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A CRH400 high-speed train, capable of 350km/h on journeys between Hong Kong, Beijing & Shanghai.
Buy tickets online at www.china-diy-travel.com. How to buy Chinese train tickets, full details. |
Hong Kong by train...
Once a British colony, now a special administrative region of China, Hong Kong has its own border controls & immigration policies, and its own currency. It's easy to reach by train from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or any other Chinese city. Indeed, it's possible to travel between Hong Kong and Hanoi in Vietnam by rail or between Hong Kong and Europe by Trans-Siberian Railway (I know, I've done it). This page explains how to travel between Hong Kong and major cities in China and beyond, in either direction.
UPDATE 2023: High-speed train service between Hong Kong & mainland China had been suspended since February 2020 due to Covid-19, but resumed from 15 January 2023. However, the classic intercity trains remain suspended.
- Option 1, by high-speed train
- Option 2, by classic sleeper train
- Option 3, by high-speed sleeper train
- Option 1, by high-speed train
- Option 2, by classic sleeper train
- Option 1, by high-speed train
- Option 2, by classic Intercity through train
Hong Kong - Xian, Guilin, Nanning &
China
Hong Kong - Bangkok,
Kuala Lumpur, Singapore
Hong Kong - Tokyo & Japan by train & ferry
Hong Kong - Europe by
Trans-Siberian Railway
Travel insurance, Curve card & VPN
Useful country information
Hong Kong to Beijing
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A tasty Chinese meal in the restaurant car of the sleeper train... |
There are now three excellent options for travel between Beijing & Hong Kong, in either direction.
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Option 1, by high-speed train in just 8h56. The Guangzhou-Kowloon high-speed rail link opened on 23 September 2018. A high-speed Fuxing (revival) train now links Hong Kong West Kowloon Station with Beijing West every day, 1,516 miles in 8h56 at an incredible average speed of 168 mph, right across China.
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Option 2, by classic sleeper train. Arguably the nicest & cheapest way between Beijing and Hong Kong is the classic sleeper train. This runs every two days and takes 24 hours (an afternoon, a night and a morning), with soft & hard sleepers & restaurant car.
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Option 3, by high-speed sleeper train. Take a high-speed train to Guangzhou South, then a D-category high-speed sleeper train from Guangzhou South to Beijing. This involves one simple same-station change of train, but it's the most time-effective option although it only runs Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday nights.
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Covid-19 update: Travel to China remains restricted, international trains are suspended.
Which option to choose?
Each of these options is an experience! The high-speed train (option 1) is obviously fastest and just takes a single day. You get to experience China's impressive and expanding high-speed rail network. However, it's more expensive than the other options. The classic sleeper train (option 2) takes 24 hours, but as it runs overnight in reality it takes a similar amount of daytime time out of your schedule as the high-speed train and can be a nicer experience. It's cheaper, a spacious soft sleeper costs less than a narrow 2nd class seat on the high-speed train. It saves a hotel bill, and in many ways it's nicer to have a soft sleeper with room to spread out and chill during the day, a flat bunk to nap on and access to a proper restaurant car with freshly cooked real Chinese food rather than the microwaved tray meals on the high-speed train. It's a real trans-China adventure. If time is important. the high-speed sleeper train (option 3) is the most time-effective option of all, you leave in the evening, arrive in the morning, it saves a hotel bill and is more time-effective than a morning of airports & delayed flights. It merely means making one simple change of train in Shenzhen or Guangzhou.
Option 1, by high-speed train
Hong Kong to Beijing in a single day! With the opening of the Hong Kong high-speed rail link on 23 September 2018, it's become possible to travel between Beijing and Hong Kong in a single day on a direct 300 km/h (186 mph) bullet train. It's more expensive than the sleeper, but you get to travel across China on one of it's impressive new high-speed railways while you admire the scenery, catch up on your reading and enjoy a beer or two from the bar car.
See the Hong Kong to Beijing page for timetable, fares, photos & how to buy tickets.
Option 2, by classic sleeper train
An air-conditioned sleeper train links Beijing with Hong Kong every two days, an epic 24 hour train ride across China. This is the comfortable, civilised and interesting way to go. The train has 2-berth deluxe soft sleepers with private toilet, regular 4-berth soft sleepers, hard sleepers & restaurant car.
* Train Z97 from Beijing to Hong Kong runs on alternate days. In January, April, May, August, November, December 2019 it will run on odd-numbered dates. In February, March, June, July, September & October 2019 it will run on even-numbered dates.
** Train Z98 from Hong Kong to Beijing runs on alternate days. In January, April, May, August, November, December 2019 it will run on even-numbered dates. In February, March, June, July, September & October 2019 it will run on odd-numbered dates.
You can check days of running of trains Z97 & Z98 using www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains. Or see www.it3.mtr.com.hk/b2c, click 'Schedule' (look for the clock logo at lower left) then use the 'Select your schedule' box top right to select the Beijing/Shanghai route. Remember that Hong Kong is shown as 'Hung Hom', that's the station.
Luggage allowance
You take your bags with you onto the train, and put them on the racks in your sleeper compartment. Bags may be X-rayed before entering the station. The luggage limit on Chinese trains is 20 Kg for adults & 10 Kg for children, and the maximum dimension of any item should not exceed 160cm on Z-category trains. However, in practice no-one weighs or measures your bags, as long as they comfortably fit through the security X-ray machines and you can carry them onto the train, you'll be fine. If you really want to transport vast quantities of luggage you can pay for a baggage ticket for bags in excess of the official limits.
