China Musings

Hong Kong and Guangzhou are the 2 endpoints of the highly developed Pearl River Delta region in Guangdong Province, China. The Hong Kong International Airport, HKG, is very well connected with flights coming in daily from around the world. Many of these people plan to spend time in both Hong Kong and Guangzhou. A lot of people have asked me for suggestions on how to get from HK to GZ. I have sent out this email so many times, that I decided to put it down here for anyone to ponder.

Bus

In the airport arrivals terminal, there are several desks offering busses to various locations. Find the CTS (China Travel Service) bus and ask them about Guangzhou. It goes directly trough to Guangzhou and stops at a few of the big hotels before finishing at another big hotel.

Cost: $12
Time: 4-5 hours
Trouble: Medium - You have to lug all your luggage through 2 sets of immigration at the HK/SZ border. But the nice thing is you don’t have to switch to other forms of transportation, making this the most efficient, although thoroughly boring, route.

Through Train

The Kowloon - Canton Railway Through Train, or the KCR Through Train, is the most comfortable way to get to GZ from downtown HK. The nice thing is that you exit from HK Immigration before boarding the train, and then you enter Chinese Immigration after getting out in GZ, you don’t actually have to walk across the border and stand in long Immigration lines. The terminal for the Through Train, though, is Hong Hum Station, nowhere near the airport.

AirportExpress: Right outside the arrivals terminal there is a special metro stop for the AirportExpress. It takes you downtown in 25 min. Unfortunately, it is still quite a ways from the Through Train terminal. So from the AirportExpress terminal in Kowloon, you can take the free K1 shuttle that goes directly to the Hong Hum Station. You could also get a taxi from the AirportExpress Kowloon station to Hong Hum, would be around $10.

Cost: 12+25 = $37
Time: 3 hours
Trouble: Low - The switch from AirportExpress to the Through Train can be a pain with lots of luggage, but comparing to the other methods, its reasonable. Also, the Through Train only leaves once every 1.5 hours, so you might find yourself with time to spare.

AirportExpress + MTR + KCR

There is a way from HKG to GZ that uses only trains, but it requires a significant hike in the middle. Take the AirportExpress to the end at HongKong Station. Getting off there, you will see signs that point to the MTR Central Station. Follow along the corridors until you find the Tsuen Wan Line, heading for Tsim Sha Tsui, TST. It is about a 10 min walk underground from the Airport Express to Central. Check the color coded maps to ensure you are taking the right train, and hop on. Its only 2 stops to TST. At TST, you get off and head to the KCR East Tsim Sha Tsui Station. The KCR and MTR stations are connected through underground tunnels, but again, its about a 10 min walk. Once on the KCR East Rail, which is much simpler than the MTR, just take any train all the way to the terminus at Lo Wu, on the border with Mainland China. There, you follow the rush of people and the color coded queues to cross the border into Shenzhen. Once you step out of the border crossing building into China proper, you are basically in the Shenzhen Train station. You have to walk straight down the path, ignoring all the offers for taxis and dinner or a massage, and you will find the ticket office for the SZ->GZ express train on the left at the end of the walkway. Here you can buy a ticket for the next train to GZ. Hop on the right train, and in an hour you are at Guangzhou East Station.

Cost: 12+2+5+10 = $29
Time: 3-4 hours
Trouble: High - If you have a lot of luggage, or if you are not into walking, this is a non-starter. But if you’ve got your backpack, are up for a challenge, and find urban exploration compelling, then this is for you.