In Hong Kong the new airport at Chek Lap Kok, is Hong Kong's giant greenhouse of an airport; it's one of the world's ritziest.
By land, the only way into Hong Kong is from mainland China: you can choose between bus and train.
Water is perhaps the most picturesque way to arrive in Hong Kong; there are boats that take you between Hong Kong and destinations in Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces, as well as Macau.
Hong Kong is the major gateway to China and much of East Asia. International air service is excellent and fares are relatively cheap.
Trains run between Hong Kong and Guangzhou (Canton), Shanghai and Beijing (about 30 hours).
Big-spenders can take the Trans-Siberian Railway from Europe to Beijing and on to Hong Kong.
Several transport companies in Hong Kong offer bus services to Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other destinations in Guangdong Province. Buses depart from eight major locations: one on Hong Kong Island, and the rest in Kowloon and the New Territories.
There are boats that take you to destinations in Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces, as well as Macau. Departure tax is almost always included in the ticket.
The Airport Express train connects Chek Lap Kok airport with Hong Kong station in Central, stopping in Kowloon along the way, in just 23 minutes.
There's also a 35-minute City Flyer airbus, and public buses: A21, best for Kowloon, and A11, for Hong Kong Island.
Hotel shuttle buses and taxis are another more expensive option. Hong Kong's public transport system is a tourist attraction in its own right: there are old harbour ferries and narrow trams, ultra modern trains and the world's longest escalator. If you can't get from A to B with style in Hong Kong, you're not trying.
Public transport is cheap, fast, widely used and generally efficient. The bus system is extensive and bewildering but you will need it to explore the south side of Hong Kong Island and the New Territories.
The north side of Hong Kong Island and most of Kowloon are well-served by Hong Kong's ultra-modern Mass Transit Railway (MTR).
Three tunnels link Hong Kong with Kowloon. The Kowloon-Guangzhou (Canton) Railway (KCR) runs from Kowloon to the Chinese border at Lo Wu and is a quick way to get to the New Territories.
MTR coming into Kwun Ting Station
Light Rail Transit (fast, modern, air-con trams) run in the New Territories, connecting the city of Tuen Mun with Yuen Long. Double-decker trams trundle along the northern side of Hong Kong Island.
Car rental is available but don't even contemplate driving in Hong Kong. The complex highway system, clogged roads and 'tight' parking will make it an experience more stressful than it's worth. If you're determined to navigate under your own steam, hire a car with a driver.
Metered taxis are red with silver tops (and green with white tops in the New Territories). They're inexpensive compared to other big-city cabs, but the MTR can often be better value and quicker. They don't pick up or put down at bus stops.
Cycling in Kowloon or Central would be suicidal, but in quiet areas of the islands or the New Territories a bike can be quite a nice way of getting around in a recreational way. Most bike hire kiosks run out of bikes early on the weekend if the weather is nice.
No visitor to Hong Kong should miss the longest escalator in the world, the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System. It consists of three moving walkways and 20 elevated walkways that can be reversed; they run down in the morning and up the rest of the day and evening to handle commuter traffic flow.
Hong Kong Island's double-decker trams aren't fast, but if you're not in a hurry, they're a cheap and fantastically fun way of experiencing 'old' Hong Kong. Try to get a seat at the front window upstairs for a first-class view. Services operate at regular intervals throughout the day and night.
Star Ferry was founded in 1898 as a key communication route between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. It is Hong Kong's most scenic and inexpensive mode of travel across Victoria Harbor and still is chosen frequently over the subway by the local residents simply because it is a terrific way to cross Victoria Harbor. Star Ferry is very inexpensive, runs every few minutes, only takes about ten minutes, and the short trip is truly quite wonderful because you can enjoy the magnificent architecture on both banks of Victoria Harbor.
The Star Ferry is one of Hong Kong's cultural icons . These green and white ferries have been making the harbour crossing since 1898 . The busiest route is Central to Tsim Sha Tsui . This seven minute journey is a tourist attraction in itself. It offers the best view of the Hong Kong skyline and we recommend you take it twice, in daylight and at night. The night-time trip shows one of the world's great harbours at its best. The ferries run every five to ten minutes from 6.30 a.m. until 11.30 p.m.
