Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities Bus to Macau - Questions

[SF]

We are thinking of taking the bus to Macau and are wondering upon our return to the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities if there are taxis at night that could take us to our hotel which is nearby.

[Betty in Cozumel]

There should be.  Also there are airport buses available that go to a lot of hotels.  We took the A11 back to our hotel in Causeway Bay after getting off the HK-Macau bus.

[mking8288]

@SF - There are taxis at the 24/7 HKBCF, which as you know, is very close to the HKIA nearby - in addition to various bus routes to different destinations, near & far.  With luggage in tow, taxis are best for you ... if you are staying on Lantau Island (1 of 3 hotels suggested or others) only - find a blue color taxi as those are for Lantau Island only ... driver won't be "upset" with doing a short trip to nearby places like the hotel.  

 

There are other options - discussed in depth with the link here, should be useful for others.  For those arriving there without an Octopus Card for use with MTR trains, buses & ferries, etc. - inside the building is a 7-11 where it is sold/available, I'm told.  

https://www.businesstraveller.com/features/smart-traveller-navigating-the-hong-kong-zhuhai-macau-bridge/

 

P.S.  Have you checked & watch those YT videos on the Sea Bridge crossing - they should be very helpful, informative & useful for visitors using the connections for the first time.  

[SF]

Appreciate the information. Glad to know we won't have a problem getting back to our hotel since we plan to return from Macau late in the evening. 

Yes, I have watched the videos showing the bus crossing from Hong Kong to Macau. Very useful information. From where you are dropped off is it best to take one of the free shuttles to the ferry port and then hop on one of the free shuttles to the main hotels from there? If so which ferry port is best in regards to buses to the main hotels? I believe there are two ferry ports nearby.

 

[RoadTripFanatic]

Which hotels do you consider the "main" hotels.  The ones on the Macau side or the ones on the Cotai Strip?  I haven't been to Macau since the bridge opened.  I do know 18 months ago you could catch a free shuttle that ran between the MGM properties.

[SF]

2 minutes ago, RoadTripFanatic said:

Which hotels do you consider the "main" hotels.  The ones on the Macau side or the ones on the Cotai Strip?  I haven't been to Macau since the bridge opened.  I do know 18 months ago you could catch a free shuttle that ran between the MGM properties.

We were thinking of maybe The Venetian and some of the hotels nearby on the Cotai Strip.

[RoadTripFanatic]

We stayed at the MGM Cotai just a few weeks after it opened.  It was beautiful.  If you need a Starbucks fix it has a massive Starbucks.  Our 17 year old was thankful for comfort coffee and breakfast pastries by that point in the trip.   On the Macau side I would definitely go to the Grand Lisboa.  It is worth visiting just to see the lobby area.  The jewels, gold carvings and an original Imperial throne are great for a quick look. The MGM Macau is also beautiful on the inside.  We loved going to the Wynn on the Cotai strip.  It was right across the street from our hotel.  It is beyond amazing. If you want to eat at a buffet there you have to make reservations.  The Venetian and Paris were both amazing.  If it wasn't a 17 hour plane flight I would prefer it over Vegas.  On a funny note at MGM Cotai there were very few black jack tables.  If you are a gambler and love blackjack the tables are limited over there.  🙂 

[ebslcc]

3 hours ago, mking8288 said:

@SF - There are taxis at the 24/7 HKBCF, which as you know, is very close to the HKIA nearby - in addition to various bus routes to different destinations, near & far.  With luggage in tow, taxis are best for you ... if you are staying on Lantau Island (1 of 3 hotels suggested or others) only - find a blue color taxi as those are for Lantau Island only ... driver won't be "upset" with doing a short trip to nearby places like the hotel.  

 

There are other options - discussed in depth with the link here, should be useful for others.  For those arriving there without an Octopus Card for use with MTR trains, buses & ferries, etc. - inside the building is a 7-11 where it is sold/available, I'm told.  

https://www.businesstraveller.com/features/smart-traveller-navigating-the-hong-kong-zhuhai-macau-bridge/

 

P.S.  Have you checked & watch those YT videos on the Sea Bridge crossing - they should be very helpful, informative & useful for visitors using the connections for the first time.  

