My money saving tips on Hong Kong haven’t really been covered too much on here, backpacking round the rest of Asia and the Middle East has taken priority recently, so it’s back to Hong Kong this month to get caught up on my work and plan my next travels. I class myself as a bit of a Hong Kong budget expert and I know the ins and outs of this city. In fact, by my reckoning, Hong Kong is a really really cheap place to live and base yourself, as long as you know the tricks of the trade.
Working on the top floor of the W Hotel in Hong Kong – crazy city.
Rule 1 is NEVER get a taxi. It’s a given. Unless you’re ill. I shared my Hong Kong Working Holiday Visa advice and my How to get a Hong Kong working Visa advice on here before, as well as how to get a cheap cruise and how to get free Wi Fi. However, as I’m in and out of Hong Kong International Airport a lot, I thought it was time to tell you all the CHEAPEST way to get to Hong Kong Airport. This is a really good Monday’s Money Saving Tip so take note please…and don’t squander your backpacking cash.
The cheapest way to get to Hong Kong International Airport.
Rule 1 – Avoid Taxis. You’ll know I HATE taxis – in almost every country I try my best to ignore them and refuse to take them. Yes, I’ve taken them in a load of places too but only when absolutely necessary (rushed, only option etc.) and mostly when influenced by friends. I’ve a few mates who actually take taxis regularly, and though I can’t stand it, I often fall into peer pressure and take them. Apart from that I detest them.
Me and my mate George striking an Usain Bolt pose in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong.
Rule 2 – Avoid the Airport Express. OK so Hong Kong is a cool place and all that and it’s well connected transport wise. These days there is even an airport express MTR service which takes you straight to the airport (I admit I used this once, just to try it). The bad news is, while it goes there direct, it’s a rip off. It can cost you over 70 Hong Kong Dollars to get the Airport Express from Kowloon to Hong Kong Airport, so give this a miss. They’re clever too – they charge you extra to use this even though it’s part of the regular MTR system.
One of my most hated forms of transport – the Hong Kong taxi.
OK now you’ve obeyed those two rules, you’re left with one main cheap option:
Get a local bus DIRECT to the airport. Buses to Hong Kong Airport are frequent, regular, often 24 hour and leave from almost every part of Hong Kong that has population. I’ve gotten this manys a time including the popular Tsim Sha Tsui bus. Although these buses are easy access, they still cost more than 30 Hong Kong Dollars.
The A22 Airport Bus – one of many buses from HK International Airport.
However, there’s a cheaper option for the budget backpacker and this is my regular route now to the airport. I’m so used to it, I’d even say it’s sometimes faster for me than any of the other options 😉
At Hong Kong International Airport waiting on a bus.
Get the MTR to Tung Chung, then get the Bus to Hong Kong Airport
All in all, using this route can cost you as little as 3.8 Hong Kong Dollars (if you’re already in Tung Chung that is – that’s about 50 cents US). If you used the MTR to get to Tung Chung, then adding on that price will depend on what stop you boarded at – can be as little as 8 Hong Kong Dollars (about 1 US). But again, it’s unlikely to be more than a total of 2 US Dollars.
The MTR to Tung Chung is the real money saver.
Head out to Tung Chung station, which is also the last stop on the Tung Chung line. Take Exit B on arrival, turn right and head straight across the pedestrian square to the main bus station that has buses going to the airport. You are looking for the S1 Bus, normally the most obvious and first bus in the station.
The bus station in Tung Chung.
Price of S1 Bus from Tung Tung to Hong Kong Airport: 3.8 Hong Kong Dollars
Cheapest way to Hong Kong Airport – head firstly to Tung Chung MTR station.
So for a bargain price of 3.8 Hong Kong Dollars (about 50 US cents) you get a bus direct to the front door of the airport. It will stop outside Terminal 1 first. As I write this, in two days I’m heading back to Hong Kong Airport using this method on route to East Timor on my latest adventures.
Safe travels.
Here is a video of me on the Tung Chung bus – the cheapest way to get to Hong Kong Airport: