How to get from Shanghai to Hangzhou by train
Book a train from Shanghai Hongqiao (上海虹桥) or Shanghai South (上海南) to Hangzhou East (杭州东). That is where most trains run. For 14 October 2026, a Wednesday, the 12306 English site listed 262 different trains from Shanghai to Hangzhou in total. Of the trains taking 2.5 hours or less, 109 ran from Hongqiao to Hangzhou East in 45m to 1h27m, with second-class seats at ¥65–¥87 where no discount label showed and ¥57–¥83 where one did.
Timetables and fares change from day to day. Treat every train count, time and price on this page as what 12306 showed for 14 October 2026, not as a permanent schedule. Search your own date on 12306 before you plan around a train.
Which Shanghai station should I leave from?
Shanghai has several railway stations, and the Shanghai government's English guide tells you to confirm your departure station before you travel. For Hangzhou, 12306 showed the most trains from Hongqiao, then Songjiang and Shanghai South, for 14 October 2026. Pick the one that is easier to reach from where you are staying.
| Station | Where | Metro lines |
|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Hongqiao (上海虹桥) | Shengui Road, Minhang district | 2, 10 and 17 |
| Shanghai South (上海南) | Humin Road, Xuhui district | 1, 3 and 15 |
| Shanghai Railway Station (上海站) | Moling Road, Jing'an district | 1, 3 and 4 |
| Shanghai Songjiang (上海松江) | Songxian Road, Songjiang district | 9 |
| Shanghai West (上海西) | Taopu Road, Putuo district | 11 and 15 |
| Jinshanbei (金山北) | Xinghao Road, Jinshan district | Not listed in the Shanghai government's station guide |
| Liantang (练塘) | North Zhanqian Road and Sanfeng Road, Qingpu district | Not listed in the Shanghai government's station guide |
The 12306 search for Shanghai covers all Shanghai stations. On the English site, a plain "Shanghai" (上海) as a departure point means Shanghai Railway Station. It had only a handful of Hangzhou trains for 14 October 2026: among trains of 2.5 hours or less, 3 to Hangzhou East and 1 to Hangzhou Railway Station.
How long does the train take, and what does a seat cost?
This table shows what 12306 listed for 14 October 2026, for trains of 2.5 hours or less, by station pair. A train that stops at two Shanghai stations, or at two Hangzhou stations, is counted under each pair it serves, so the rows add up to more than 262. The fare columns are the second-class seat, split by whether 12306 showed an "N% off" discount label next to the price. Most fares that day carried one; for labelled fares, the page shows only the discounted price, so their full fares are higher. Fares change by train and date.
| From | To | Trains | Travel time | Second class, no discount label | Second class, with a discount label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hongqiao | Hangzhou East | 109 (98 G, 11 D) | 45m to 1h27m | ¥65–¥87 | ¥57–¥83 (4% to 34% off) |
| Shanghai South | Hangzhou East | 43 (36 G, 5 D, 2 C) | 46m to 1h46m | ¥33–¥86 | ¥47–¥82 (4% to 24% off) |
| Hongqiao | Hangzhou West | 39 (29 G, 6 C, 4 D) | 1h5m to 2h3m | — | ¥87–¥123 (11% to 37% off) |
| Songjiang | Hangzhou South | 27 (19 K, 3 D, 3 T, 2 G) | 51m to 2h16m | ¥33 | ¥80 (1% off) |
| Shanghai South | Hangzhou West | 19 (12 G, 6 C, 1 D) | 1h4m to 1h37m | — | ¥86–¥122 (10% to 37% off) |
| Songjiang | Hangzhou West | 18 (14 G, 3 C, 1 D) | 54m to 1h21m | — | ¥74–¥98 (17% to 37% off) |
| Jinshanbei | Hangzhou East | 17 (14 G, 3 D) | 34m to 53m | ¥49–¥61 | ¥37–¥55 (9% to 24% off) |
| Songjiang | Hangzhou East | 17 (14 G, 2 D, 1 C) | 36m to 1h22m | ¥57–¥70 | ¥40–¥63 (9% to 24% off) |
| Songjiang | Hangzhou Railway Station | 15 (5 D, 5 K, 2 G, 2 Z, 1 Y) | 49m to 2h14m | ¥27–¥36 | ¥65–¥68 (10% to 14% off) |
| Shanghai South | Hangzhou South | 10 (7 D, 2 G, 1 C) | 1h11m to 1h56m | ¥36–¥47 | ¥53–¥88 (9% to 22% off) |
| Shanghai South | Hangzhou Railway Station | 5 (4 C, 1 G) | 1h6m to 1h45m | — | ¥49–¥78 (9% to 15% off) |
| Jinshanbei | Hangzhou South | 3 (2 G, 1 D) | 50m to 1h1m | — | ¥45–¥66 (8% to 22% off) |
| Shanghai Railway Station | Hangzhou East | 3 (3 G) | 1h25m to 1h36m | ¥106 | — |
| Hongqiao | Hangzhou Railway Station | 3 (3 G) | 1h to 1h8m | — | ¥79–¥84 (9% to 15% off) |
| Hongqiao | Hangzhou South | 3 (3 G) | 1h7m to 1h18m | — | ¥80–¥97 (1% to 18% off) |
| Liantang | Hangzhou West | 2 (2 G) | 1h2m | — | ¥78–¥81 (23% to 26% off) |
| Shanghai Railway Station | Hangzhou Railway Station | 1 (1 G) | 1h38m | — | ¥94 (15% off) |
| Shanghai West | Hangzhou East | 1 (1 G) | 1h26m | ¥103 | — |
A few rows from the same search show what individual trains looked like for 14 October 2026:
- G205: Hongqiao 07:00 to Hangzhou East 07:45, 45m. Second class ¥87, first class ¥140, business class ¥306.