Departure formalities
Departing from Beijing for Hong Kong, you should arrive at Beijing West station 90 minutes before departure for passport control & exit formalities. The train to Hong Kong has it's own special entrance at Beijing West station, look for the entrance marked Check Hall Immigration Inspection Quarantine.
Departing from Hong Kong, you should arrive at Kowloon's Hung Hom station at least 45 minutes before departure for passport control & exit formalities. You first have your ticket checked at the entrance to the departures area. There's then a quick X-ray baggage scan, followed by Hong Kong immigration exit formalities using automated gates which read your passport. You then find yourself in a departure area with seating and a duty free shop, before the boarding gate is opened and you go down the escalators to the platform. Chinese immigration formalities take place on arrival at Beijing West.
The station in Hong Kong is in Kowloon and called Hung Hom. It can help to know that the Chinese refer to Hong Kong/Kowloon as Jiulong and you may see it shown on train destination boards as Jiulong. See map of Hong Kong showing station location.
The station in Beijing is Beijing West, also known as Beijing Xi, see map of Beijing showing stations.
Discounts may be available at off-peak times of year, if bought at the reservations office in Hong Kong.
Children under 120cm tall travel free, 120-150cm tall travel for half fare, over 150cm tall pay full fare (140cm changed to 150cm in Dec 2008, 110cm to 120cm in Dec 2010). Child discounts only apply to the 'base' part of a sleeper fare, so in sleepers it's closer to a 25% reduction on the total fare.
The sleeper fares shown here are for lower berths. Upper berths (and middle berths in hard sleeper) are a fraction cheaper.
How to buy tickets
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How to buy tickets starting in Beijing
You can easily buy tickets online from agency www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains. Tickets can be sent to a hotel or private address anywhere in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau. They get good feedback for their service and charge in US$ and add a service fee of around $40. On www.chinahighlights.com, Hong Kong's Hung Hom station is listed as 'HongKong'.
Or you can buy at any main station ticket office in Beijing, there's usually an English-speaking window, see advice on buying tickets.
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How to buy tickets starting in Hong Kong
Option 1: You can easily buy tickets online from agency www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains. Tickets can be sent to a hotel or private address anywhere in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau. They get good feedback for their service and charge in US$ and add a service fee of around $40. On www.chinahighlights.com, Hong Kong's Hung Hom station is listed as 'HongKong'.
Option 2, You can try booking tickets by email via ipsc@mtr.com.hk (see www.it3.mtr.com.hk/b2c/frmIndex.asp?strLang=Eng) with ticket collection at the booking office, but it's reported they no longer accept bookings from overseas travellers.
Option 3: You can buy tickets through CTS (China Travel Service) in Hong Kong who have an online ticket ordering system for this train. Go to www.ctshk.com, click 'Transport' then 'Train', then change the default 'Online purchase' to 'Enquiry/Booking'. Now proceed with the ordering - if you run into a glitch in the English version you may need to use Google Chrome to translate some Chinese, or just email them. You'll need to send copies of your credit card, that is normal. Tickets can be collected from their offices or sent to your hotel. Option 3: Alternatively, you can arrange tickets starting in Hong Kong through Tiglion Travel, www.tiglion.net, which one seat61 correspondent has recommended, but again, don't be surprised if they ask for a scan of your credit card. Option 4: When you're in Hong Kong, you can buy tickets for the through trains to Guangzhou, Beijing & Shanghai at any CTS (China Travel Service) agency around the city, although only the CTS Central branch and CTS Mongkok branch are equipped with the Chinese Railways ticketing system for booking other Chinese train tickets.
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Be warned, the Beijing-Hong Kong through train is popular and gets booked up well in advance. Traveller Roddy Flagg reports: "I bough a Beijing-Hong Kong hard sleeper ticket at Beijing West at around midday, for departure the next day - so in this case at least there was no need to purchase too far in advance. Purchase was very easy - into the ticket office, find window 16 with it's 'English spoken' sign, and there was only one person ahead of me in the queue. Can't attest to the quality of the English as I was speaking Chinese. Was in and out in a couple of minutes, but Beijing West is, as you no doubt know, a massive place, so it could well take longer if you get lost. Buying at the more central Beijing main station might be better."
What's the sleeper train like?
If you use this train, feedback & further photos would be much appreciated!
Traveller's report
Traveller Thomas Gigon reports: "At Beijing West, the entrance for the Hong Kong train is a separate entrance about 50 metres to the right of the main entrance, marked Check Hall Immigration Inspection Quarantine. The door to the waiting room did indeed open 90 minutes before (with X ray baggage check of course) but the waiting room is very small (30 people max) - then the door to the immigrations & customs opened approx 60 minutes before departure (via another x ray baggage check), then you pass immigration and customs and go directly to the train which is at the same level on the platform. There is a sleeper attendant at every door, she checks your ticket and gives you a card with your cabin/berth number. She'll give you back your ticket prior arriving at Hum Hong. Once the train is under way, she comes again and notes down your passport and visa number. In the restaurant car the staff at least 4 waitresses spoke or understood some very, very limited English such as yes/no and the amounts, fish/meat/rice. The menu is in Chinese, but when they see a Westerner they give you a menu with subtitles in English. Hot meals were served 0600-0900, 1100-1300, 1730-2130 but they do sell snacks and sweets outside the hours. The payment seems to be only cash in RMB as the waitress refused my Visa/Amex. The waitresses also pass in the carriages selling snacks every now and then. The train stops twice between Beijing and Hong Kong but you can't get off the train for a smoke or small walk as they lock the doors. There are quite a few security guards on board + one sleeper attendant in each coach."