THANKS everyone for your post.  Very useful info as we try to figure out how to get to and from Macau: Kai Tak to HKBCF on disembarkation and then HKBCF to HKIA on day of our flight home.  

 

Re "find a blue color taxi as those are for Lantau Island only".  If we are going to taxi to the airport we should take the blue color taxi only?  What's the approximate fare?  I see Uber is available in HK, is it easier to flag down a taxi vs. waiting for an Uber? Does it cost more using Uber or less?  We have 3 people = 3 regular (29") luggage plus a roll on each.  Would the luggage fit in a typical taxi in HK or do we need an Uber XL to get around? 

 

The buses to the airport is very frequent however are there luggage racks?  Every 10-15 minutes http://www.newlantaobus.com/route/detail/87 Probably less hassle taking a taxi or Uber.

 

Re: our disembarkation travel to HKBCF.  Is taxi the best option or Uber?  What's the approximate cost for taxi to HKBCF from Kai Tak Cruise Terminal? 

 

Re: Macau Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Macau Port.  What is the approximate cost for taxi to the hotel areas in Macau and Taipa?  It should be a very short taxi ride!  I see that there are free shuttle at the Macao side of the bridge https://moovitapp.com/index/zh-tw/公共交通-line-港珠澳大橋綜合渡假村接駁線_氹仔碼頭線_HZMB_INTEGRATED_RESORT_CONNECTION_TAIPA_LINE-Macau-4686-1267524-785182-0

[mking8288]

2 hours ago, ebslcc said:

Re "find a blue color taxi as those are for Lantau Island only".  If we are going to taxi to the airport we should take the blue color taxi only?  What's the approximate fare?  I see Uber is available in HK, is it easier to flag down a taxi vs. waiting for an Uber? Does it cost more using Uber or less?  We have 3 people = 3 regular (29") luggage plus a roll on each.  Would the luggage fit in a typical taxi in HK ? 

 

For Lantau (and at HKBCF) you will find red "urban" taxi (most popular - serving HK island & Kowloon ... to/from) and green taxi (to/from N.T.) and blue taxi that's for the island only (where the airport is located ... also to/from Tung Chung with the MTR Station & bus terminal ... a key transfer/gateway for public transit).  Between HKBCF and HKIA, taxi fare should be roughly somewhere around $40 to $60 HKD, about $5 to $7 USD at most - 10% tips should suffice - a very short trip in distance & time. 

 

 

As for Uber in HK, it is illegal - offically - I advice against using it.  There are GoGoVan - 7 pgr minivans for cargo hauling & passengers, which apparently is a grey operation via their Apps - sorry, I don't have any info & for foreign visitors, not sure if this is advisable.  The savings in fare - especially for a short trip isn't going to that much different or lower.  

 

Luggage - a typical HK taxi (Toyota "Crown") should fit 3 large-sized suitcases in the trunk, drivers carry plenty of bungee cords to do this securely.  Taxis will fit 4 or 5 (they are marked on an exterior - large - decal) slim adults, 3 average sized oversea travelers will be fine in a regular taxi - 1 in the front seat and 2 in the backseat, put the 3 carry-on sized ?? rollers in the backseat ... should fit, if there's no space in the trunk.  

 

 

2 hours ago, ebslcc said:

 

The buses to the airport is very frequent however are there luggage racks?  Every 10-15 minutes  ... Probably less hassle taking a taxi or Uber. Re: our disembarkation travel to HKBCF.  Is taxi the best option or Uber?  What's the approximate cost for taxi to HKBCF from Kai Tak Cruise Terminal? 

