Octopus Card & other questions....

Hi, can anyone help? I%26#39;m coming to Hong Kong with my husband and daughter soon. We are staying at one of the disney hotels.

How does the Octopus card work? I was looking at the one that gives you 2 airport rides then unlimited rides on the MTR. Do I need one card per person, or can I just use 1 card between us until the money runs out? I don%26#39;t really understand how it works, do you hand your card over for the ticket price to be deducted then get your card back with the right tickets for the journey?

Also can someone tell me which are the nearest MTR stations to the Jade Market and The Tram Station for the ride up to The Peak.

Finally....what is the weather like in mid April please?

Thanks.

Alf.

Octopus Card %26amp; other questions....

The Octopus Card is a plastic credit card sized card containing a readable chip upon which it%26#39;s monetary value is stored.

You can buy it when you arrive at the airport, at any MTR Customer Service Centre and a few other outlets. To use it you simply waft it over the card reader when you enter a station and again when you leave and the journey value is deducted. It can also be used on almost all public transport in HK, trains, buses, Peak Tram, ferries, and more recently some taxis. Public transport in HK is almost cashless now. You can also use it at an increasing number of shops, cafes and other outlets to purchase goods (eg 7-Eleven concenience stores which are all over HK, MacDonalds and Wellcome and Park %26#39;n Shop Supermarkets).

The card reader displays the outstanding balance each time a fare is deducted and you can top up the card at any time via ';add value'; machines in MTR stations, at any 7-Eleven store and some other outlets.

The card costs HK$150 for adults, HK$100 for students aged 12 to 25 or HK$70 for kids aged 3 to 11.

These are the basic minimum amounts and if you wish you can add value when you first purchase the card.

Of these amounts HK$50 is a refundable deposit which you can claim (less a small handling charge) by handing in the card when you leave HK and the card has a negative value of HK$35.

i.e if you have HK$100 balance you can spend HK$135 without adding value as the HK$50 deposit is still there.

The value remains on the card for 3 years so if you intend returning to HK you can keep the card and use it on your return.

You need a card each and these cards are very intelligent.

There is a Tourist version of Octopus which in my opinion only serves to confuse and you%26#39;re just as well getting the normal Octopus. The Octopus website can be found at;

www.octopuscards.com/consumer/en/index.jsp

Other than the Airport Express public transport in HK is very cheap compared to the UK and it%26#39;s easy to use, plentiful and reliable and the Octopus Card makes travelling around simple.

Nearest MTR station to the Jade Market is Yau Ma Tei and for the Peak Tram lower terminus is Central (follow the signs) or Admiralty (via Pacific Place up to the escalators and through Hong Kong Park). There%26#39;s also a free open top bus number 15C from the new Star Ferry Pier to the lower Peak Tram terminus.

In April humidity and temperature starts to rise, average temps should be around mid 20%26#39;s and there may be mist and there may be rain on some days but it%26#39;s not a very wet month, probably drizzle. It should still be reasonably pleasant before the summer heat and humidity arrive but who knows, the weather seems to be more unpredicatable these days. I was there in November and it was nothing like it usually is for most of the month.

Octopus Card %26amp; other questions....

SolentTraveller,

Thanks for these valuable info. Now I know that the octopus card is a must in HK and really appreciate your precious input. One more question regarding this card is can we use it in the ferries cause I am planning to visit Lantau Island and others by taking the ferry or whatever speedboat. Can we?

Thanks again,

Jay

Yes, you can use Octopus on the ferry services to the main outlying islands of Lantau, Cheung Chau and Lamma. All are worth a visit and the Ordinary (as opposed to Fast) Ferries from Central Ferry Piers on HK Island to Mui Wo on Lantau and Cheung Chau have sun decks at the back where you can sit out making the ferry trip in itself a very enjoyable cruise. You can also ';island hop'; between these islands using the Inter-Island Ferry Service.

