Transportation in Hong Kong

So what's the difference between Hong Kong and the US? Well, for starters, Hong Kong is pretty "squashed" together, whereas places and buildings in the US is pretty well spaced out. Hong Kong frequently uses the MTR, taxis, and buses to get around whereas Americans use our personal cars.

Buildings in the US are so spaced out that a nice open park is very do-able in many areas.
http://www.saltshaker.net/wp-content/9dejulio03.jpg



VERSUS

Hong Kong buildings tightly packed together.
http://www.nce.co.uk/pictures/586xAny/8/6/8/1307868_2102302032_89418432a5_o.jpg



Since in the US, everything is more spaced out, it is harder to get to different places with public transportation because you would have to walk from the bus stop to your destination. In Hong Kong, since it is much more compacted, buses have a stop on about every 4 blocks or so and the subway (MTR) has a station every half a mile. Having your own personal car in the US is more convenient than in Hong Kong (because you'd have to find parking on the busy streets and there isn't enough space on the street to do that in the main parts of Hong Kong).

Hong Kong is a very urban city with countless skyscrapers and busy streets. Some people may even call it the Chinese version of New York City, maybe a little more squished than NYC. There is quite a bit of walking in Hong Kong, but there's a lot of different kinds of transportation that you can take.

The three most popular types of transportation in Hong Kong are taxi, buses, and the MTR, also known as the subway.

Buses

Buses are one of the cheapest kind of transportation in Hong Kong. Last time I checked, the fares are normally $2HKD (currency will be talked about in a later post). However, there are many buses and they all have different destinations.

http://www.asiatour.com/china/hkphotos/photo_HongKong_light_bus.JPG

Before getting onto a bus, you need to know where that bus is going. Once you're on the bus, you need to pay attention to the road and call out to the driver for your stop. If you don't call out, they don't stop at your bus stop. Also, this type of transportation will take much longer than others because you are constantly stopping for other passengers.

Taxis

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6179/6173348311_2ac1e1b115.jpg

Taxis are everywhere in Hong Kong. There are three colors: red for urban taxis, green for New Territories taxis, and blue for Lantau Island taxis. In the main parts of Hong Kong, such as Hong Kong City and Kowloon, the red taxis are used.

http://first2board.com/foodwineandmiles/files/2014/01/hong-kong-taxis.jpg

There are taxi stands on almost every block. If you can't find a taxi stand, you can simply just wave down a taxi. You can usually tell if the taxi is for hire if their “TAXI” signs on the top of the cab and their small “FOR HIRE” signs inside the cab is both lit up. If they are not, it means that the taxi currently has a passenger.

Taxis are pretty easy to use—all you can do is tell the driver your destination and they will take you there. However, some, not a lot, drivers will purposely take a small detour so the fare would be higher. They charge for every luggage they put in the trunk, and some only take 3, 4, or 5 passengers. They usually have a sign on the car that says how many available seats there are.

Taxis are usually one of the most expensive type of transportation, but it is the least confusing one.

MTR

The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is the subway in Hong Kong that most residents take daily. There is at least one station every 15-20 minute walk from each other, and there are multiple exits per station so it is more spread out and it's easier to reach your destination. There are kiosks where you can pay a relatively cheap fare (depending on your destination) and it will distribute your tickets. You can take the MTR from one side of urban Hong Kong to the other side in minutes, to Disneyland Hong Kong in 30 minutes, to the airport in 45 minutes, and to the train that takes you to the border of China.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/HK_MTR_Tsim_Sha_Tsui_Platform.jpg

The MTR can be confusing at first to use, but there are maps on every underground level of the MTR and there is a MTR that comes every 2 minutes, so if it's during rush hour, there isn't too many people crowded around you.

http://pfungcollects.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/mtr-map.jpeg

Recommendation

It rains throughout the year in Hong Kong. When it's raining, buses and taxis are usually all fully occupied because people don't want to get wet in the rain or walk the short distance to the MTR station. You would think the MTR station would be all gross and wet from people walking through, but MTR usually station their janitors in the main areas of the MTR station to wipe up the mess, so it's pretty clean for a rainy day.

Besides, in Hong Kong rush hour, you wouldn't want to take a taxi or a bus. It will probably take too long to get to your destination due to a lot of jay-walkers and traffic lights. The MTR, in my opinion, is much more favorable, faster, and convenient.