 

Airporter buses can be found from popular locations all over HK, near hotels but NOT at KTCT itself ... only from nearby locations requiring a transfer; and, the best/smartest choice in the immediate near future with all the "incidents".  They are nice, comfortable with bilingual signage & announcement with - limited - luggage racks that are best suited for 25" (max) suitcases & smaller rollerboards/spinners & backpacks - often running out of storage space on busy routes at peak travel time (we've taken the A21 to/from at Nathan Road ... near one of the current hotspots near Prince Edward MTR Station).  Skip it, IMHO for now. 

 

From KTCT to HKBCF - taxi fare is very similar to going to HKIA, that route should be on the elevated highway/roadway - avoiding most of the "current" hotspots seen all over the maps that I posted on the other thread here - unless there are major incidents on the connectors leading to Lantau.  Metered taxi fares/toll shoud run about $350 HKD +/- $50 if traffic is heavy ... taxis will be lined up downstairs in the terminal.  There is a VIC (Visitors Info Centre) and greeters for arrival ship pax to answer questions & provide tips, help write down addresses or destinations in Chinese, etc. - look for it & make good use of the free services.  I would make good use of the taxi.  

 

2 hours ago, ebslcc said:

Re: Macau Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Macau Port.  What is the approximate cost for taxi to the hotel areas in Macau and Taipa? ... 1 see that there are free shuttle at the Macao side of the bridge 

 

Why not see if you can take luggage & make use of the free shuttle services on Macau side ... taxi fares from the HKBCF will originate on HK side on Lantau island, via the sea bridge & tunnel to the other side, so my guess is that it will be somewhere between $150 to $200 (in HKD) plus, as a very, very rough guestimate, or $20 to $30 USD equivalent. 

 

Suffice to say, with the dynamic developments in HK lately, I recommend making use of the visitor's info services on arrival, whether it's at HKIA, KTCT, at the HKBCF or in Macau for the latest & current, practical advice with boots in the "trenches" on the ground there.  What is logical, reasonable & appropriate now might not be true in a matter of days and weeks, not even a month from now.  Use the MTR Mobile App for HK, the HK Tourism App, Googel Map, and, Google Translate (off-line mode - in case you cannot access free WiFi and/or cellular/roaming data) to stay updated. 

[SF]

Do the taxis accept credit card?

[ebslcc]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

 

For Lantau (and at HKBCF) you will find red "urban" taxi (most popular - serving HK island & Kowloon ... to/from) and green taxi (to/from N.T.) and blue taxi that's for the island only (where the airport is located ... also to/from Tung Chung with the MTR Station & bus terminal ... a key transfer/gateway for public transit).  Between HKBCF and HKIA, taxi fare should be roughly somewhere around $40 to $60 HKD, about $5 to $7 USD at most - 10% tips should suffice - a very short trip in distance & time. 

THANKS for your detail response!!! Very much appreciate your help.

I am now thinking of leaving our big luggage at the airport luggage storage while we are in Macau.  We will go to the Airport first, store our bags https://www.hongkongairport.com/en/passenger-guide/airport-facilities-services/baggage-storage for 12 HKD / hour (USD $1.50), 140 HKD (USD $18) per 24 hours.  We won't need to lug a lot of luggage to Macau.  

 

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

Why not see if you can take luggage & make use of the free shuttle services on Macau side ... taxi fares from the HKBCF will originate on HK side on Lantau island, via the sea bridge & tunnel to the other side, so my guess is that it will be somewhere between $150 to $200 (in HKD) plus, as a very, very rough guestimate, or $20 to $30 USD equivalent. 

 

Suffice to say, with the dynamic developments in HK lately, I recommend making use of the visitor's info services on arrival, whether it's at HKIA, KTCT, at the HKBCF or in Macau for the latest & current, practical advice with boots in the "trenches" on the ground there.  What is logical, reasonable & appropriate now might not be true in a matter of days and weeks, not even a month from now.  Use the MTR Mobile App for HK, the HK Tourism App, Googel Map, and, Google Translate (off-line mode - in case you cannot access free WiFi and/or cellular/roaming data) to stay updated. 

It's probably ore comfortable in the shuttle bus across to Macau vs. via taxi.  It's cheaper also :).  Are the free shuttles in Macau available to anyone or only if you are their hotel guests?