- G255: Shanghai South 09:07 to Hangzhou East 09:53, 46m. Second class ¥86.
- G8961: Hongqiao 07:58 to Hangzhou West 09:03, 1h5m. Second class ¥116, shown with a 16% off label.
- D203: Songjiang 08:16 to Hangzhou South 09:46, second class ¥33.
- G7355: Shanghai South 19:38 to Hangzhou Railway Station 20:44, 1h6m. Second class ¥78, shown with a 15% off label.
The same search also listed two slow trains on other routes: Y701 from Shanghai West (2h39m) and G8388 from Shanghai Railway Station to Hangzhou East (6h55m, lowest fare ¥554, shown with a 3% off label). They are not the usual choice, so ignore them when you plan.
If you need to change the date or cancel, the 12306 English site offers ticket changes and refunds. Fees are on our 12306 refund and change fees page.
Which Hangzhou station will I arrive at?
Hangzhou has four railway stations, and the Hangzhou tourism portal (2023) describes them like this:
- Hangzhou East (杭州东): 1 Tiancheng Road, Jianggan District. It is a large comprehensive hub, and most of the Shanghai trains on the 12306 search for 14 October 2026 arrive here.
- Hangzhou Railway Station (杭州站): 1 Huancheng East Road, Shangcheng District. Locals call it "City Station" (Chengzhan, 城站), and it is an inner-city station.
- Hangzhou West (杭州西): West Liangmu Road, Cangqian Street, Yuhang District. It has been in service since 22 September 2022.
- Hangzhou South (杭州南): 1 Zhanqian Road, Xiaoshan District. It was formerly Xiaoshan Railway Station, and it is about 18 km from Hangzhou Railway Station and 20 km from Hangzhou East.
On the 12306 English site, Hangzhou Railway Station appears as plain "Hangzhou" (杭州). Check the arrival station on the ticket page before you pay: Hangzhou South alone is about 20 km from Hangzhou East. If you are not sure, Hangzhou East is the safe default for the Shanghai route.
Metro lines, from a 2024 Hangzhou city article: Hangzhou East has lines 1, 4, 6 and 19. Hangzhou Railway Station has line 5, and the 2023 Hangzhou metro page also puts Line 1 through it. Hangzhou South has line 5. Hangzhou West has line 3, and that 2023 page adds line 19.
How to get from the Hangzhou station to West Lake
For a first visit, take metro Line 1. The Hangzhou metro page says Line 1 runs through both Hangzhou East and Hangzhou Railway Station, and that it passes the West Lake scenic area. Between the two stations it stops at Zhalongkou, Datieguan, West Lake Cultural Square, Wulin Square, Fengqi Road, Longxiangqiao and Ding'an Road. The Hangzhou tourism portal's attractions page (2019, so old) names Longxiangqiao (龙翔桥), Fengqi Road (凤起路) and Ding'an Road (定安路) as the Line 1 stops for West Lake. The Hangzhou metro page gives no ride time between Hangzhou East and Hangzhou Railway Station, so don't plan to the minute.
The 2024 city article, a Hangzhou Daily piece for the May Day holiday, passes on these suggestions from the city bus group. Bus numbers can change, so treat them as a starting point:
- From Hangzhou East: take Line 1 to Wulin Square and transfer to buses. Or, from the East Square bus station, take bus 108 to Yigongyuan (一公园), where "you are at the West Lake scenic area".
- From Hangzhou Railway Station: bus 7 runs between the station and Lingyin (灵隐), passing the Yan'an Road business district, Yue Fei Tomb and the Botanical Garden. The article calls it the first bus line in Zhejiang.
- From Hangzhou South: take line 5 to Chengzhan (Hangzhou Railway Station), then bus 7 for the north route of West Lake. Or take line 5 to Nanxingqiao, then line 4 to Shuichengqiao and a bus.
- From Hangzhou West: take line 3 to Dongyue (exit D), then the West Lake metro shuttle to Lingyin.
The Hangzhou metro and tourism portal pages cited here don't give the metro fare or taxi fares and queue rules, so this page doesn't quote them.
Do I need my passport, and how early should I get to the station?
Yes, bring your passport. Real-name tickets need a valid ID, and the 12306 English FAQ says foreign passengers can buy them with valid passports. On the 12306 English website, only valid foreign passports are accepted. For an e-ticket, you show the same ID document you used to buy it to enter and leave the station and to board. The e-ticket "itinerary sheet" you can print or download cannot be used as a ticket.
There is a security check. 12306 says all passengers and their belongings are subject to it, and you place your bags in the inspection machine and walk through the security gate at the station entrance. There may be queues at the ticket window, security check, ID verification and ticket gate. Ticket sales and checking stop before departure, and the station announcement gives the time. The FAQ tells you to reserve enough time but gives no number of minutes. If you carry a power bank, read our power bank rules page first.
Before you go
Look at the departure and arrival station names on your ticket, and keep your passport in your hand, not packed in your suitcase. For the rest of your trip, see our Hangzhou travel guide and Shanghai travel guide.