Option 3, by high-speed sleeper train
This is the most time-effective option, a fun experience which also saves a hotel bill - though it only runs Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday nights. The G-category high-speed train between Hong Kong & Beijing takes a day, the conventional Z-category sleeper train is a classic & enjoyable choice, but takes 24 hours. How about leaving Hong Kong in early evening, sleeping in your own capsule sleeper on a high-speed D-category sleeper train and arriving next morning?
It just means one simple same-station change of train at Guangzhou South (or you can change at Shenzhen, as some sleepers run Shenzhen-Beijing). Booking sites won't suggest this excellent option as Chinese journey planners are incapable of offering journeys with a change of train, but it's easy to book in two stages like this...
Hong Kong ► Beijing
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Step 1, travel from Hong Kong to Guangzhou on any high-speed train you like up to and including the 17:18 from Hong Kong West Kowloon arriving Guangzhou South (= Guangzhounan) at 18:09. Fare RMB 215 ($32). Book this at www.china-diy-travel.com and collect tickets at the station. The train has 2nd class, 1st class & business class. Customs and immigration are done in Hong Kong before you board, so you should arrive at least 90 minutes before your train.
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Step 2, travel from Guangzhou South to Beijing West by D-category high-speed sleeper train, of which there are several all runningto very similar times, only on Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday nights. For example the D902 leaves Guangzhou South at 20:15 & arrives Beijing West at 06:56, fare around RMB 1290 ($188). These have 2nd class seats and soft sleepers of the new capsule type. Book this at www.china-diy-travel.com and collect tickets at the station, you should be able to do this at certain counters at Hong Kong West Kowloon, otherwise you have time to do this at Guangzhou South.
Beijing ► Hong Kong
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Step 1, travel from Beijing West to Guangzhou South by D-category high-speed sleeper train, of which there are several all running to very similar times, only on Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday nights. For example the D901 leaves Beijing West at 20:10 & arrives Guangzhou South at 06:28. Fare RMB 1290 ($188). These have 2nd class seats and soft sleepers of the new capsule type. Book this at www.china-diy-travel.com and collect tickets at the station.
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Step 1, travel from Guangzhou to Hong Kong on any high-speed train you like starting with the 08:02 from Guangzhou South to Hong Kong West Kowloon at 09:10. Fare RMB 215 ($32). Book this at www.china-diy-travel.com and collect tickets at the station. The train has 2nd class, 1st class & business class. Customs and immigration are done in Hong Kong on arrival.
Capsule-type high-speed sleeper
Introduced in 2017, this type of high-speed sleeper train operates between Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Beijing. Instead of conventional 4-berth soft sleeper compartments these trains have open-plan upper & lower berths arranged longitudinally along the car walls, with an upper and lower row of windows for upper and lower berths, see this video. Each berth has its own individual curtains for privacy. If you use this new type, feedback & further photos would be much appreciated!
Hong Kong to Shanghai
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A tasty Chinese meal in the restaurant car of the sleeper train... |
There are now two excellent options for travel between Shanghai & Hong Kong, in either direction.
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Option 1, by direct high-speed train in 8h18. The Guangzhou-Kowloon high-speed line opened on 23 September 2018, allowing direct high-speed trains to link Beijing & Hong Kong every day at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).
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Option 2, by direct sleeper train. Arguably the nicest & cheapest way between Shanghai and Hong Kong is the classic sleeper train. This takes an afternoon, a night and a morning and runs every two days, with soft & hard sleepers & restaurant car.
Which option to choose?
Both options are an experience... The high-speed train is obviously fastest and just takes a single day. You get to experience China's impressive and expanding high-speed rail network. However, it's more expensive than the other options. The classic Hong Kong - Shanghai sleeper train takes 24 hours, but as it runs overnight in reality it takes no more daytime time out of your schedule than the high-speed train and can be more fun. It's cheaper, a spacious soft sleeper costs less than a narrow 2nd class seat on the high-speed train. It saves a hotel bill, and in many ways it's nicer to have a soft sleeper with room to spread out and chill in evening and morning, a flat bunk to nap on and access to a proper restaurant car with freshly cooked real Chinese food rather than the microwaved tray meals on the high-speed train. It's a real trans-China adventure.
Option 1, by high-speed train
Incredibly, from the opening of Hong Kong's new high-speed rail link on 23 September 2018, it's possible to travel between Hong Kong & Shanghai in a single day. It's more expensive than the sleeper, but you get to travel across China on one of it's impressive new high-speed railways while you admire the scenery, catch up on your reading and enjoy a beer or two in the bar car.
Luggage allowance
You take your bags with you onto the train, and put them on the racks near your seat. Bags may be X-rayed before entering the station. The luggage limit on Chinese trains is 20 Kg for adults & 10 Kg for children, and the maximum dimension of any item should not exceed 130cm on G-category trains like these. However, in practice no-one weighs or measures your bags, as long as they comfortably fit through the security X-ray machines and you can carry them onto the train, you'll be fine. If you really want to transport vast quantities of luggage you can pay for a baggage ticket for bags in excess of the official limits.
The station in Hong Kong is Hong Kong West Kowloon, the new high-speed train terminal which opened in 2018. See map of Hong Kong showing station location. You should arrive at least 45 minutes before the train leaves to complete Hong Kong & mainland China border formalities.
Border formalities when leaving Hong Kong for Shanghai
Hong Kong & Chinese border formalities take place at Hong Kong West Kowloon station before you board the train. You should arrive at the station at least 45 minutes before your train, although I found we were through formalities and waiting in the departure lounge a mere 15 minutes after entering the station. It might take longer at busy times! On arrival in Beijing there are no further formalities, you just walk out of the station. See the Hong Kong to Beijing page for a description of the check-in process at Hong Kong with photos, it's the same process whether you're going to Beijing or Shanghai.
