TRAIN AND BUS “Hacks” for Your Next Hong Kong Vacation

Budget is usually everyone’s #1 concern when traveling abroad, and while Hong Kong may not be one of the most expensive cities to visit outside the Philippines, it’s certainly not cheap either. Admission to Hong Kong Disneyland, for instance, can set you back by 619 HKD or PHP 4,000+ per adult so just imagine how much you’ll spend if you’re, say, a family of four!

With that in mind, saving every Hong Kong dollar counts, and that’s why we’re happy to share you a couple of quick MTR money-saving hacks to limit your transportation expenses in HK.

Get yourself an Octopus card.

An Octopus card is basically a stored value smart card not unlike the Beep cards we use for our own trains and buses. To buy an Octopus card, you’ll need a refundable deposit of $50 HKD and an initial load of anywhere between $20 and $100 HKD, depending on the type of card you’ll be getting.

via Wikibooks.org

I know this may seem like a huge amount to pay for some, but do keep in mind that you can also use your Octopus card to pay not just for your train, ferry, and bus rides, but you can also use it for purchases at convenience stores like 7-11, fast food joints (Café de Coral and McDonald’s), and even groceries (City Super, Well Come).

More importantly, getting yourself an Octopus card means you get to save money with every train ride as compared to how much you’ll have to pay if you plan to purchase single-ride tickets.

MTR FARE (Adult): Mong Kok to Tung Chung

Octopus:                                  $16.9 HKD

Single-Ride Ticket:                 $19.5 HKD

You save $3.4 HKD or less than P23 per person.

Remember to apply for the age-appropriate card, too.

If you have children with you age 3 – 11, you can get them the Octopus card for children. If you have anyone in your group aged 65 and above, you can get them the Octopus card for the elderly.

via WikiMedia.org

Users of both cards enjoy special or discounted fares, although the actual rate varies from one establishment or service to another.

Just this month (May 2018), my family and I used the A21 airport bus to get to our hostel in Mong Kok. This fare typically costs us $33.2 HKD per adult, but since my father-in-law was able to acquire his new Octopus card for the elderly, his card was only charged $16 for the trip or half the regular price.

Consider as well this fare table I obtained by using the official MTR Mobile map. You already know that you save more money when using your Octopus card as opposed to buying a single-ride ticket. But consider how much more you can save with the right type of card –

MTR Fare Table” Mong Kok to Tung Chung
	Octopus	Single-Ride Ticket
Adult	16.9	19.5
Child	8.5	9
Elderly	2.0	9

Just imagine! A typical trip that would’ve cost you PHP 111.54 would cost your child or younger sibling PHP 56.1 while your parent or grandparent only has to pay PHP 13.2.

Take advantage of fare savers.

If you’re in the Tsim Sha Tsui area, consider going to Harbour City and look for a shop called Log On. In front of this store, you’ll see what looks like a standalone reader machine and you may notice individuals occasionally tapping the screen with their Octopus cards.

The reason they’re doing this is because you get to enjoy $2 HKD off for your next train ride, and yes, tourists can certainly take advantage of this, too. That’s about PHP 13.2 per person, but again, it will all add up, especially if you’re traveling as a group or your itinerary for the day requires multiple train rides.

When using MTR Fare Savers, there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind:

l   It only works for ADULT Octopus cards.

l   The discount will only apply for same-day travels and for designated stations. The one at Harbour City, for instance, is only applicable if your NEXT train ride’s starting point will be either Austin or Tsim Sha Tsui.

l   Some Fare Savers offer the same discounts for the same starting points. For instance, if your starting point or station is Ho Man Tin, then you can use the Fare Saver readers at Ho Man Tin Plaza, Oi Man Plaza, or Ka Wai Chuen Shopping Arcade.

The complete list of Fare Saver locations can be found here.

Avoid traveling during rush hours.

Fares are typically more expensive during rush hours, which – generally speaking – are the hours when students and employees leave for and go home from school or work. If possible, consider rearranging your itinerary so that you won’t need to use the bus or train during these hours. It won’t only save you more money, but you’ll find your commuting experience more convenient, too.