P4 is the known budget lot at PVG; P5 is barely documented
Shanghai Pudong’s published long-term budget option is the remote P4 lot, and official English guides barely mention a P5 Economy Parking Lot at all. That usually means P5 is either a small overflow area or a local-only label tied to the long-stay section of the campus. Treat it as a basic long-term option, not a premium garage right next to T1 or T2.
PVG’s long-term parking sits outside both T1 and T2, with shuttle or walkway access depending on which lot you land in. P4 is clearly marked as long-term; P5 Economy likely lives in the same general zone on the airport road loop that feeds both terminals. Plan on a few extra minutes compared with the close-in hourly areas in front of T1 and T2.
Pricing for P5 Economy Parking Lot is not listed in current English-language sources, while P4 is repeatedly called a “cheap” long-term choice in local guides. Assume P5 tracks the long-stay structure used across PVG: cheaper per 24 hours than the terminal-front short‑stay zones, but not as cheap as off-airport hotel or third‑party lots along Yingbin Expressway.
Type-wise, P5 is long-term, so think in days, not hours. That matches how PVG positions P4, which is aimed at multi-day trips out of T1 and T2. If you’re parking for one quick overnight layover, the short‑stay decks near each terminal door may still be simpler, even if the day rate comes out higher than an economy field like P5.
Because there are no consistent traveler reports, treat P5 as “function-first”: open-air surface parking, basic lighting, and standard PVG patrols, roughly similar to what you’d see in P4’s long-term rows. If you need guaranteed, clearly mapped access, follow airport signs specifically pointing to P4 Long-Term, then ask the attendant at the entry gate where the P5 economy section sits.
Tip: Screenshot the latest PVG parking map before you drive in, then follow terminal signs for P4/Parking Long-Term and confirm “P5 Economy” with staff at the first manned booth.