Friday, October 13, 2017

Friday Travel Tip - Hong Kong - Metro Not Perfect but not Bad Either


Traveling around Hong Kong is not the easiest thing in the world, the city is by no means on any kind of grid, and learning the names of the streets can be complicated.  Traffic can also be overwhelming if you're not from a giant city. The best way to avoid the traffic is to take to the metro system. The system is not very intuitive, but after a bit of practice you should be able to get from point A to point B, with only a bit of walking.

The metro line for the most part has stops near many of  the popular tourist spots in Kowloon, with a few less stops on Hong Kong Island. After you get to your stop, the biggest challenge is to figure out which exit will take you to where you want to go. Particularly in the downtown area of Kowloon and on the Hong Kong Island side, the exit you take is very important. In many cases these exits may be very far from each other, and getting out the wrong door could lead to a long walk through twisting streets to find the place you want to be. The good news is that there are maps at each station that give you indications as to where the exits are.  Many of these maps also feature the attractions that near any particular exit.

The pricing on the metro system can also be fairly complicated. There are different prices depending on where you're starting and where the station you want to go is located. You can simplify this by buying a day pass, however it's unlikely that the pass will be economical for you, unless you plan on taking the train  many times in one day crossing great distances. If you're willing to be a little patient, you can save a lot of money by figuring out the prices and simply paying for what you need.

Later