I’m going to share some tips Eugene and I found out when we were in Hong Kong a few days back. This is going to help you save a lot of money because Hong Kong’s transportation is really expensive.

Hong Kong mainly has 3 types of transport – MTR, Bus & Light Rail.

The Octopus card is like their EZ-link card. You can use it for the MTR, bus, and metro.

1) MTR

The MTR is their most common mode of transport. It operates the same way as our Singapore MRTs do, with many different lines too. However, this mode of transport is the most expensive out of all 3.

Using the Octopus card will grant you cheaper fares compared to buying one-way tickets.
Taking one stop on different lines is priced differently as shown in the fares above. For example, taking an MTR on the red line from Admiralty to Tsim Sha Tsui (1 stop) is HK$9.70 whereas taking an MTR on the blue line from Admiralty to Wan Chai (1 stop) is HK$4.50. This is because the MTR on the red line actually crosses over the sea into the other part of Hong Kong, so don’t be alarmed by the prices.

2) Bus

They also have Buses that operate like Singapore’s SBS Buses. You enter from the front and tap in, however, the price of the bus ride will be deducted the moment you tap in. Before alighting, you should go to the front, the same place where you tapped in, and tap out. This will give you a rebate. After tapping for the rebate, exit from the back.

For example, we took a bus up the hill to Dragon’s Back which saved us a lot of walking.

3) Light Rail

This is probably the cheapest mode of transport in Hong Kong but it doesn’t go to every single part of Hong Kong. Luckily for us, we had one right outside our hotel and it was very convenient as it went to some MTR stations and even The Peak.

For this Light Rail, you have to enter from the back, then exit and tap out from the front. They have a fixed fare of HK$2.30 for adults no matter where you alight.

When making your way somewhere, just use Google map and they will tell you which MTR, bus or light rail to take to your destination.