Border formalities when travelling from Shanghai to Hong Kong
There are no formalities to go through before boarding the train in Shanghai, other than the usual ticket check and X-ray baggage scan which you should expect when entering any Chinese station, whether mainline or metro. Don't cut it fine, but turning up 20-30 minutes before your train is sufficient. Hong Kong & Chinese border formalities take place at Hong Kong West Kowloon station after the train arrives. You take the lifts or escalators from the platform on Level B4 up to Level B2 where you go through mainland China passport control, mainland China customs (another X-ray bag check!) and then Hong Kong passport control. It took me just 25 minutes to pass through Chinese exit & Hong Kong entry formalities from the time my train arrived to the time I walked out of Hong Kong West Kowloon station into Austin MTR metro station, although at very busy times it could take up to an hour.
How to buy tickets
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Option 1, buy tickets in either direction at www.chinahighlights.com, a reliable agency that I can recommend.
This can book all classes including business class. You are emailed an e-ticket for your mobile phone with which you can board the train.
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Option 2, buy tickets in either direction at 12go.asia, another reliable booking agency.
They can book 1st or 2nd class, but not always business class. Confirmation is instant. You are emailed an e-ticket for your mobile phone with which you can board the train.
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Option 3, you can also buy tickets at the MTR high-speed rail website www.highspeed.mtr.com.hk, but you can only collect tickets in Hong Kong if you use that website, not in Shanghai or anywhere in China. You cannot use the official Chinese Railways website 12306.cn to buy tickets as it's only in Chinese, only accepts Chinese bank cards and requires Chinese ID cards - this is why you need to use an agency.
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Tip: These high-speed trains have an allocation of seats/tickets on the Chinese Railways ticketing system and a separate allocation of seats/tickets on the Hong Kong (MTR) ticketing system. If you buy through the Chinese system (for example, using www.china-diy-travel.com or www.chinahighlights.com) you can collect, change or cancel tickets at any Chinese station including Beijing, as well as at Hong Kong West Kowloon Terminus at the counters equipped with the Chinese ticketing system. However, if you book via the MTR system (for example using the MTR website) tickets can only be collected, changed or cancelled at Hong Kong West Kowloon Terminus at the counters equipped with the MTR system. You cannot change or cancel tickets at a Chinese station if you bought them via the MTR ticketing system. It can therefore be better to buy via the Chinese system, for example using www.china-diy-travel.com or www.chinahighlights.com.
What is the train like?
The G99 and G100 between Hong Kong & Shanghai are operated by 16-car CR400AF Fuxing (revival) high-speed trains. These are the world's fastest passenger trains, designed for up to 400 km/h and operating in service at up to 350 km/h (217 mph), although you're unlikely to exceed 300 km/h (186 mph) on the Hong Kong to Shanghai route. The train has 2nd class, 1st class & business class plus a small cafe counter selling Chinese tea, coffee, beer, snacks & microwaved hot dishes. Unlike some other Chinese high-speed trains there are no sit-down cafe tables, just the serving counter.
Option 2, by classic sleeper train
An air-conditioned sleeper train links Shanghai with Hong Kong every second day. This is a comfortable, civilised and interesting way to make this journey. The train has 2-berth deluxe soft sleepers with private toilet, regular 4-berth soft sleepers, hard sleepers & restaurant car.
* Train Z100 from Hong Kong to Shanghai runs on alternate days. In January, April, May, August, November, December it will run on odd-numbered dates in 2019. In February, March, June, July, September & October it will run on even-numbered dates in 2019.
** Train Z99 from Shanghai to Hong Kong runs on alternate days. In January, April, May, August, November, December it will run on even-numbered dates in 2019. In February, March, June, July, September & October it will run on odd-numbered dates in 2019.
You can check days of running of trains Z99 & Z100 using www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains. Or see www.it3.mtr.com.hk/b2c: Click Schedule (look for the clock logo) then use the Select your schedule box top right to select the Beijing/Shanghai route. Remember that Hong Kong is shown as Hung Hom, that's the station.
On board accommodation
Z99 & Z100 have 2-berth deluxe soft sleepers with private toilet, normal 4-berth soft sleepers, hard sleepers & restaurant car.
Luggage allowance
You take your bags with you onto the train, and put them on the racks in your sleeper compartment. Bags may be X-rayed before entering the station. The luggage limit on Chinese trains is 20 Kg for adults & 10 Kg for children, and the maximum dimension of any item should not exceed 160cm on Z-category trains like these. However, in practice no-one weighs or measures your bags, as long as they comfortably fit through the security X-ray machines and you can carry them onto the train, you'll be fine. If you really want to transport vast quantities of luggage you can pay for a baggage ticket for bags in excess of the official limits.
Departure formalities
Departing from Shanghai for Hong Kong, you should arrive at Shanghai main station 90 minutes before departure for passport control & exit formalities.
Departing from Hong Kong, you should arrive at Kowloon's Hung Hom station at least 45 minutes before departure for passport control & exit formalities. You first have your ticket checked at the entrance to the departures area. There's then a quick X-ray baggage scan, followed by Hong Kong immigration exit formalities using automated gates which read your passport. You then find yourself in a departure area with seating and a duty free shop, before the boarding gate is opened and you go down the escalators to the platform. Chinese immigration formalities take place on arrival at Shanghai main station.
The station in Hong Kong is in Kowloon and called Hung Hom. It can help to know that the Chinese refer to Hong Kong/Kowloon as Jiulong and you may see it shown on train destination boards as Jiulong. See map of Hong Kong showing station location.
