Travel Hong Kong:
Getting There and Away

Travel to Hong Kong by Plane

Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong International Airport (IATA: HKG; ICAO: VHHH) which is also known as Chek Lap Kok (named after the small island it was built over), is the main port for visitors to Hong Kong by air. Designed by architect Sir Norman Foster, this modern and efficient building opened in July 1998 and has since been named "World's Best Airport" by Skytrax in annual ratings five times.

There are many direct flights to Hong Kong from every continent in the world. Most major cities in Oceania, Europe and North America are all served with at least one daily flight, and flights between Hong Kong and other major Asian cities are also frequent.

For destinations within China, it is often cheaper to fly from Shenzhen than from Hong Kong, as flights between the mainland and Hong Kong are considered to be international flights and priced accordingly.

For elsewhere in Asia, consider transiting through Macau. Many discount airlines serve Macau because it has lower landing fees than Hong Kong. There are also flights between Hong Kong and several mid-Pacific islands and nations.

Cathay Pacific and its subsidiary airline Dragonair are Hong Kong's main carriers, with Hong Kong Airlines and Hong Kong Express providing some welcome competition.

There are two terminals, creatively called T1 and T2. Signs on approach to the airport by car/taxi list the terminals and check-in zones. The station is located between the two terminals, so follow the signs when you exit the station. Once checked-in, you can clear security at either terminal with an underground shuttle bus outside the security area.

There are probably more shopping opportunities before security at T2, but its shops close earlier. There are lots of shopping opportunities after security as well. Travellers will find an efficient post office in the airport, providing boxes, wrapping material, scissors and tape. It might be more economical to send your excess luggage via surface mail than paying fees to the airline.

There is a manned left luggage facility in the arrival hall, perfect for securely storing your luggage at the airport, for around $55-$80 per day (depending on duration). Opened 6:00AM to 1:00AM.

Overall, services at Chek Lap Kok are generally far better, or at least on par, with those at other major international airports.

Airport Express

The Airport Express is a fast and environmentally friendly form of passenger transport to and from the airport to Tsing Yi, Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The clean, comfortable and efficient train departs every 12 minutes and takes approximately 24 minutes to reach Hong Kong station.

All stations have staff to help you get heavy bags on and off of the train; there is no need to tip them.

Each way costs $60-$100, or a round trip for $110-$180, depending on the distance travelled. If you buy your ticket from a machine you will have to pay the standard fare, however, if you travel with other people you can get a discount from the staff at the counter. If in doubt, ask the staff for advice before you hand over your money.

After reaching your station, free shuttle buses connect to major hotels in Kowloon and Hong Kong island, or you can continue onward by MTR or taxi. Around half of the trip will be underground and some of the "above-ground" travel is through "covered" tracks.

The Airport Express Tourist Transport Pass gives you an Octopus card which is good for three days of unlimited MTR travel, plus one ride on the Airport Express (for $220) or two (for $300).

In effect, you're paying $70 for three days on the MTR, which is a fair bit of travel but might be worth it if you're planning to visit Lantau Island or the New Territories.

You can return the card after use to get back $50 deposit, or keep it for your next trip — any leftover value will remain valid for three years. You can add money to the card, which you can use for payment for buses, trams and most ferries.

Travelling to Hong Kong by Bus

If you wish for a leisurely scenic ride from the airport, you should consider taking a bus. There are two companies which run the airport buses to the city, Citybus ('CityFlyer') and Long Win. They will offer lush views of Lantau Island and traverse over the Tsing Ma Bridge, the seventh longest suspension bridge in the world.

Taking a bus to the airport is cheaper, but generally slower than the train. However, if the bus stops very near your hotel, this may involve less walking and less lugging than the Airport Express.

For example, the A21 ($33) bus will take you down Nathan Road, Kowloon's main artery, stopping outside many hotels and hostels. Lines A10, A11 and A12 goes to Hong Kong Island ($48, $40 and $45 respectively).

Many locals save money by taking bus S1 from the airport to the Tung Chung MTR station ($3.50) and connect to the ordinary MTR for a cheaper ride to the city (Kowloon $17, Hong Kong $23).

This interchange will involve about ten minutes walking. Free Airport Express shuttle buses can then connect you from Kowloon and Hong Kong MTR stations to various hotels in each area.

If you are on a budget, take an "E" (External) route bus rather than the "A" (Airbus) routes bus, which takes about 20 minutes longer (50-60 min instead of 35-40 min) and are about half the price (e.g. $21 for the E11 from Central).

These 'External' buses are geared more for airport and airline workers, so they make several detours around Tung Chung and corporate offices. They will also give a nice tour around the airport island.

However, E21 (Olympic MTR Station to Airport) takes more than an hour to the airport comparing to A21 (as E21 tour around not only airport island but Kowloon peninsula).