There also is a lesser known small kaido ferry service operated by Fortune Ferry Company between Tai O and Tung Chung on Lantau Island (and Tuen Mun in the New Territories) which also accepts Octopus. This ferry can be useful if you want to do a sightseeing round trip from Tung Chung via cable car to Ngong Ping and the Buddha Statue, then the stilted fishing village of Tai O then back to Tung Chung.

Alfmeister,

If you are staying at one of the Disney hotels, I don%26#39;t suggest to Airport Express trains because they are design to go urban and does not have a stop on Lantau Island. Take a taxi ride to the Disney hotels which costs less than 拢10.

The OP is talking about a different Octopus card from the one described in the replies. To get a regular octopus (designed for residents) you must pay a $50 deposit that cannot be refunded within the first 30 days. The one for tourists includes the airport express (either single or return) and is fully refundable at the airport. However it only carries $20 worth of ';stored value'; ($180 for the AE; $50 deposit %26amp; about $50 for 3 days worth of MTR) so you need to put another $50 or so immediately to use on the ferries %26amp; buses - and no you cannot share because it cannot ';remember'; 2 journeys at one time, also the ';free MTR'; travel is of course for one person.

If you are not using the AE; or not likely to use $50 worth of MTR is 3 consecutive days then just pay cash. (MTR %26amp; Ferries give change, buses don%26#39;t)

The 3-day Airport Express tourist pass no longer carries HK$20 worth of ';stored value';.

And the HK$50 deposit on a regular ocotpus card can be refunded within the first 30 days (or later) but carries a fee of HK$7 if refund less than 3 months from the date of issue of the card.

Hi everyone, thanks for all your replies. I did notice that the Airport Express doesn%26#39;t go directly to Disney but I had no idea of the distance from the airport in terms of taxi fares. So, I%26#39;ll take a taxi now I know it%26#39;s about 拢10 as that%26#39;s roughly the same amount as the train fare for all of us with an Octopus Card anyway. Is there a recommended taxi company to take from the airport or can I just take any one? What is it customary to leave as a tip?

I%26#39;m a little bit confused as to getting an Octopus Card or not now as opinions seem to differ on the refund.......if I give you a summary of the journeys I might take perhaps it might help.

So, I%26#39;ll get a taxi to Disney. Then I%26#39;d like to go on the MTR from Disney to Tung Chung to get the Cable Car up to Ngong Ping and then return to Disney the same way. Following day I%26#39;d like to go from Disney over to Kowloon and HK Island where I want to see the Avenue of Stars and the Light show and also take the Peak Tram and maybe visit the Jade market and then I%26#39;ll be returning to Disney. Following 2 days will be spent at Disney unless we have to buy anything we need to go back to Kowloon or HK Island for. Then we%26#39;ll get a taxi back to Airport.

So, do I bother with a card or not and if I get one do I just get the ordinary one and leave the tourist one alone?

Where is the new star ferry terminal %26amp; what%26#39;s the nearest MTR station please?

Thanks again to anyone who replied the first time.

Alf.

So what is the maximum that we can charge the octopus card for? can we charge it with what ever amount of money upon arrival at the airport? and which one do u recommend, the regular or the tourist version? By the way I am staying 5 nights in HK and travelling with wife and 2 kids and am kinda stressed to set up all the itinerary. I really appreciate ur help gentlemen!

Thanks again,

Jay

P.S.

Where is the best place to see the light show?

I had thought to do the peak earlier in the day and then maybe take the star ferry over to Kowloon and see it from the avenue of stars but if I am returning to Disney straight afterwards with a tired child is the travel back to Disney easier/quicker from HK Island? Does anyone know the best place to download an MTR map from?

Thanks again.

Alf

JayD2006,

The octopus card store value up to the maximum of HK$1000, in multiples of HK$50. In most cases, get the regular card unless you use MTR a lot. For 5 nights, add HK$50 or 100 to each card when get the card.