MTR

The MTR (or Mass Transit Railway) is definitely my favourite among all the efficient ways of getting around the city. This subway system covers most of the Hong Kong territory, from the mainland China border crossings in the north to the airport on the western island of Lantau.

Subway

The MTR subway network spans all the most populated areas of Hong Kong with 8 major lines (and counting). The service is very frequent and the trains are modern and clean. Better yet, customers can enjoy all of this at a good price, although unsurprisingly this means that the trains can get fairly crowded during rush hours. The stations are nice enough, as the exits are lined with convenient shops selling refreshments, such as 7-Eleven. And it is very likely that there will be a full-scale shopping mall on top of the station as well.

I think the Hong Kong subway is excellent, and some proof of this can be found if you go to other major Chinese cities. More and more of them are now building subways, and they all look like carbon copies of the one in Hong Kong.

You can find more information about the MTR at their website, and I especially recommend their great interactive map. It can tell you all the prices and travel times between different stops. The price depends on how far you travel, but if you stay in the most popular tourist areas the price will be between 4 and 11 HKD per one-way ticket.

Geographically accurate MTR map as of 2009

Lines

Tsuen Wan Line (Red)

From Central north through western Kowloon, this line is one of the most travelled, connecting to hotspots like Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok.

Island Line (Blue)

From Sheung Wan to Chai Wan, the impending westward extension will make it cover the entire north side of Hong Kong island. To my mind the best way of reaching the heavy traffic downtown areas in places like Wanchai and Causeway Bay.

Tung Chung Line (Yellow)

From Hong Kong station in Central to Tung Chung on Lantau, this train is useful for getting to Disneyland, the airport, and the Big Buddha through the Ngong Ping 360.

Kwun Tong Line (Green) and Tseung Kwan O Line

These are important commuter links, but outside of the Chi Lin Nunnery in Diamond Hill, there is probably little here to interest visitors from overseas.

East Rail Line (Light Blue)

Starting in Hung Hom, this is one way of getting to the border of Mainland China, with border crossings at both the terminals in Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau. The train also stops in Sha Tin, with the highly recommended 10,000 Golden Buddhas Monastery.

West Rail Line (Purple)

From East Tsim Sha Tsui, this train travels to the furthest major suburbs in the region, way out in Yuen Long and Tuen Mun.

Ma On Shan Line (Brown)

Traversing the eastern parts of Sha Tin, you are unlikely to find use for this train.

Others

To get to Disneyland Hong Kong by MTR, you will also need to take the short Disneyland Resort Line (Pink) from Sunny Bay. If you should find yourself out in the western New Territories (you probably won’t) there is also a whole network of Light Rail trains connecting the many residential neighbourhoods.

More importantly, when going to and from Hong Kong airport, you should definitely consider the swift Airport express which takes you right downtown.

MTR