For a full listing of buses available at HKIA refer to the Hong Kong airport website.

Taxi Rides from and to the Airport

A taxi from the airport to the city (Central/Mid-levels) will cost you around $350 depending on your exact destination. If you have three or more people travelling together, it is generally cheaper to travel by taxi than by Airport Express, but you may have a problem fitting so many bags into the taxi. Use a red taxi for destinations to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, Green taxis are restricted to the New Territories and blue taxis are for Lantau Island.

The official taxi fare table is available online. There is a large chart at the exit to the taxi stand showing the approximate fares to most destinations. The law is strict on taxi drivers who must charge according to the meter. According to the Hong Kong Transport Department, the first two kilometres costs $18, then $1.50 for each 200 metres. When the meter fare reaches $70.5, the cost for each 200 metres will change to $1.00 The meter fare does not include the luggage fee, toll fee, waiting fee or pet fee.

Taxis from the airport to downtown Kowloon can suffer from traffic congestion. If you are going to Hong Kong Island, tell the taxi driver to use the "Western Harbour Crossing" to avoid congestion, but this will attract an additional surcharge.

From the airport there are private cars and vans operating illegally as taxis. Do not take these as they are not licensed and in case of accidents, your insurance will not cover you.

In-City Airport Check-In

If departing Hong Kong by air, you can check-in your luggage and get boarding passes at two MTR stations in the city. These stations serve as airport satellite locations with airline staff and ticketing booths. This is convenient for people wishing to spend precious final hours in the city instead of at remote Lantau Island where the airport is located.

The two MTR stations providing this service are Hong Kong (next to MTR Central station) and Kowloon (in West Kowloon). If you opt for these check-in services, you must first pay the fare for riding Airport Express (which is a faster but more expensive way of getting to the airport). With some airlines, such as Cathay Pacific, you can drop off your luggage up to one day before travel, get your boarding passes, go off on that last shopping foray, and then return to ride Airport Express to complete your Hong Kong adventure.

Usually there are some sort of Airport Express discounts offers, check the MTR Airport Express website for most up-to-date discounts.

Shenzhen International Airport

Because flying from Hong Kong to the mainland is considered an international flight, flying around mainland China using Shenzhen Airport (IATA: SZX) is often significantly cheaper.

Many hotels in Hong Kong offer a shuttle bus from the hotel direct to Shenzhen airport. In the recently completed Elements shopping centre above the Kowloon MTR station on the Tung Chung and the Airport Express line, there is a shop front waiting room where you can check-in and receive your boarding pass (although check in at this location is not available for China Southern Airlines passengers), and then board a bus direct to Shenzhen airport.

This in-town check-in is completely separate from the in-town check-in provided for Hong Kong International Airport. Take the escalators up from the AE/MTR station to 1/F of the Elements Mall, turn right, and then it is opposite Starbucks.

The bus uses the new western passage immigration facilities where both Hong Kong SAR and Chinese immigration formalities are completed under one roof.

The cost of the service is $100 and the bus is advertised to take 75 minutes, but is more like 90 minutes in reality. Buses currently run every half an hour from 6:30AM to 7PM at Hong Kong side, and from 10AM to 9PM at Shenzhen side.

Macau International Airport

Because of higher fees at Hong Kong International Airport, it is often cheaper to fly out of Macau International Airport (IATA: MFM). Air Asia has set up a hub at Macau and flies to destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok among others.

Macau International Airport is easily reached by ferry from Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Hong Kong International Airport. With the Express Link service, you can even transfer directly from airport to ferry (or vice versa) without going through Macau immigration.

Macau Hong Kong By helicopter

Sky Shuttle operates a helicopter service every 30 minutes from the Terminal Marítimo in Macau to the Shun Tak Heliport (IATA: HHP; ICAO: VHST) at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Island. The trip takes 16 minutes and one-way fares cost $2,200, plus $200 on weekends and public holidays.

Macau Hong Kong By boat

Hong Kong is only a 1 hour hydrofoil ride away from Macau, and there are good connections to mainland China as well. There are two main companies handling the services, TurboJet and First Ferry. The ferries are comfortable and are a handy way of travelling in the region. The main terminals are:

• Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier - 202 Connaught Road (Sheung Wan MTR exit D), Central.
• TurboJet - every 5 to 30 min, 24 hours a day to Macau.
• Cotai Jet - every 15 to 30 min, 24 hours a day to Taipa, Macau.
• Hong Kong China Ferry Terminal - 33 Canton Road (Tsim Sha Tsui MTR exit A1), Kowloon.
• Chu Kong Passenger Transport - to Zhuhai and various points in Guangdong.
• New World First Ferry - every 30 min to Macau.
• Xunlong - to Shekou in Shenzhen.

Travel Hong Kong By Ship

The Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui is one of the hubs of Star Cruise. Cruise ships leave from here for various cities in Vietnam, mainland China and Taiwan.