Children under 120cm tall travel free, 120-150cm tall travel for half fare, over 150cm tall pay full fare (140cm was changed to 150cm in Dec 2008, and 110cm to 120cm in Dec 2010). Child discounts only apply to the 'base' part of a sleeper fare, so in sleepers it's closer to a 25% reduction on the total fare.
The sleeper fares shown here are for lower berths. Upper berths (and middle berths in hard sleeper) are a fraction cheaper.
How to buy tickets
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How to buy tickets starting in Shanghai
You can buy tickets online at agency www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains. Tickets can be sent to a hotel or private address anywhere in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau. Chinahighlights get good feedback for their service and charge in US$ and add a service fee of around $40. On www.chinahighlights.com, Hong Kong's Hung Hom station is listed as 'HongKong'. Or you can of course buy at the ticket office (there's an English-speaking window) or pre-book through an agency, see advice on buying tickets.
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How to buy tickets starting in Hong Kong
You can buy tickets online at www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains. Tickets can be sent to a hotel or private address anywhere in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau. They get good feedback for their service and charge in US$ and add a service fee of around $40. On www.chinahighlights.com, Hong Kong's Hung Hom station is listed as 'HongKong'.
What's the sleeper train like?
This Hong Kong to Shanghai sleeper train uses the same carriages as the Hong Kong-Beijing train, and runs on the days when the Beijing train doesn't. If you use this train, feedback & further photos would be much appreciated!
Hong Kong to Guangzhou
There are two options for travel between Hong Kong and Guangzhou, the major Chinese city inland from Hong Kongformerly known as Canton:
Option 1, the new
high-speed rail link from West Kowloon Terminus to Guangzhou South which opened
in 2018.
Option 2, the
Intercity Through Train from Hung Hom station
to Guangzhou East via the classic Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR).
The high-speed trains take less than an hour, run 1, 2 or even 3 times an hour, and the stations at either end are vast and impressive. However, the high-speed route runs in tunnel all the way from Kowloon to the Chinese border. The classic route takes 2 hours, but it's cheaper and shows you the extent of Hong Kong's New Territories above ground on the historic KCR opened in 1910, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon-Canton_Railway.
The Man in Seat 61 says, "Personally, I enjoyed the leisurely journey in Premium class on the double-deck 'Ktt' Intercity Through Train more than the return journey in a Vibrant Express on the new high-speed rail link, half of which was in tunnel. But I'm glad I've experienced both, the scale of China's expanding high-speed rail network has to be seen to be believed..."
Option 1, Hong Kong to Guangzhou by high-speed train
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Hong Kong's new high-speed rail link opened on 23 September 2018, and high-speed trains now link Hong Kong West Kowloon station with Guangzhou South (Guangzhounan) in as little as 47 minutes with 1, 2 or even 3 departures every hour. See map of Hong Kong showing station.
Most departures are operated by Chinese Railways Fuxing (revival) high-speed trains with 2nd class, 1st class & business class, see photos of each class on a Fuxing high-speed train here & watch the video here.
However, several departures per day between Hong Kong & Guangzhou South are operated by Vibrant Express trains owned by MTR (the Hong Kong mass transit corporation), see the photos below and see this video showing a new Vibrant train inside & out. Vibrant Express trains have 1st & 2nd class, but no business class.
See the route map here - the new high-speed line is shown in red. From Hong Kong West Kowloon to the Chinese border the line runs entirely in tunnel with trains limited to 200 km/h (125 mph). The line emerges into daylight near the border and calls at Shenzhen North (Shenzhenbei) before running above ground to Guangzhou South at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).
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How to buy tickets...
You can check train times & buy tickets in either direction at www.china-diy-travel.com, a reliable agency, highly recommended.
You collect tickets at the station, see how to collect tickets at Hong Kong West Kowloon here or see advice on collecting tickets in China including Guangzhou here.
You can also buy tickets at the MTR high-speed rail website www.highspeed.mtr.com.hk, but if you use this you can only collect tickets in Hong Kong, not in Guangzhou or anywhere in China. You cannot use the official Chinese Railways website 12306.cn as it's only in Chinese, only accepts Chinese bank cards and requires Chinese ID cards - this is why you need to use the agency recommended above.
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Luggage allowance...
You take your bags with you onto the train, and put them on the racks in your sleeper compartment. Bags may be X-rayed before entering the station. The luggage limit on Chinese trains is 20 Kg for adults & 10 Kg for children, and the maximum dimension of any item should not exceed 130cm on G-category high-speed trains. However, in practice no-one weighs or measures your bags, as long as they comfortably fit through the security X-ray machines and you can carry them onto the train, you'll be fine. If you really want to transport vast quantities of luggage you can pay for a baggage ticket for bags in excess of the official limits.
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Border formalities when leaving Hong Kong for Guangzhou...
All border formalities take place at Hong Kong West Kowloon station before you board the train. You should arrive at the station at least 45 minutes before your train, although I found we were through formalities and waiting in the departure lounge a mere 15 minutes after entering the station. It might take longer at busy times! On arrival in Guangzhou there are no further formalities, you just walk out of the station. See the Hong Kong to Beijing page for a description of the check-in process at Hong Kong West Kowloon, it's the same process whether you're going to Beijing or Shanghai.
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Border formalities when travelling from Guangzhou to Hong Kong...
There are no formalities to go through before boarding the train in Guangzhou South, other than the usual ticket check and X-ray baggage scan which you should expect when entering any Chinese station. Don't cut it fine, but turning up 20-30 minutes before your train is sufficient. Hong Kong & Chinese border formalities take place at Hong Kong West Kowloon station on arrival. You take the lifts or escalators from the platform on Level B4 up to Level B2 where you go through mainland China passport control, mainland China customs (another X-ray bag check!) and then Hong Kong passport control. It took me just 25 minutes to pass through Chinese exit & Hong Kong entry formalities from the time my train arrived to the time I walked out of Hong Kong West Kowloon station into Austin MTR metro station, although at very busy times it could take up to an hour.
