sf7307

First, is this a good way for tourists to get around? Second, is it $2.00 every time you get on and off and back on, or is there some kind of daily/weekly pass? (FWIW, we'll be in Hong Kong 4 nights and 3 full days -- first timers, and we're staying at the Salibury Y)

lcuy

Good choice of hotel. ThE Salisbury is in a nice location and the views are wonderful!

When we were in HK, we used all sorts of transportation- buses, tram, subway

You should get an Octopus card at the airport. I don't think it gives you much (if any) discount but you won't have to figure out the cost of each ride or have coins, and it is good all over the place, even at convenience stores.

When you return to the airport, you return it for your HK $7 deposit.

Here is a post that describes it in detail:
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Cicerone on Apr 7, 10 at 1:39am
Some thoughts/opinions on your questions:

1. Is it worth getting an Octopus card for a 4 day stay in HK?

If you plan on only taking taxis and walking, then an Octopus card is not necessary. You don’t HAVE to have the card, as all public transport in Hong Kong accept cash, but the buses and trams won’t give change. (As the street tram costs HK$2 (just over 25 Australian cents) for a ride of any length, I don’t think it would hurt the budget too much if you throw in a HK$5 coin (70 cents Australian) if that is all you have. A HK$9 bus fare can be handled with a $10 bill.)

You can buy individual tickets and get change for the Airport Express, MTR (subway) and the Star Ferry. However, it can be a pain to have to queue up each time you want a subway ticket. The card can also be used in 7-Elevens, grocery stores, McDonalds, movie theatres and a number of shops and restaurants, so it is very handy to not have to carry a lot of cash. You can “top up” the value of your card at any MTR station, 7-11 or Circle K, just hand over the cash and hold your card up to the monitor and the value will be added to the card. You don’t have to buy anything to top up the card.

But it’s up to you to decide how much you will use public transport and whether the Octopus is worth it. You might look into the Airport Express Tourist Octopus, which will include round trip transfers on the Airport Express train and unlimited MTR rides for 3 days. It does not work on the buses, but by topping it up with cash, you can also use it on buses, the Peak Tram, etc. It costs HK$220 or 300, depending on what options you want, so you would need to plan to use the MTR quite a bit, and you may not plan to use the Airport Express train to go to the airport, so this type of Octopus may not be such a bargain, esp as you have to “top it up” to use it on buses, trams and ferries for an additional cost. (It also does not work for going on first class in East rail or to some parts of the New Territories unless you top it up, not sure what your plan is.) See http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/airport_ex...ass_index.html
for information.

Bus fares are generally going to be HK$10 or less each way unless you are going to remote areas in the New Territories, and MTR fares, while hard to generalize, should be between HK$9-19 one-way for most trips you would take. You can see MTR fares at http://www.mtr.com.hk/jplanner/eng/planner_index.php. So you would have to plan on taking about 20 or more single trips on the MTR to make the Airport Express card worthwhile. (IMO you won’t make that many trips on the MTR in 4 days. If you do, I think you are not really seeing parts of Hong Kong worth seeing. The MTR does not, for example, go to Ocean Park, you have to take a bus or taxi.)

So you may just want to get a “standard on-loan” Octopus stored value card. This is good for all forms of transport in Hong Kong, including ferries, the street tram and the Peak Tram. The card costs HK$150, which includes a refundable deposit, and you will get HK$43 back when you return the card. The card comes with an initial stored value of HK$100. However, once you run through the HK$100, you have to “top up” the card and pay for each further trip on public transport, those trips are not free. See http://www.octopus.com.hk/get-your-o.../en/index.html for information.

sf7307

Thanks - we'll definitely do that. I don't really care about the discount as much as I care about "ease of operations" LOL!

DonTopaz

No daily/weekly pass that I know of.

You do understand that 2 Hong Kong dollars is about 26 U.S. cents, don't you?

rkkwan

Don't know if you see my thread about riding the tram on the whole route:

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...au-kei-wan.cfm

Anyways, the tram can be a very slow way to travel long distance. For example, from Sheung Wan to Shau Kei Wan, it'd take just over an hour without traffic, compared to 22 minutes on the MTR. Second, it lacks A/C, which is a problem in summer. Third, it can be crowded during the day between Central and Causeway Bay. Fourth, if you are a person of size, just getting on can be an issue - you have to climb two steps and go through a narrow turnstile. The steps to the upper deck is also tight.

Anyways, they allow standing on the upper deck (unlike on buses), and you should always travel on upper deck, as there are more seats and of course much better view. Don't get on a tram if it's super-crowded, just wait for another one that should come in a minute or 2.

Like rizzuto says, no passes. And it's only US$0.26 a ride. In fact, even though I use an Octopus for everything, often I use the tram ride to get rid of my coins. You pay when you get off.

sf7307

I knew it was only $.26 -- it's the concept of coming up with change (does it only take correct change?) for payment. Does the Octopus work on the MTR?

Lizzie_17

Yes, you can use the Octopus card on the tram. Get on at the back when you get off at the front you swipe you card. HK also has $2 coins and you will probably get them as change and have a bunch on hand.

indianapearl

The trams are quite charming -- and old. The steps up to the top deck are very tiny for western sized feet. Be careful as you ascend and descend.

The trams also go only on the areas close to the waterfront, so you will want to consider buses to go up and down the mountainous areas of the city.

indianapearl

The Octopus works on the subways, the trams, the buses, and even the cable car at Lantau Island.

sf7307

Thank you all!! Can't wait (we never plan trips so far in advance, but this one we did, so we could use FF miles for business-class seats....so we've been anticipating the trip since July!!)

krishnax

I also suggest the use of Octopus card. Been to HK many times but on my last trip 2 months ago, I finally gave in to Octopus card and it makes travelling in HK a lot easier as it saves you time getting tickets or paying for your fare.

You don't have to surrender it because you can still use it on your next trip and as far as I know your money doesn't expires.

Peteralan

And if you do not intend to return to Hong Kong, you can get a refund of any money left on the card.

rkkwan

You get a refund of all your unspent money, plus HK$43 of the card deposit for any card issued within the previous 3 months. That's HK$7 less than the HK$50 deposit you paid to get the card in the first place.

[Technically, you can spend into your deposit, but card will be locked until you recharge it.] So, for example, if your previous balance was $10, and you took a HK$15 MTR ride, your card will have a balance of HK$-5. You can't use it until you recharge it back into positive; and if you refund that card at that time and the card was issued within 3 months, you get back HK$38.

krishnax

Okay thats what I thought too that you can use your deposit but have to recharge for the next one. But when we are going out of Disney, the card I use won't let me through the train as the money left was below the train fare. But I still have the $50 deposit in there. The man behind the gate say I need to stand in line and recharge it first.

So any ideas why my card didn't let me in though I have a few bucks left plus a $50 deposit still in there?

rkkwan

krishnax - I think the Disney station is an exception because the maximum fare from that station is close to HK$50, if you go to the Chinese border at Lowu or Lok Ma Chau. From what I'm reading, one can only spend into -$35, so perhaps that's the reason.

dmong

here is link found on youtube about hk tram ride
http://youtu.be/93PfWD4eVAA