Hong Kong Airport transportation
Dec 30th, 2000 | 09:08 PM
#2
Guest
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Hello: <BR> <BR>I have visited HK the last four years, and was recently there in late October, 2000. You have two options to get to the Kimberly Hotel: <BR> <BR>1. Airport Express. This is an express train that takes you to Kowloon in approximately 20 minutes. A one-way ticket costs HK $80 (US $12) and it's the most comfortable, quickest and convenient way to get into Kowloon. One you reach Kowloon Station, exit the station, and take a taxi to your hotel (about US $4.00). <BR> <BR>2. Take a bus. This is the cheapest way (about US $10) to get into Kowloon, although it'll take you about an hour to get there from the airport. The bus stops at or near your hotel. There's a billboard in front of the bus stop area that lists most of the major hotels and which bus to take. <BR> <BR>CAVEAT: DO NOT TAKE A TAXI INTO KOWLOON (unless you have 3 or more persons with you)! IT WILL SET YOU BACK AT LEAST US $35.
Jan 31st, 2001 | 06:38 PM
#5
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The airport express train is great and easy to use, and reasonably priced (maybe $20 US round-trip). Ask at the airport station (you can't miss it--just follow signs to the train after you clear immigration) for a tourist "octopus" card, which will give you three days of unlimited subway (underground) travel along with your airport express fare. There probably is a seven-day version, too. <BR> <BR>The train whisks you to both Kowloon or Hong Kong (same train, different stops, though). There is a free airport express shuttle bus (easily marked) that takes you to the major hotels. It is also clearly labelled as you leave the train--just look for your hotel (or one near it) on the list and select the right shuttle to it. <BR> <BR>On return, the free shuttle bus takes you from the major hotels to the station. AN IMPORTANT WRINKLE: The shuttle bus does not start running until 6:15 or 6:30 am (I got different stories), but the first train is at 6:00 am. An added bonus of the Airport Express train: You can check in for your flight (and check your bags) at the Airport Express train stations in Kowloon and Hong Kong, which is a great convenience. The 2000 Fodors Hong Kong Guide tells you to check in three hours in advance, but the check-in counter for my airline (Northwest) did not even open until a little more than two hours prior to departure; you should probably check the recommended timing with your airline when arrive so you don't have to get up at 5 am only to wait for an hour until they opened like I did. Grrrrr. <BR> <BR>Another relevant change from the 2000 Fodors Guide is that the airport departure tax appears to be included in the price of the ticket now (at least mine was, and I didn't see any place collecting it at the airport). <BR> <BR>While I am on the topic of the 2000 Fodors Hong Kong Guide--I found an unusually large number of outright errors (and some perhaps changes) in the guidebook. This included wrong address, slightly incorrect names, and a number of places that had closed long ago. I went to two of the four ceramics dealers they recommended, and both were not only out of business, but they were out of the way, as well, so I wasted literally a half-day trying to find them. You might want to have your hotel call and verify addresses before you go. <BR> <BR>I found good-quality restaurant food to be REALLY overpriced in Hong Kong, especially in comparison to everything else, which was cheap. If I were to do it again, I would be more adventuresome and try some cheaper places, which I bet would be great (though a recollection of a pig viscera soup I had in Hong Kong maybe 20 years ago at a place called "Boil and Boil Wonderful" comes back to me....) Dim Sum for lunch at a nice place (The Jumbo Floating Restaurant) turned out to be a surprise bargain: $20 US for two people. Incidentally, although the Jumbo was nice, it is out of the way on the other side of the island, and I would not make the trip again, honestly.