Option 2, Hong Kong to Guangzhou by Intercity through train
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Update: In 2023, these trains remain suspended.
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Air-conditioned conventional trains link Hong Kong Hung Hom station & Guangzhou East (Guangzhoudong) approximately every hour, taking around 1 hour 55 minutes. These are branded Intercity Through Train.
They use the historic Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) from Hong Kong into China opened in 1910, its southern part now owned & operated by MTR (Hong Kong's mass transit company), the northern section now part of Chinese Railways Guangzhou Division. Incidentally, the clock tower next to Kowloon's Star Ferry terminal is all that's left of the original KCR station which closed in 1975 and was subsequently demolished, Hung Hom being its rather ugly replacement.
See route map - the classic route is shown in green. Between Hung Hom and Lo Wu, just south of the Chinese border, the InterCity Through Trains share tracks with MTR East Rail Line metro trains, so initial progress can be quite slow. The trains speed up once in China, reaching up to 160 km/h (100 mph).
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Most Intercity Through Trains are operated by Chinese Railways Guangzhou Division and consist entirely of first class seating cars & a buffet car. However, several departures per day are operated by MTR and branded Ktt. These use double-deck cars built in Japan and hauled by a Swiss-designed locomotive. Ktt trains have first class cars with 2+2 seating across the car width on both decks and premium class with seats 2+1 across the car width, also on both decks. There's no buffet car on a Ktt, but a on-board staff sell Chinese tea, coffee, soft drinks, snacks & beer, and a variety of pot noodles. First class on a Chinese train or a Ktt is very comfortable, but Premium class on a Ktt is the nicest way to go.
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To check times & prices in either direction...
...see the MTR Intercity Through Train website www.it3.mtr.com.hk, click English top right. Then click the Fare or Schedule button lower left.
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To buy tickets for northbound journeys from Hong Kong to Guangzhou...
...use www.it3.mtr.com.hk, click English top right. You can also buy southbound tickets starting in Guangzhou, but only if you can pick them up beforehand in Hong Kong. You cannot collect tickets in China if you buy online from MTR.
Tip: On Ktt trains, the upper deck seats obviously get the best views. You cannot select upper deck, but the system tells you your seat number before you pay, marked L for lower or U for upper deck. If you get seats marked L, keep repeating the enquiry and adding further bookings to your basket until you get seats marked U. Then delete the ones marked L, keep the ones marked U, confirm & pay. It took me 6 attempts, but the system eventually gave me upper deck seats.
After booking online, you collect your tickets from the Intercity Through Train customer service desk at Hung Hom station, right next to the entrance to the Intercity Through Train departures area, at the far right-hand end of the station hall as you walk into the station from outside - see the photos below. You need the credit card used for the online booking. Tickets can also be bought in person here.
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To buy tickets for southbound journeys from Guangzhou to Hong Kong...
...use reliable agency www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains. You must book at least 10 days in advance, tickets are delivered to any hotel in China. They charge a USD11 fee and USD9 for delivery to a hotel. Tip: The Ktt double-deck trains are the ones shown as having Superior class, by which they mean Premium class.
There is no way to book tickets in this direction direct with Chinese Railways, and not all agencies offer this route as Intercity Through Train bookings are held on a separate system from the main Chinese Railways ticketing system. Tip: The Ktt double-deck trains are the ones shown as having Superior class, by which they mean Premium class.
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Luggage allowance...
You take your bags with you onto the train, and put them on the racks in your sleeper compartment. Bags may be X-rayed before entering the station. The luggage limit on Chinese trains is 20 Kg for adults & 10 Kg for children, and the maximum dimension of any item should not exceed 160cm on these InterCity Through trains. However, in practice no-one weighs or measures your bags, as long as they comfortably fit through the security X-ray machines and you can carry them onto the train, you'll be fine. If you really want to transport vast quantities of luggage you can pay for a baggage ticket for bags in excess of the official limits.
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Border formalities when leaving Hong Kong for Guangzhou...
You should arrive at the station around 45 minutes before departure, the gate closes 10 minutes before departure. When departure opens for your train, there's a quick ticket check by staff at the entrance then you enter the departures corridor. Put your bag on the X-ray machine conveyor and pick it up on the other side when it's gone through. Then comes the Hong Kong exit passport check, they have automatic gates which accepted my UK passport just fine. You then find yourself in a rather dingy departures hall with a couple of duty-free shops and seating. When the train is ready for boarding 10-15 minutes before departure, staff open gates and you can descend by escalator or lift to the platform. On arrival at Guangzhou East you leave the train and go up escalators to find Chinese immigration desks. Fill in and arrivals form at one of the desks, then go to one of the counters marked as for foreigners. It took just a few minutes to get through.
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Border formalities when leaving Guangzhou East for Hong Kong...
You should arrive at the station around 45 minutes before departure, the gate closes 10 minutes before departure. Mainland China exit checks are done at Guangzhou East. Hong Kong arrival passport control is done on arrival at Hung Hom.
Option 3, Hong Kong to Guangzhou by river ferry
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Fast ferry riverboats run between Hong Kong (China HK City Terminal in Kowloon) and Nansha Ferry Terminal 4 or 5 times a day in each direction, and between Hong Kong (China HK City Terminal in Kowloon) and Lianhuashan Ferry Terminal in Guangzhou 3 times a day i each direction. Nansha is south of Guangzhou city centre, you can reach it using the Guangzhou metro line 4.
