Hong Kong taxi

The Hong Kong taxi drivers charge a pretty reasonable rate and could very well work as your main form of transportation if your budget is not too strict. Obviously the relative price depends on the size of your group, with each taxicab seating a maximum of five people. The Transport Department regulates the rates, and you can see them here. Tipping is welcome but not necessary.

Thankfully, the regulations work well and compared to other places around the globe Hong Kong taxi drivers seem to be very honest. Of course you should make sure that the meter is on, but I frankly have never heard of anyone getting ripped off here.

Finding a ride

In downtown areas you can always spot the distinctly red cars mixed into the general bustle of traffic. In more remote areas they can also be green or even blue but that is an unusual sight for tourists.

To hail a cab, simply step up to the side of the road and wave a free one in like you might do in many other parts of the world. However, it is worth mentioning that there are a number of streets (particularly those with lots of traffic), where taxis are not allowed to stop to pick up passengers.

You can see where this rule is in effect by a whole-drawn yellow line alongside the curb. With luck you may be able to get a ride anyway, but many drivers will obey the law. This is no real problem as you can just walk a little and try to hail a cab down a side street.

Often there are so many taxis around that there is no need to book one beforehand, but if you'd like to call for one you can use the following phone number:

(+852) 2574 7311

Language

Don't be surprised if the taxi driver doesn't speak much English at all. However, in that case you should be able to use his radio to have someone translate. Please keep in mind that many places and streets have separate Chinese names that aren't necessarily similar to the English ones, so be patient!

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