 

I downloaded the MTR App.  We will use it if we take it vs. taxi.  Do you have a preferred Hong Kong Tourism App that provides current news re: trouble areas?  A potential option is for us to spend our disembarkation day in HK before going to Macau. We have another potential full day in HK on our flight home date since our flight is not until 11 PM.  

 

Thanks again for your help.

 

Laurence

[mking8288]

@SF - local cash (HKD) is "king" in HK for taxi, although some are equipped/able to accept credit card payment ... if they wish/want to.  Both HKIA and KTCT has local ATM terminals, and there are many Citi(bank) and Chase (USA) bank ATM in the city - you get the best exchange rates or as good as licensed Currency Exchanges, always check the posted conversion #'s and whether (ask) there is a service charge/fee.  "Positive" ID's and/or valid passports are now required for currency transactions when you do it a local bank (HSBC, Standard Charter, etc.). 

 

Make sure the taxi meter has been reset to zero & running, that a printed receipt is given to you - there are no "flat rate" services to/from airports, etc. 

 

@ebslcc - HK airport's luggage storage, for a fee, is good.  If you are staying at a nearby airport hotel - depending on logistics, ask about storing the large bags there in between your trip to Macau.  We did that - the hotel we did a split stay in Kowloon, cheerfully stored our bags for free - of course, we tipped the bellhop for service.  

 

Free hotel shuttles at Macau is free to all guests, no proof of hotel stay needed - just find the one that you want to go visit.  Tipping is not expected, but if the driver is extra helpful, i.e. with heavy luggage - s/he is not going to refuse a small tip as thank you. 

 

As for mobile apps to use/get latest update ... I recommend using the official Discoverhongkong dot com's App (HK Gov't tourism branch) as a base.  There are a number of other recommended apps listed - take a look at them, for short visits/overnight stay or port visit - it's probably not necessary & overwhelming.****  A basic Google search on mobile Chrome browser or Google Map should yield very useful & current info, direction - with a call to reconfirm their "actual" hours that day or next day.  

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/us/plan-your-trip/travel-kit/mobile-apps.jsp?apptab=1

 

Mobile / cellular data - I recommend this for most visitors for a short stay, inexpensive & excellent coverage, plus access to more WiFi hotspots while in town - also good in Macau.  Of course, a dual sim smartphone is best but iPhone support is excellent - their 4G/LTE bands are compatible with most global, EU/UK and USA/America's devices.  3-in-1 sim good for 5 days w 3GB data is less than $12 USD or 8 days w 8GB data is less than $16. 

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/us/plan-your-trip/traveller-info/communications/tourist-sim-card.jsp

 

Feel free to ask questions and make use of the other links I recommended earlier (Flyertalk & TripAdvisor) - and/or if necessary, will try to search for answers elsewhere for fellow cruisers going there in the near future.  

 

*** DW and I make use of a live online mapping link (on the other thread), used by them locals plus at least one other website - posted in Chinese, not going to be helpful to most of you - to get a "pulse" of what's going on in real time.  I have the cruise ship calendar on my global dual-sim smartphone marked - and will post/update or post urgent alerts as best as we can.  Every little bit helps, I know.  

 

Safe travel & happy cruising.  

[SF]

mking8288:  Quess we'll use the ATM at HKIA prior to leaving for the taxi.

When we exit from the shuttle bus at Macau should we take the free bus to the Macau or Taipa ferry in order to get one of the free hotel shuttles? Are we better off going to Macau or Taipa ferry terminal?

[mking8288]

A side note / FYI for those planning ahead, hoping that matters will change for the better in the weeks (days ...) ahead. 

 

Tung Chung MTR Station is remained currently closed, until further notice - due to (earlier this week) vandalism & sabotage, damaging the station facilities and rail tracks, etc. - pending repairs, safety inspections & restored to operational status.  This is a key access point and/or alternative to reaching HKIA nearby, aside from the SkyPier connections to/from mainland and Macau - it is about 7 or 8 km to the HKBCF nearby, a 10 minutes drive or 15 minutes via bus/shuttle services.  It is the primary and one & only connection via MTR subway from Lantau island to the rest of HK for most commuters - aside from bus routes, taxi & private vehicles.  