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For ferry times, fares & info see www.lhsgp.com for Lianhuashan-Hong Kong and www.nskyg.com for Nansha-Hong Kong.
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Traveller David Jansen reports (2018)...
"I travelled from Nansha to Hong Kong China Ferry Terminal. Guangzhou subway line 4 now has been extended to Nansha Passenger Port (exit G of the subway station is closest to the Passenger Port Terminal, but I suggest to take an earlier exit and walk along the almost-empty street). The ticket counter opens about 1h before the ferry departure; the seller spoke English and told me that it's generally not necessary to buy tickets in advance; they only sell out around festivals and sometimes for the first ferry on Saturdays (but I took that Saturday morning ferry, and there was enough room left). The border exit check in Nansha started less than 20 minutes before the ferry departure and was very easy. For best views I suggest to buy a first class ticket, which will allow to sit upstairs and look both ways. It's also possible to upgrade on-board for the same price. The VIP Room only has one small window; I do not recommend that. Food, drink and a 4-day Hong Kong SIM card can be bought on-board."
Video guide: Hong Kong to Guangzhou by Intercity through train
Hong Kong to other Chinese cities
Hong Kong to Guilin & Kunming
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From 23 September 2018, a direct high-speed train will link Hong Kong West Kowloon station with Guilin West (= Guilin Xi) and Kunming South (= Kunming Nan) once every day, journey time just 3h19 Hong Kong - Guilin and 7h38 Hong Kong - Kunming. See the photos above showing the three classes on a G-category high-speed train. See map of Hong Kong showing station location.
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Check times & buy tickets at www.china-diy-travel.com. You collect tickets at the station.
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Customs & immigration are done at Hong Kong West Kowloon Terminus, before departure going out of Hong Kong, and on arrival when heading to Hong Kong. When leaving Hong Kong you should therefore arrive at the station at least 45 minutes before departure.
Hong Kong to Xian
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There are no direct trains between Hong Kong & Xian, but it's easy enough with one change of train at Guangzhou. However, Chinese train booking sites only book direct trains, they aren't capable of offering journeys which involve a change of train. So you need to book in two stages like this:
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Step 1, look up trains and buy a ticket from Guangzhou to Xian. There are G-category high-speed trains between Guangzhou South & Xian North taking around 8h50, or there areconventional Z-category sleeper trains between Guangzhou main station & Xian main station taking just over 21 hours. The Z-trains take longer, obviously, but they are cheaper, they save a hotel bill, and arguably more comfortable as a soft sleeper gives you more space to spread out that a mere seat on a G-category high-speed train. The conventional trains they show you China at a more sedate pace, and they serve the main city centre stations rather than high-speed stations which are usually a little way out of town. But the choice is yours! See the photos above showing the three classes on a G-category high-speed train.
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Step 2, now book a ticket for a suitable high-speed train between Hong Kong West Kowloon & Guangzhou South, this takes as little as 47 minutes. I'd allow at least 90 minutes between trains at Guangzhou South if you are making a same-station change, or 2-3 hours between trains if youneed to transfer by taxi or metro between Guangzhou South and Guangzhou main station.
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Customs & immigration are done at West Kowloon Terminus before departure when leaving Hong Kong, and on arrival at West Kowloon Terminus when arriving in Hong Kong. When leaving Hong Kong you should therefore arrive at the station at least 45 minutes before departure.
To Nanning & all other Chinese cities
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First, see if a direct train comes up to or from Hong Kong by using the journey planner at www.china-diy-travel.com. If a direct train appears, that's usually the best option to take.
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If no direct train appears, you'll need to use a high-speed train between Hong Kong & Guangzhou South, then a Chinese domestic train between Guangzhou (South, East or main stations) and your Chinese origin or destination. Chinese train booking sites only book direct trains, they aren't capable of offering journeys which involve a change of train, but it's easy enough to put a journey together yourself.
Start by looking up times between Guangzhou and your chosen Chinese origin or destination at www.china-diy-travel.com. Then add a ticket from Hong Kong West Kowloon to Guangzhou South separately, also using www.china-diy-travel.com.
I'd allow at least 90 minutes between trains in Guangzhou South if you are making a same-station change, or 2-3 hours between trains if you need to transfer by taxi or metro between Guangzhou South and Guangzhou main station or Guangzhou East station.
It's easy and cheap to transfer between stations by metro, the Guangzhou metro website is cs.gzmtr.com/ckfwEnglish. But always allow enough time, Guangzhou East to Guangzhou South takes an hour, for example.
If you prefer, you can of course use an InterCity Through Train between Hong Kong & Guangzhou East instead of the high-speed rail link.
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Customs & immigration are done at West Kowloon Terminus before departure when leaving Hong Kong, and on arrival at West Kowloon Terminus when arriving in Hong Kong. When leaving Hong Kong you should therefore arrive at the station at least 45 minutes before departure.
Hong Kong to Macau
Like Hong Kong, Macau is a Special Administrative Area of the People's Republic of China, formerly a Portuguese colony. It lies just across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong. It can easily be reached by ferry from Hong Kong or by train from Guangzhou and cities all over China.
Hong Kong to Macau by ferry
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There are frequent ferry services operated by fast jetfoils between Hong Kong & Macau, see www.turbojet.com.hk. They run every 15 minutes throughout the day and every few hours at night, journey time 55 minutes.
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Fares start at HK$186 (US$23) in economy class, HK$371 ($47) in super class.
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The jetfoils depart from the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal, Shun Tak Centre, 200 Connaught Road Central.
Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou to/from Macau by train
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For trains between Beijing & Guangzhou South, see the Beijing-Guangzhou section here. Choose between a high-speed day train or an overnight sleeper.
