The Star Ferry and trams are so popular and at times so crowded that it's hard to imagine what they must have been like before Hong Kong's subway system was constructed to relieve the human crunch. Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is modern, efficient, clean, and easy to use, and it's also much faster than the older modes of transportation (and sometimes even taxis). Take note, however, that there are no public toilets at any of the stations or on the trains, and that smoking, drinking, and eating are prohibited. The MTR operates daily from 6am to 1am. For general inquiries, call the MTR Hotline at tel. 852/2881 8888.
Built primarily to transport commuters in the New Territories to and from work and running under the harbor to link Kowloon with Hong Kong Island, the MTR serves 2.4 million passengers a day. You'll probably want to avoid rush hours, unless you enjoy feeling like a sardine in a can. There are only four lines on the 76km (47-mile) subway system, each is color-coded, and the stations are clearly marked in English, so you shouldn't have any problem finding your way around. Stations are named for the areas they serve: Go to Central MTR station if you're looking for an address in the Central District, to Mong Kok MTR station if you're looking for a place in Mong Kok, Kowloon. Probably the most important line for tourists is the red-coded Tsuen Wan Line, which starts in Central on Hong Kong Island, goes underneath Victoria Harbour to Tsim Sha Tsui, and then runs north the length of Nathan Road, with stops at Jordan, Yau Ma Tei, and Mong Kok stations before heading northwest to the satellite town of Tsuen Wan in the New Territories. The blue-coded Island Line, with 14 stations, operates on the north side of Hong Kong Island from Sheung Wan (where you'll find the Macau Ferry Pier) east to Chai Wan, passing through Central, Wan Chai, and Causeway Bay. The other two lines, used mainly by commuters, are the Kwun Tong Line, which runs from North Point on Hong Kong Island and then goes under the harbor to arch across the New Territories before dropping south to Yau Ma Tei in Kowloon; and the new Tung Chung Line, which mirrors the Airport Express Line as it runs from Hong Kong Station in Central to Kowloon Station and onward to Tung Chung on Lantao island. Additionally, the Airport Express Line, serving airport passengers, runs between Hong Kong Station in Central and Hong Kong International Airport, with a stop at Kowloon Station.
Single-ticket, one-way fares range from HK$4 to HK$26 (US50¢-US$3.40), depending on the distance, but the most expensive ride is the trip underneath the harbor, which costs HK$9 (US$1.15) from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central (still cheap, but outrageous when compared to the Star Ferry). Fares for seniors 65 and older and children ages 3 to 11 range from HK$3 to HK$13 (US40¢-US$1.70). Fares are indicated by giving your destination on a touch screen above all vending machines, which accept HK$10, HK$5, HK$2, HK$1, and HK50¢ coins and give back change; some also accept notes. If you need coins, go to one of the change machines or to the ticket counters located at MTR stations.
In any case, your ticket is plastic, the size of a credit card, and you feed it into a slot at the turnstile. It disappears and then shoots up at the other end of the turnstile. Be sure to save your ticket--at the end of your journey, you will again insert your ticket into the turnstile (only this time you won't get it back unless it's an Octopus). Since these tickets are used again and again and have a magnetized strip, be careful not to bend or damage them.
As mentioned earlier, if you think you're going to be doing a lot of traveling on public transportation, consider buying the Octopus, which saves you from having to buy another ticket each time you ride and gives a negligible discount.
