Nanjing with a driver waiting at the platform exit, which for a family with bags is the easiest way to finish the Shanghai to Nanjing journey.

Many travellers continue from Nanjing to somewhere else the next day. We provide those tickets too, so one WhatsApp conversation covers the whole itinerary.

Classes and what it is like on board the Shanghai to Nanjing train

On board, the Shanghai to Nanjing train is relaxed: you can walk about, eat at your seat or in the café coach where there is one, and keep the bags in sight. Classes available are second class and first class; families often prefer a table of four, solo passengers a window seat in the quiet coach. Tell us when you book and we choose the seats accordingly, where the rail company allows seat selection.

• Wi-Fi on many trains on this route - useful for work, not reliable for streaming
• Quiet coaches and family areas on selected services - ask us when booking
• Bicycles, pushchairs and large luggage accepted within the rail company's rules, which we spell out
• Pets are allowed on many services with a small ticket - let us know if one is travelling

Children, luggage and groups on the Shanghai to Nanjing train

Travelling with children on the train from Shanghai to Nanjing is easy: young children are often free or heavily discounted, seats can be booked together, and there is room to move about. Tell us the ages on the form and we apply the right fares. Luggage is not weighed or charged on this route; you bring what you can lift onto the rack. For groups, we book seats in the same coach and ask about group fares, which usually make the Shanghai to Nanjing train the cheapest way to move several people between the two cities.

Things to do in Nanjing after the train

The reasons travellers take the train to Nanjing are the Sun Yat-sen mausoleum, the Ming city wall, the Confucius temple and Qinhuai river and the Presidential Palace. Nanjing is the old southern capital on the Yangtze, with the Ming city wall, the Sun Yat-sen mausoleum and the Confucius temple quarter.

We offer tours and transfers in Nanjing as well as the train ticket - one conversation, one plan for the whole trip.

Best time to take the train from Shanghai to Nanjing

The train from Shanghai to Nanjing runs all year. High season in Nanjing follows the school holidays and the big events. If you can travel outside those weeks, the same seat costs less and the train is quieter. Whatever the month, early booking is the single biggest saving.

Train, plane or bus from Shanghai to Nanjing?

Train versus plane between Shanghai and Nanjing comes down to time and hassle: the train leaves from and arrives right in the centre, with no baggage limits and no queues; the plane may be quicker in the air but rarely door to door. Buses exist and are cheap, but for comfort and reliability the train is the option Haqqi Tours recommends first.

Return train from Nanjing to Shanghai

The Nanjing to Shanghai train is the same service in reverse, about 1 hour 5 minutes, direct. Haqqi Tours can provide the return ticket in the same conversation; if you are not yet sure of the return date, we book the outbound now and the return when you know, with no penalty for deciding later.

How much does the train from Shanghai to Nanjing cost?

"How much is the train ticket from Shanghai to Nanjing?" is the first question we get, and the honest answer is that it depends on when you travel and when you book. Fares open months ahead at their lowest level and rise as seats sell; peak days, holidays and the first and last departures of the day sit higher; first class and flexible tickets cost more than a fixed second-class seat. Haqqi Tours provides the current cost for your dates shortly afterwards of receiving the form - no estimates, the actual fare.

What we do include in the price we send: the ticket itself in the class you chose, the seat reservation where the railway requires one, and our service - checking the timetable, booking, sending the e-ticket and answering questions before and during the journey. There are no hidden extras added at the end.

Cheapest train ticket from Shanghai to Nanjing: how to pay less

Getting the lowest fare on the train from Shanghai to Nanjing is a matter of timing and flexibility. These are the levers Haqqi Tours pulls to find you a cheap train ticket:

• Let us know if your dates are flexible - moving by a day, or by an hour, often halves the fare
• Ask about children's, youth and senior fares - most operators on this route discount them
• Book both directions together - a return or two singles, whichever comes out cheaper on your dates
• Choose a fixed-departure ticket if your plans are certain; flexible tickets cost more
• For families and groups, ask about group fares - four or more passengers often unlock a lower rate
• Book early - fares on this route open weeks or months ahead and the lowest tiers sell first

When you fill out the form, mention if you are flexible. We compare the fares across the day and send the cheapest Shanghai to Nanjing train ticket first, then the alternatives.

How to book train tickets from Shanghai to Nanjing with Haqqi Tours

Booking a train from Shanghai to Nanjing with us takes a few minutes and one conversation. Fill in the form above with your travel date, whether you want a one-way or a return, how many adults and children are travelling and the class you prefer. Our staff then messages you on WhatsApp to check your booking: we confirm the departures available on that day, the seats and the cost. You choose, we book, and the electronic ticket arrives in the same chat, ready to show on your phone or print.

• Step 1 - complete the form: date, one-way or return, adults and children, class
• Step 2 - we message you by WhatsApp with the available departures, the seats and the cost
• Step 3 - you confirm the departure you prefer and we arrange payment in the same chat
• Step 4 - we issue the electronic ticket and send it to you; we stay in touch until you arrive in Nanjing

Because a person books the ticket, not a machine, we can do the things a booking site cannot: hold seats together for a family, pick the coach nearest the luggage racks, choose a quiet carriage, or line up the Shanghai to Nanjing train with a transfer from your accommodation to Shanghai Hongqiao and another from Nanjing South to your accommodation in Nanjing.

Timetable of the Shanghai to Nanjing train

The exact Shanghai to Nanjing train times change with the season and the day of the week, so we send the timetable for your specific date rather than a list that may be wrong by the time you read it. As a rule the service runs every 10-15 minutes, each taking around 1 hour 5 minutes. Weekend timetables are sometimes thinner in the early morning; holiday periods add extra trains and sell out earlier.

We recommend booking a specific departure rather than an open ticket on this route: the fare is lower and the seat is guaranteed. If your day changes, we can normally move you to another train through the same WhatsApp chat.

Is there a direct train from Shanghai to Nanjing?

Certainly. The train from Shanghai to Nanjing is direct: you board at Shanghai Hongqiao and step off at Nanjing South without changing. That makes it one of the easiest journeys to book - one ticket, one seat, and the luggage stays with you on the rack. A direct train also means there is nothing to miss if the departure runs a few minutes late.

Departure: Shanghai Hongqiao

Your journey starts at Shanghai Hongqiao. Platforms on long-distance routes are announced shortly before departure, so watch the boards; larger stations have separate halls for high-speed and regional trains, and we tell you which one applies to your ticket. The Maglev reaches Longyang Road from Pudong Airport in 8 minutes and the metro continues from there; Hongqiao has Metro Lines 2 and 10. Each ends with a transfer and a walk with luggage, so a car from the terminal is the calm option, and Disneyland or a Hongqiao-to-Pudong hotel is a long drive either way.

• Luggage travels with you: racks at the coach ends and above the seats, no weighing, no fees
• Cafés, kiosks and left-luggage are available at Shanghai Hongqiao for early arrivals
• Haqqi Tours offers a private transfer from your hotel in Shanghai to the station on request
• Just ask which hall or level your train leaves from - big stations have more than one

Why book your Shanghai to Nanjing train ticket with Haqqi Tours

Booking with Haqqi Tours means the train ticket from Shanghai to Nanjing is one message away, not one website away. We look up seats and the cost, we book, we send the ticket, and we stay reachable. Add a transfer or a tour and the whole journey sits on one confirmation. Send the form to start.