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Hongkong Transport
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- Updated:
- Sep 26, 2009;
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- China Highlights;
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Charming view,comfortable feeling
Getting Around
Hong Kong is small and crowded, therefore public transport is the only practical way to get around. Consequently, public transport is cheap, fast, widely used and generally efficient.
Vehicle Hire
There is no need to drive yourself around Hong Kong, unless you are planning an excursion to the New Territories. Even then, you may do better with public transport unless you are going to a very remote location. Car rental companies require either an International Driver's Permit or one from your home country and a credit card deposit of HK$5000. Drivers must be at least 25 years of age. Daily rates range from HK$700 for a small car to HK$3000 for an up-market vehicle. Reputable car rental companies are: Ace in Happy Valley (Tel: 2560-8689); and Avis in Causeway Bay (Tel: 2890-6988)
Airport
Hong Kong is the main gateway to China and much of East Asia. Therefore, the international air service is excellent and competition keeps the fares relatively low compared to neighboring countries.
Hong Kong International Airport, also known as Chek Lap Kok, is a highly modern institution set on reclaimed land off Lantau Island.
Hong Kong Airport pickups & Transfers
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Train
Light Transit Rail (LTR)
The MTR is clean, fast, safe and easy. It is one of the world's most modern subway systems. Though it costs a bit more than other forms of public transport, it is the quickest way to get to most destinations. Trains run every 2-4 minutes from 6am to 1am daily on three lines. Fares range from HK$5 to HK$15. If you plan on doing a lot of traveling, the Octopus Card offers excellent value on MTR, LRT, KMB, City bus and HKF ferries. Octopus Cards can be purchased from ticket offices or customer service centers in MRT, KCR East Rail and LRT stations, and certain ferry piers of the HKF.
For short trips, the MTR is not the best value. For example, if you want to cross the harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central, the MTR is about five times the price of the Star Ferry without the views and is only slightly faster. However, if your destination is further away, the MTR is considerably faster than a ferry or bus and about the same price.
Bus
The extensive bus system offers a bewildering number of routes that take you just about anywhere in Hong Kong. Most visitors use the buses to explore the south side of Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. Northern Hong Kong and Kowloon are best explored and well-served by the MTR.
In Central, the most important bus station is on the ground floor under the Exchange Square. From this station, you can catch buses to Aberdeen, Repulse Bay, Stanley and other southern destinations.
In Kowloon, the Star Ferry Bus Station is the most useful, with buses to the KCR station and points in eastern and western Kowloon.
Taxi
Hong Kong taxis are not too expensive compared to other major modern cities. With more than 18,000 cruising the streets, taxis are usually easy to flag down, except at bus stops and restricted areas where the curb is painted yellow. Taxis can also be difficult to flag during rush hours. Taxi fares start at around HK$15. If you go through any harbour tunnels, you must pay twice the toll as the driver's return toll has to be paid as well.
Many taxis have a card that lists the top 50 destinations in English, Cantonese and Japanese. This is useful as most drivers don't speak English. It's a good idea to have your destination written down in Chinese. If you leave something behind in the taxi or feel a taxi driver has ripped you off, get the taxi number and call the police hotline on 2527-7177.
Ferry
Hong Kong's ferries are almost always faster and cheaper than the buses and provide fantastic photo opportunities. The Star Ferry crosses the harbour between Central and Kowloon, taking just 7 minutes. Ferries operate every 5-10 minutes. Adults over 65 years of age ride free and there are discounts for children under 12.
The HKF Company operates a number of useful ferries and hovercraft between Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. Hovercraft are twice as fast as conventional boats, more modern and more comfortable. The drawback is that they are not particularly smooth and when the weather is rough, hovercraft bounce considerably.
HKF also operates ferries to the Outlaying Islands of Lantau, Lamma, Cheung Chau and Peng Chau islands. These ferries depart from in front of Exchange Square in Central. The piers are all clearly signposted. On weekends, there are a few ferries to Lantau and Cheng Chau from the Star Ferry terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. Fares are reasonable, except on weekends when the prices nearly double.
Daily ferries operate between Hong Kong and Zhuhai, which are frequent and fast. A single trip will take about 70 minutes.
| Departure Port | Destination Port | Departure Time |
|---|---|---|
| Jiuzhou Port, Zhuhai | China Ferry Terminal, Hong Kong | 08:00, 10:00, 11:45, 14:00 16:00, 17:00 |
| Jiuzhou Port, Zhuhai | HK-Macau Ferry Terminal, Hong Kong | 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 18:00, 19:30, 20:30, 21:30 |
| China Ferry Terminal, Hong Kong | Jiuzhou Port, Zhuhai | 07:30, 08:30, 09:30, 11:30 13:30, 15:30, 17:45 |
| HK-Macau Ferry Terminal, Hong Kong | Jiuzhou Port, Zhuhai | 08:40, 10:30, 12:30, 14:30 16:30, 19:30, 21:30 |
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Hong Kong Airport
As one of the most important hubs for international passenger and cargo flow, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is a great asset to Hong Kong. The success in keeping the flow fluent and reliable and in providing a high-quality service to airport customers has won the airport many prestigious awards.