There are also long haul services all the way to Singapore via ports in Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.

Travel Hong Kong By Land

Crossing the border to mainland China puts you in Shenzhen, a well-developed boomtown. Please note that there are special visa regulations if you plan to visit Shenzhen.

There are six land checkpoints between Hong Kong and mainland China, namely Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, Lok Ma Chau, Man Kam To, Sha Tau Ko and Shenzhen Bay.

Lo Wu is a train and pedestrian crossing; Lok Ma Chau spur line is a pedestrian crossing; Lok Ma Chau and Sha Tau Kok are road, cross-boundary bus and pedestrian crossings; while Man Kam To and Shenzhen Bay bridge are road and cross-boundary bus crossings.

Lo Wu

This control point can only be accessed by the MTR East Rail Line and the crossing can only be done on foot (unless you take a through-train from Hung Hom where the train will not stop at all. See "By train" section below). It is often congested with travellers during weekends and holidays, so if you want to avoid for the long queues, please use the other control points on holidays. Visa-on-arrival can be obtained on the Chinese side.Getting there/away: Trains from Tsim Sha Tsui East to Lo Wu run every five to eight minutes. Shenzhen city centre lies just beyond the Chinese immigration checkpoint.

Lok Ma Chau Spur Line

This crossing can be accessed by the MTR East Rail Line, by bus/minibuses or by taxi, and the crossing can only be done on foot. Using the double-decked Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang pedestrian bridge, passengers will find themselves at the FuTian immigration checkpoint of the PRC. The control point is not popular and thus less crowded than at Lo Wu. Travellers should note that its opening hours is slightly shorter than that of Lo Wu. Getting there/away: While 1 out of 2/3 northbound East Rail Line trains terminates at that station, the control point can also be reached from Yuen Long by KMB bus number B1 or by minibus number 75. On the Shenzhen side, Fu Tian Checkpoint metro station is just after the immigration checkpoint.

Lok Ma Chau

This crossing consists of separate facilities for pedestrians which is accessed by bus and for road vehicles, and is the only border control point which offers 24-hour immigration services. A shuttle service, known as the "Yellow Bus", operates between the Lok Ma Chau Public Transport Interchange located at San Tin and Huanggang Port of the PRC side. Alternatively, travellers can board the express buses from urban areas of Hong Kong which will carry their passengers directly to the control point. For both modes, passengers after passing through Hong Kong Immigration control has to board the same bus at the other side of the control point, which will then carry them to Huanggang port of Shenzhen side, where they need to get off again and pass through PRC immigration control. Getting there/away: The Lok Ma Chau Public Transport Interchange is served by KMB buses 277, N277, 76K, and 276B, and passengers can board the "Yellow Bus" shuttle there. Alternatively, passenger can board the buses to the port at urban areas in Hong Kong (See "By bus" section below). Over in Shenzhen, a large taxi stand and a bus terminus is right outside the control point but its no where near the Fu Tian Checkpoint metro station .

Man Kam To

This crossing is mostly used by private vehicles and cross-boundary buses. See "By bus" section below.

Sha Tau Kok

Located furthest east, this control point can be accessed by taking the cross-boundary coach. It is quite a distance from the centre of Shenzhen and is relatively quiet. There are no Chinese visa-on-arrival facilities. See "By bus" section below.

Shenzhen Bay Bridge

This control point links Hong Kong directly with Shekou, Shenzhen. It can be used by private vehicles and cross-boundary buses. See "By bus" section below.

Please note that all the crossings, save for Shenzhen Bay Bridge, are located in the Frontier Closed Area and everyone is required to have a permit to be there unless crossing the border. Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau can be easily reached by train, but if you are just there to look around, be ready for some security questioning. It is also not easy to directly access the train departure area from the arrivals area.

Travel Hong Kong by Bus

There are some Cross Boundary coaches operating from the business districts in Kowloon or Hong Kong Island to the Chinese side of the checkpoint. If you take these coaches, there is no need to change for the yellow shuttle bus and hence it is a good choice for boundary crossing to avoid the queues.

There are 6 lines of short trip cross boundary coaches serves the port,

Jordan, Kowloon departs from Scout Centre, Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (5 mins walk from Jordan MTR).

Mongkok, Kowloon departs from Portland Street, near Metropark Hotel Mongkok (exit from Prince Edward Hotel).

Wanchai, Hong Kong Island departs from Wanchai Ferry Bus Terminus.

Kwun Tong, Kowloon departs from Lam Tin MTR, stops at Kwun Tong APM Shopping Plaza and Kwun Tong Rd, Kowloon Bay MTR.

Tsuen Wan departs from Discovery Park Bus Terminus (10 mins walk from Tsuen Wan MTR).