 

It's already Friday morning in HK, local time - unclear whether services will be up & running this weekend, maybe ??  Don't see an immediate impact to cruise ship passengers for now.  Please do not be alarmed, not yet anyway - hoping for the best, and join me for thoughts & prayers ... (refer to latest HK news on the 70 years old hit by a thrown brick - on SCMP) 

 

For those with the MTR App installed, you can check ahead this weekend its functioning status ... as a "practice" for later on.   (actual MTR App - screenshot - plotting a trip from KTCT to Tung Chung Station at Lantau)

Edited November 15, 2019 by mking8288

[mking8288]

@SF - flying into HKIA on arrival into HKG, there should be ATM just beyond border control, past customs inspections (for most visitors, follow arrows to the "nothing to declare" channel) toward the exit for ground transportation, good bilingual signage for taxis, hotel shuttles, etc. - look for ATM terminals near/opposite the MTR Service Centre (where Octopus Card & AE Passes are sold) ... more ATM's outside on the landside of the terminal if you miss them.  There is also an official, licensed Currency Exchange counter there ... for convenience, not very good rates given.  

 

As for Macau, I would probably take the ferry and/or go to the main Macau Ferry Terminal ... there are plenty of free shuttles to all the casino hotels on the "strip" at Taipa (also where the Macau Int'l airport is situated)   From the "mainland" - it's just a quick 10 minutes ride over the bridge to the most casino hotels ... see pix below (these are the turbojet/hydrofoil ferries - prefer the larger ones.)  

 

[SF]

11 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

@SF - flying into HKIA on arrival into HKG, there should be ATM just beyond border control, past customs inspections (for most visitors, follow arrows to the "nothing to declare" channel) toward the exit for ground transportation, good bilingual signage for taxis, hotel shuttles, etc. - look for ATM terminals near/opposite the MTR Service Centre (where Octopus Card & AE Passes are sold) ... more ATM's outside on the landside of the terminal if you miss them.  There is also an official, licensed Currency Exchange counter there ... for convenience, not very good rates given.  

 

As for Macau, I would probably take the ferry and/or go to the main Macau Ferry Terminal ... there are plenty of free shuttles to all the casino hotels on the "strip" at Taipa (also where the Macau Int'l airport is situated)   From the "mainland" - it's just a quick 10 minutes ride over the bridge to the most casino hotels ... see pix below (these are the turbojet/hydrofoil ferries - prefer the larger ones.)  

 

 

[SF]

We will be staying near HKIA after departing our cruise so I believe it's near the HZMB so we figured it would be easier to just take the bus shuttle over the new bridge. Once we get off on the other side we are not sure if we should take the free shuttle to the Macau ferry area or the Taipa ferry area to catch the free shuttles to the hotels.

[mking8288]

Take the free shuttle to Taipa ferry terminal, as you will on the island with most of the casinos and the airport, where you will find plenty of shuttles to continue/transfer to the casino-hotels.  

 

[SF]

1 minute ago, mking8288 said:

Take the free shuttle to Taipa ferry terminal, as you will on the island with most of the casinos and the airport, where you will find plenty of shuttles to continue/transfer to the casino-hotels.  

 

Thank you for all the help and information. 

[ebslcc]

Thanks again for all your help. Our hotel is not in Taipa but in the older section Macao 5 miles from the port. It may be best to take a taxi vs. local bus to the hotel?

[mking8288]

@ebslcc - once you get into Macao side and when taxis are avaiable for hire, take it direct to the hotel.  Surely, it's easier with luggage than to struggle with the buses.  

 

This is probably a good one to document with photos & write up a post-cruise report to share with fellow CC'ers.  Meanwhile, continue to "monitor" daily trends in HK ...