The latest accolades HKIA has received include the Best Airport Worldwide as chosen by both business and leisure travellers, according to the results of the authoritative AETRA survey announced in March 2005. HKIA has received the prestigious 'Airport of the Year 2005' title awarded by SkyTrax for the fifth consecutive year. These and other accolades reinforce Hong Kong's official branding as 'a dynamic physical and cultural hub with world-class infrastructure.
As the world's fifth busiest international passenger airport and most active worldwide air cargo operation, HKIA sees an average of more than 650 aircraft take off and land every day. Near 60 scheduled passenger carriers and 15 all-cargo operators link Hong Kong with more than 140 locations round the world.
An extensive air network and Hong Kong's strategic location positions HKIA as Asia's 'Superhub' and a gateway of China. With regular flights to about 40 destinations in mainland China, HKIA becomes the airport of choice for international travellers to and from the Mainland while meeting the ever-growing travel and cargo needs of the rapidly-expanding Pearl River Delta (PRD) region.
Special facilities and processes make HKIA easily accessible to the PRD's population of 48 million, as well as to the fledgling air travel market offered by the mainland in general. Creating fast, hassle-free surface connectivity between the PRD and HKIA is an ongoing priority for the airport, which has co-operated with transport providers locally and across the border to establish user-friendly land and sea links.
The SkyPier service in particular enables passengers from the PRD to journey to HKIA by high-speed cross-boundary ferries. Travellers arriving SkyPier then proceed to the passenger terminal by bonded buses for their flights without having to go through immigration and customs formalities. This has cut travel times from some PRD ports by half.
In addition to cross-boundary ferry service, some 200 coach trips are made every day by five bus companies to link HKIA with 40 towns and cities in the PRD. Calling at smaller towns to optimise each route, the coaches - which pass through border immigration and customs checks - carried a total of 1.2 million passengers in 2004.
Cargo throughput for 2004 topped 3.1 million tonnes, continuing on the growth curve with a 25.2 per cent increase over 2002, and a 17.4 per cent increase as compared to 2003. Planning is under way to ensure HKIA is well equipped to meet demand into the future.
As a contributor to Hong Kong's prosperity, HKIA is much more than a launch-pad for international travel - a diverse range of enterprises employing 50,000 people has transformed the airport into a 'mini-economy' in its own right. Prime examples of major companies based at the airport include the two Hong Kong home-carriers Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair (Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Limited).
HKIA is also home to a number of aviation logistics companies such as cargo operators Asia Airfreight Terminal (AAT) and Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (HACTL) plus express freight carrier DHL - all of which have been expanding their operations at HKIA. Other related industries at HKIA include cleaning contractors, aircraft maintenance companies, catering firms and ramp-handling operators, as well as the huge retail presence in the passenger terminal.
Over 37 million passengers passed through the airport in 2004, helping HKIA's SkyMart to flourish into a shoppers' paradise with 160 outlets and 40 eateries over more than 39,000 square metres. In fact, HKIA was named 'Best Airport - Dining Facilities' by the Skytrax international survey, which awarded the overall 'Airport of the Year 2004' title after polling five-million international air travellers.
A great deal of effort and attention to customer feedback has gone into making sure the 'HKIA experience' is increasingly pleasant, easy, safe and efficient. For example, continuous improvement measures mean 90% of passengers now wait less than 15 minutes at check-in areas, the last bags arrives in the reclaim hall within 40 minutes.
The passenger terminal has been designed to provide calm, clarity and convenience and offers a wide range of useful and relaxing facilities including rest lounges, a proliferation of TV screens carrying news and entertainment, free and pay-Internet lounges and a children's play area. In addition, travellers with Wi-Fi enabled laptops can enjoy high-speed Internet access almost anywhere airside without wires and phone-sockets. The airport terminal is also well designed to accommodate the Airbus 380, the world's largest commercial plane, due to begin test flights in 2005. HKIA also maintains some of the world's highest standards in security and safety, which is quintessential to provide a peace of mind for passengers passing through the airport.
Looking to the future development of the airport, the construction of SkyPlaza next to the present passenger terminal will serve as a focal point for HKIA's air, sea and surface traffic flows. The SkyPlaza is part of the larger development called SkyCity which will also include the AsiaWorld-Expo exhibition centre, the second hotel project, a 9-hole golf course as well as the permanent cross-boundary ferry terminal.
With management focused on the core values of safety, security, operational efficiency and service excellence - and with 10 key expansion projects already planned for implementation - the scene is set for growth and an even greater strategic role in the region's future for HKIA, the pride of Hong Kong.
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