Note: This information is mostly from the 2006-2007 academic year and is likely of purely historical interest at this point.
You’ll want an Octopus card unless you really enjoy making exact change. Student status will save you HK$$$.
These aren’t the only ways, they’re just what work for me.
Disclaimers aside…
Air Tickets:
For the big name airlines, use zuji.com.hk—online booking, e-tickets, credit cards, all the comforts of home.
Flights to Mainland China destinations will be cheaper through local agents—cheaper yet from Shenzhen. Try ticket.9588.com, elong.net, and ctrip.com, in that order, for online pricing for flights from SZX. If taxes aren’t shown (on ctrip or 9588) assume 130 RMB tax (almost certainly higher by now).
“Hong Kong Sincerity Student Travel,” the local STA affiliate, is said to have good fares. Their website, however, is useless for English-readers.
Use skyscanner.net to price airasia.com flights from Macau (remember to mentally add 300 HKD for the ferry both ways) to Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.
Hong Kong International Airport:
with big luggage:
Taxi: take a green (NT) taxi. Estimated 250 HKD: I haven’t taken it.
Bus and taxi: take the taxi from campus to Tuen Mun Town Center Bus Terminus (maybe 25 HKD if you’re unlucky, plus possible baggage fees). Take the E33 from TM Town Center to the airport (13 HKD)—this is an airbus and has room to store luggage, as long as you are strong enough to handle it.
Early morning bus: take the A33 direct from Fu Tai at 5:30, 6:15, or other times in the early morning (check timetable on kmb.hk). HK$25. The 5:30 takes almost exactly one hour, door-to-door, and works great for the 8:30 a.m. NW 2 flight. Note that at that time, the Fu Tai side gate of campus is locked: go through the front.
small/no luggage:
All bus: Take the K51 (3.7 HKD) to Town Center (alight at the big garage), which drops you right next to the departure point of the E33 (see above). This is the cheapest way.
Bus/LR + Ferry + Bus: Take the A73 bus from in front of the university (if it’s running, $4.3) to Tuen Mun Ferry Pier, the half-hourly ferry ($15) to Tung Chung, and a shuttle bus (S56 or S64P, $3.some) from Tung Chung Pier to the airport. Alternately, take the Light Rail from Siu Hong or Fung Tei to the pier: 614 or 614P might be best, but anything that gets you there will work. This (using Light Rail and timed to meet the ferry) might be the fastest way in heavy traffic, as you’d only be directly exposed to traffic for the five minute hop from Tung Chung Pier to the airport.
Shenzhen, PRC (and its bus and train stations): Bus 261 toward Tin Ping (catch this on the side of the street opposite Lingnan or Fu Tai), alighting at Sheung Shui KCR, 12 HKD. 18.8 HKD for the East Rail hop from there to Lo Wu (do not go to Lo Wu without a valid visa for China if you are an American citizen). Return on the 261 toward Sam Shing from Sheung Shui KCR. Luohu is home to the coach (bus) and train stations of Shenzhen, in addition to Luohu station which is the eastern terminus of Shenzhen metro line 1.
Update: You can now take the East Rail to Lok Ma Chau and cross at Huanggang port, now home to the Huanggang station of the Shenzhen metro. If you’re going somewhere other than Luohu, this might be a better option with a less crowded checkpoint. And since I wrote the update, other ports might have opened.
Shenzhen Airport:
From Luohu: minibus K568, 40-60 minutes. 20 RMB. It’s in the coach station near to the local buses on the side far from the port. People will be able to point you toward the bus if you’re in the right area and looking for “airport.”
There should be a bus and are definitely taxis (may refuse to meter and rip you off) to/from Huang Gang/Lok Ma Chau control point. “Yellow Bus” HK$7 shuttle runs from Huanggang to Lok Ma Chau control point and v/v. HK taxis can reach the HK side easily enough, and there are cross-border coaches from Huanggang to Kam Sheung Rd. KCR (daylight). KSR connects to LMC by GMB 78, too (that was clear-sounding!) Lok Ma Chau interchange connections: GMB 44B, $11, to Ferry Pier via Town Hall. KMB 277 to Yuen Long West. Immigration department says that (when open) it’s better to use Lo Wu at peak times, but Lok Ma Chau’s the only game after-hours. Again, probably out of date.
RMB (Chinese Yuan) available from ATMs across the checkpoint at Lo Wu/Luohu (and at some in Sheung Shui station). HKD are less accepted in Shenzhen with the US Dollar’s fall’s having dragged it down (update: and the strengthening of the RMB). Change HKD cash, if you must, for RMB at the China Construction bank counter, part of a convenience store looking thing just before you leave the port building.
Through Trains to the mainland leave from Hung Hom, all the way down at the bottom of the East Rail before East Tsim Sha Tsui.
Mongkok:
Bus 67X, in front of campus, goes (and returns) direct. This can get slow in bad traffic.
West Rail Line to Mei Foo, MTR Tsuen Wan (Red) line toward Central to Mongkok. Or Jordan, or TST, if you want to go there.
Central:
West Rail Line to Nam Cheong, MTR on the Tung Chung line to Hong Kong. Walk in the paid area to the Central station exits, unless you’re going somewhere in or near IFC.
At night, getting back: Last KCR West Rail leaves Nam Cheong at 0015. If you made it to Nam Cheong or Mei Foo but miss the West Rail, you can catch buses easily. Otherwise, take a red bus from Central to Mong Kok, and then a red bus signed “Yuen Long” to get back to Lingnan. Urban (red) cab from Lan Kwai Fong is approx. 250 HKD, not bad if you split it a few ways.
After 0600, just take the MTR and KCR back, they’ll be awake for the new day.
