Transportation in Hong Kong

Unlike most countries where owning your own car is the convenient way of getting around, Hong Kong residents get around fastest through public transport. As a tourist, I suggest you not rent a car. First of all, it is very expensive to rent in HK an d second, you will never find parking. Many residents in Hong Kong have to purchase their own car park if they wish to own a car. The average cost of a automobile their is double the United States because of 100% tax on automobiles. Gasoline costs doub le as much also. A car park, depending on which area you buy it can cost up to $300,000 USD each. No kidding, in $300 K in United States currency to purchase space the size of a car in good areas. Even when you do purchase a car, you are usually stuck in traffic with it, there are just too many cars already considering the small size of Hong Kong.

Fortunately, there is public transport. It is the most reliable, convenient, and fastest way to get anywhere within Hong Kong. Unlike the public transport here in the U.S., the public transport in Hong Kong is almost always on time and is cleaner a nd all of them are air-conditioned. There are many different forms of public transportation, the major ones include:
  1. Mass Transit Railway (MTR)
  2. Public light buses (small vans)
  3. Buses
  4. Trolleys
  5. Light Rail
  6. Train
  7. Ferries and Hydrofoils
  8. Taxis

The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is the second busiest railway in the world. It's underground railway system is similar to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) or a subway. It travels quite fast and will never be stuck in a traffic jam. The MTR train s come by every 2-3 minutes depending on the time of the day so you will never have to wait long. It travels through most of the major areas in Hong Kong island and Kowloon and has one station in the New Territories. It stops by all the places I will di scuss such as Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, Causeway Bay, and Central / Admiralty. It does not travel to the south side of Hong Kong island, to places such as Ocean Park, Stanley, or Repulse Bay. Click here for a map of the MTR a nd Train routes in Hong Kong. It's prices are very reasonable, you can purchase either single journey passes or a $70 or $100 stored value ticket.

Public Light Buses are really privately operated licensed vans seating from 12 to 16 people that travels throughout Hong Kong. Each has specific pick up areas and follow a standard route to a final destination. Passengers request right before they get off where they wish to get off. This is the cheapest way of getting around Hong Kong besides buses but you really have to know where you are going and whether the vans can get you there. So I suggest if you are a tourist, don't take it unless someone familiar directs you.

Of course there are simply Buses. Some have air-conditioning some don't. You pay a bit more for the air-conditioned buses, but in the summer it is definitely worth it. Again, these buses follow a standard route so be careful not to get onto the wrong one. Unlike the Public Light Buses, they only stop at bus stops.
Trolleys run only on Hong Kong Island. These are electric large two story trolleys and run only on major streets heading both directions. They are fun to ride and is the greatest deal you will ever get on transportation. The last time I took it, it cost me 40 Hong Kong cents, equivalent to a nickel here in the U.S.. Ride it for fun and sightseeing on Hong Kong island, it will bring you to most of the major spots there.Light Rail runs only in the New Territories and is considered the convenient transportation there. It will bring you to all the major housing areas and shopping / commercial areas.

Trains (KCR) run from Kowloon all the way to Mainland China. These trains look and even feel like the MTR but they are not when you pay attention. This is the fastest and most convenient way to get to the New Territories. It stops at all the major areas including Sha Tin, Chinese University, and the last stop is in Lo Wu located in Shen Zhen, China. They cost a bit more than the MTR and you can use the same tickets for both the trains and the MTR.
To get between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon you have to cross the harbour. You can travel through automobile through one of the two underground tunnels, or you can take the MTR which has it's own tunnel to cross the harbour. And of course you can al ways take the Star Ferries. These giant boats are very cheap although not very fast, but they offer you a great view as you cross the harbour. If recommend you try to take it at least once while in Hong Kong. Hydrofoils bring you to the v arious outlying islands in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has dozens of smaller islands including Lantau Island which is even larger than Hong Kong Island itself. There are lots to see on these islands, but I am not going to discuss any of them in this homepage. Hydrofoils also can bring you to the New Territories such as Tuen Mun and even to Macau (another country close to Hong Kong).
Lastly, there are Taxis. I rely on this transportation a lot. It gets you everywhere and right up to the door. Taxis in Hong Kong are differentiated by the areas they serve. Red colored taxis serve both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon and Green taxis serve the New Territories. Where as the red taxis can often bring you to the New Territories, the Green ones cannot bring you to Kowloon or Hong Kong Island. The starting meter price is also different for each area. Kowloon taxis start at $13 HK D for the first two kilometers whereas the Hong Kong taxis start at $14 HKD. The Green ones start at a somewhat lower price. Whereas getting around in other types of transportation require you know exactly which one will get you there, most taxi drivers know a bit of English and can bring you to the right spot. If you have a map you can point to the place or have someone else write down on a piece of paper where you want to go. If that fails, taxi drivers can call into stations where they have transla tors readily available.

[Introduction] [When to Visit] [Hong Kong Island]

[Kowloon] [Shopping] [Transportation] [Things to Do in HK]

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page