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A 200km/h InterCity Railway links Guangzhou South (also known as Guangzhou Nan) with Zhuhai station, also known as Gongbei. Don't confuse Zhuhai station with Zhuhai North station which is on the outskirts.
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Trains run between Guangzhou South & Zhuhai roughly every 30 minutes, journey time 1h15 to 1h24, fare RMB 90 ($15) in 1st class or RMB 70 ($12) in 2nd class. The trains are smart modern CRH1 units, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Railways_CRH1.
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Zhuhai station is right next to the Gongbei entrance gate to Macau, you can stroll from Zhuhai station through the Gongbei border gate and into downtown Macau.
Hong Kong to Bangkok & Singapore
Hong Kong to Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore
It's perfectly possible to travel overland in either direction between Hong Kong and Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Penang, Kuala Lumpur & Singapore. But yes, you will need a Chinese visa as obviously you'll be crossing China to reach Vietnam, then Cambodia then Thailand. I'll describe the steps southbound, just reverse the process to travel northbound.
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Step 1, travel from Hong Kong to Hanoi by train as shown here (2 nights).
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Step 2, travel from Hanoi to Saigon by train as shown here (2 nights).
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Step 3, travel from Saigon to Bangkok by bus train via Cambodia as shown here (2 nights)
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Step 2, travel from Bangkok to KL & Singapore by train as shown here (2 nights).
Hong Kong to/from Japan
It's perfectly possible to travel from Hong Kong to Tokyo by train & ferry. It's pretty inexpensive too. But you will need a Chinese visa as you'll be crossing China to reach Shanghai before taking the ferry.
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Step 1: Travel from Hong Kong to Shanghai by high-speed train or sleeper train as shown above.
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Step 2: Travel from Shanghai to Japan by ferry as shown here. Two ferry companies sail from Shanghai to Osaka or Kobe, each once a week, the voyage takes around 24 hours.
Hong Kong to/from Europe
Europe to Hong Kong (or vice versa) by Trans-Siberian Railway
It's perfectly possible to travel from London, Paris or anywhere in Europe to Hong Kong via the celebrated Trans-Siberian Railway. I know, I've done it. I'll describe the steps for an eastbound journey, obviously just reverse them for a westbound one.
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Step 1: travel from London to Moscow by train. Daily departures, 2 nights, from around £250 ($300) one-way with sleeper. Spend at least 1 night in Moscow.
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Step 2: travel from Moscow to Beijing by Trans-Siberian Railway Two trains a week, 6 nights, from around £500 ($750) one-way in 4-bed sleeper. Spend at least 1 night in Beijing. See the Trans-Siberian page.
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Step 3, travel from Beijing to Hong Kong by train as shown above.
Transport within Hong Kong
Octopus smartcard
Transportation within Hong Kong is cheap and easy, and two forms of transport are an attraction in itself, the Star Ferry and the historic trams. If you're going to do multiple journeys, it's a good idea to invest in an Octopus smartcard, you can get one from 7-11 stores or from desks at the airport. You pay a deposit and load it with stored value, and it works on the Star Ferry, trams, MTR metro and airport rail link. For more information see www.octopus.com.hk.
The Star ferry
Although buses and metro trains now link Kowloon with Victoria island by tunnel, the best way to cross is undoubtedly the famous Star Ferry, in fact I think it's my favourite thing in Hong Kong. For details see www.starferry.com.hk. There are two regular ferry routes both starting at Kowloon's Tsim Tcha Tsui terminal, one going to Central the other (slightly longer) crossing going to Wan Chai. A slightly higher fare is charged for travel on the upper deck which is more enclosed. The Star Ferry accepts the Hong Kong Octopus smartcard, or you can buy individual tickets from the machines. Star Ferry also operate regular cruises around the harbour, see www.starferry.com.hk.
Trams, metro, airport rail link
For trams, metro & Hong Kong's airport rail link, see www.mtr.com.hk. The MTR metro goes almost everywhere, the historic trams run along one line on Victoria island parallel with the harbourfront. You can buy individual journey tickets or use the Octopus smartcard.
Hotels in Hong Kong
The famous Peninsula Hotel: Check prices
The oldest and most famous hotel in Hong Kong is undoubtedly the venerable 5-star Peninsula Hotel, opened in 1928. Used as HQ by the Japanese in WW2, it was in this hotel that the governor of Hong Kong surrendered to Japanese forces on 25 December 1941. For more about the history of the hotel see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peninsula_Hong_Kong. The hotel is located in Kowloon, 5 minutes walk from the Star Ferry terminal, one stop on the MTR metro from Austin (for Hong Kong West Kowloon High Speed Rail Terminal) and 17 minutes walk from Hung Hom station from where the conventional trains to China leave. Even if it's outside your budget, afternoon tea in the grand lobby has become something of an institution. You also get superb views across Hong Kong Harbour from the huge glass viewing windows at the Felix bar & restaurant on the 28th floor of the tower at the rear, although at almost £10 for a beer it's not cheap. Check prices & book the Peninsula Hotel. Tip: Ask for a room in the original 1928 building at the front if history matters to you, as half the rooms are now in a modern tower at the rear opened in 1994, just visible in the background in the photo below right, rising above the old building.
Flights to Hong Kong
Overland travel around China & Hong Kong by train is an essential part of the experience, so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay on the ground! But if a long-haul flight is unavoidable to reach Hong Kong in the first place, try Virgin Atlantic who fly direct from London to Hong Kong, a sound choice for both price and service...
1) Check flight prices at Opodo, www.opodo.com...
2) Use Skyscanner to compare flight prices & routes worldwide across 600 airlines...
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