By air
Cathay Pacific is Hong Kong's flagship carrier. It maintains high standards, with friendly service, good in-flight food, and an excellent track record for safety-all of which drive its prices higher than some of the other regional carriers. Cathay has nonstop flights from both Los Angeles and San Francisco on the west coast and from New York-JFK on the east. Singapore Airlines is usually slightly less expensive and offers direct flights to San Francisco on the west coast and Newark on the east coast. Considerably less comfortable, Continental also frequently offers good price deals, and has a nonstop flight to Hong Kong from Newark.
By boat & ferry
The landmark double-bowed, green-and-white Star Ferry vessels connect Central and Wan Chai with Kowloon in seven minutes daily from 6:30 AM to 11:30PM; the ride costs HK$2.20 on the upper deck, making it the cheapest scenic tour in town.
New World First Ferry Services Ltd. Runs nine routes from Central to the outlying island of Lantau and Cheung Chau. Discovery Bay Transportation Service has high-speed boats leaving for Lantau every 10-30 minutes from Pier3. Trips take 25-30 minutes and cost HK$27.
By bus
An efficient network of double-decker buses covers most of Hong Kong. Using them is a tricky business, though, as drivers don't usually speak English, and the route maps on bus shelters and company Web sites are so complex as to be off-putting. To compound this , there are several companies and no central Web site or pocket bus maps.
When determining bus direction, buses ending with the letter"L" will eventually connect to the Kowloon-Canton Railway; buses ending with the letter"M" connect to an MTR station;"As" go to the airport; and buses ending with the letter"X" are express.
By car
The best advice we can give is don't driven in Hong Kong. Gasoline costs up to twice what it does in the United States, and parking is scarce and prohibitively expensive. What's more, local bus and truck drivers seem to think slamming on their breaks is the only way to stop.
By subway
By far the best way to get around is on the Mass Transit Railway or MTR. There are five main lines: the Island Line runs along the north coast of Hong Kong Island; the Tsuen Wan Line goes from Central under the harbor to Tsim Sha Tsui then up to the western New Territories. Tsim Sha Tsui links to eastern New Kowloon via the Kwun Tong Line; also serving this area is the Tseung Kwan O Line, which crosses back over the harbor at Quarry Bay. Finally, the Tung Chung Line connercts Central and west Kowloon With Tung Chung on Lantau, near the airport.
By taxi
During the day, heavy traffic means that taxis around Central and Tsim Sha Tsui aren't the way to go.Outside these areas, or after dark, they're much more useful. Drivers usually know the terrain well, but as many don't speak English, having your destination written in Chinese is a good idea. You can hail cabs on the street, provided it's a stopping area. Note that it's sometimes hard to find a taxi around 4 PM when the drivers switch shifts.
By train
The ultraefficient Kowloon-Canton Railway connects Kowloon to the eastern and western New Territories. Trains run every 5-8 minutes, and connections to the MTR are usually quick. It's a commuter service and , like the MTR, has sparkling clean trains and stations-smoking and eating are forbidden in both. At this writing the KCT has three main lines, but there are all kinds of ambitious projects underway to extend its service network. Fares range from HK$4.50 to HK$36.50; you can pay by Octopus card or buy tickets from sales counters or ticket machines.
By tram
Hong Kong Tramways runs old-fashioned double-decker trams along the north shore of Hong Kong Island. Routes start in Kennedy Town, and go through Central, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, North Point, and Quarry Bay to Shau Kei Wan. A branch line turns off in Wan Chai toward Happy Valley. Destinations are marked on the front of each tram; you board at the back and get off at the front, paying HK$2 as you leave. Avoid trams at rush hours, which are generally weekdays from 7:30 to 9 AM and 5 to 7 PM. Although trams move slowly, for short hops between Central and Western or Admiralty they can be quicker than the MTR. A leisurely top-deck ride from Western to Cause way Bay is a great city tour.
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