Kam Sheng Road departs from Kam Sheung Road West Rail Station.

Except the route to Kam Sheng Road, 24 hour services are provided with half hourly or hourly departure in midnight and around 10-20 mins per bus during the day and evening.

Lok Ma Chau is a around-the-clock border crossing ; visa-on-arrival can be obtained on the Chinese side (subject to nationality, at the present, applications from USA passport holders are not accepted).

Man Kam To control point can be accessed by taking the cross-boundary coach on the bus interchange under the shopping centre of West Kowloon Centre, Sham Shui Po (near Sham Shui Po MTR)in Kowloon, which costs $35, the bus calls at Landmark North also, which is just adjacent to Sheung Shui MTR Station, with section fare of $22. It is seldom crowded with travellers even during holiday periods.

You can also enjoy the free shuttle service outside the Chinese checkpoint, which takes you to the central area of Shenzhen. However, no visa-on-arrival can be obtained on the Chinese side, which means you need to arrange for your visa in advanced before arrival.

It is the best route to go to the downtown in Shenzhen especially during holidays.

Sha Tau Kok control point can be accessed by taking the cross-boundary coach on the bus interchange at Luen Wo Hui in Fanling and Kowloon Tong. It connects the eastern boundary of Hong Kong and Shenzhen and it is a bit remote from the central part on Shenzhen. As a consequence, only very few passengers choose to cross the boundary using this checkpoint. No visa-on-arrival can be obtained on the Chinese side.

Coaches departs from Kowloon Tong MTR from 7:00 to 18:30 every 15 minutes which costs $20, which is also the cheapest direct coach to Shenzhen.

Shenzhen Bay control point links Hong Kong directly with Shekou, Shenzhen, and can be accessed conveniently by public buses. Route B2 departs from Yuen Long Railway Station via Tin Shui Wai Railway Station to Shenzhen Bay, while B3 departs from Tuen Mun Pier. There is also a express coach service departing from Sham Shui Po to Shenzhen Bay.

Travel Hong Kong by bicycle

Travellers arriving to Hong Kong by bike, should carefully assess the feasibility of riding into the city from the border with mainland China. Bicycles are not permitted in all tunnels and on most highways.

Very few Hongkongers manage to use a bike as a substitute for public transport. However, roads in the country parks, because of the hilly landscape, are ideal for adventure biking. See Cycling in Hong Kong

Crossing the land border from Shenzhen to Hong Kong with a bicycle is possible at some checkpoints:

• Lo Wu: Here there is an MTR train running to urban areas and cycles are allowed on the train with a payment of between $20 and $40, depending upon the time of day, and provided that the front wheel is removed. As with all other border crossings, travellers have to pass through both Chinese and Hong Kong border controls before boarding the train in Hong Kong.
• Lok Ma Chau: No one can pass through this checkpoint either on foot or by bicycle. While most passengers take a bus connecting to urban areas, it's possible for bikers to take the "yellow bus" ($7) just to the other side of the border. There is not much luggage space on this bus and you may be required to disassemble your bike.
• Man Kam To: This border crossing is for lorries and cars. The possibility of cycling via this checkpoint is unknown.

Travel Hong Kong By Train

MTR Corporation runs regular Intercity Passenger Train services from Hung Hom station on Kowloon side. The destinations are Guangzhou (East), Dongguan, Foshan and Zhaoqing in Guangdong Province, as well as Beijing and Shanghai.

Best Time to Travel to Hong Kong

Weather— For those who are seeking warm, dry and sunny weather, the ideal time is October to December. Those who are wanting to escape the humidity of tropical climates will appreciate the cooler months of January to March. The temperature ranges from 9°C to 24°C during winter, and from 26°C to 33°C during summer. The humidity is typically high in the spring and worse in the summer, when high temperatures (usual maximum of 32-34°C) are often recorded.

Events — During Chinese New Year, whilst there are some extra celebratory events such as a lion dances, fireworks, and parades, many shops and restaurants are closed for three to five days. The official public holiday lasts three days.

Culture lovers will be able to feast on a multitude of cultural activities from February to April. The Hong Kong Arts Festival, a month-long festival of international performances, is held in February and March. The Man Literary Festival, a two-week English language festival with international writers as guests, is held in March. The Hong Kong International film festival, a three-week event, is held in late March to early April.

Rugby fans, and those wishing to party, should come during the weekend of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens  This annual event brings many visitors in from around the world to celebrate the most entertaining installment in the IRB Sevens Series. It is a giant three day sellout event that takes place between the last days of March and beginning of April.

There is a second round of cultural activities in the autumn lasting till the end of the year.

Christmas is also a nice time to visit as many stores since many shopping centres are nicely decorated and the festive mood is apparent across the city. Major buildings facing the harbour are decorated in christmas lights to add to the festive spirit.

Content sourced from Wikitravel

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