Public Transportation in Hong Kong: A Great Way to Get Around

Hong Kong has an excellent public transportation system. Taxis, underground trains, buses, ferries, minibuses and trams all are available in Hong Kong. Public transportation is a great way to see the city, and as fares are cheap, it doesn't break the bank either. I've used several forms of public transportation in Hong Kong. Here are my tips for how to take each one.

1. Hong Kong Airport Express - Most likely, the first form of public transportation you'll experience in Hong Kong is the Airport Express. This is a high-speed train that will take you from Hong Kong International Airport to Central Station on Hong Kong Island. It takes less than 30 minutes and only stops at two stations on the way - Kowloon and Tsing Yi stations. Cost of travelling on the Airport Express is reasonable, around HK$70 (US$ ). The trains start running at 5:50 am and stop at 12:45am every day. The times are quite convenient, although the first time I arrived in Hong Kong was at 1am and I had just missed the last train. This meant taking a taxi from the airport and these are quite expensive, especially after midnight.

2. Taxis - Of course, taxis in Hong Kong are more expensive than other forms of transportation - They start at around HK$15 per trip and go up every 0.2 kilometres after that (coming from Thailand, where they go up every kilometer, that is a steep fare). They are great to take though as all the taxi drivers I came across spoke English (only Thailand, where 95% don't). Taxis are red, or green in Hong Kong so easy to see and flag down.

3. Mass Transit Railway (MRT) - My favorite public transportation in Hong Kong is the MRT. It has six lines that go from Hong Kong Island to different destinations - Kowloon, Tung Chung, Lantau Island and on into the New Territories. What I love about the MRT is it's incredibly fast and always on time. Plus, unlike Bangkok, the MRT stations are properly air-conditioned (Bangkok's MRT stations are always really hot!). The MRT also has lots of underground shops and cafes at most of the main stations, which are great places to grab a snack, a newspaper or a drink. Fares are cheap starting at around HK$4.50.