Very large airport, although you need to follow th...

Very large airport, although you need to follow the overhead signs closely. They are in both English and Chinese. Many of the airport staff doesn't speak much English or very minimal. Luckily I had an electronic dictionary which I can type words in English and can translate into Chinese which helps, especially when asking for directions. Entering China is easy and quick through immigration but exiting China takes far longer. It took me almost 2 hours with traffic to get to the airport from downtown Shanghai and an additional 2-2.5 hours to check in, clear security, customs, immigration and to my gate. I only had 25 mins left to spare for my flight so I wasn't able to grab anything to eat prior to boarding. It's suggested to check in at least 3 hours prior to departure but I usually recommend getting there at least 4 hours to give yourself time to complete your formalities.