Hong Kong

Holidays by Destination Asia Hong Kong Getting Around 

The density of the population means that there are plenty of cheap public transport options (and traffic levels are such that car hire is not worth considering).

There are a variety of buses including single and double deckers, useful for getting to the south of Hong Kong island, plus minibuses and maxicabs which can be hailed almost anywhere but usually have their destinations only written in Chinese characters.

There are trams along the north side of Hong Kong island, good for a fun outing, and trains for example running from Kowloon station north to the New Territories and the border with China. There is also a funicular railway called the Peak Tram which climbs 373 metres and is the most entertaining way to get to the Peak. The bottom station can be reached by a free shuttle bus from outside the Star Ferry.

The underground, known as the MTR (Mass Transit Railway), runs on four lines.

For crossing between Kowloon, there is the famous Star Ferry which is an attraction in its own right.

There is also the Kowloon-Canton Railway which connects downtown with 12 stations in the New Territories running every four to 10 minutes during the day.

Whatever transport you use it is best to avoid the rush hour, particularly on the MTR, where there are now staff employed to push extra passengers into the carriages.

Since the new airport opened in 1997 the MTR has provided access for pushchairs and wheelchairs. They also have lifts to get to and from the platforms. However given the number of steps everywhere, plus the levels of pollution at exhaust levels on the streets, a sling or backpack would almost certainly be preferable for younger babies.

If for any reason you need to take a taxi bear in mind that few drivers speak any English so make sure you have both your destination and the name and address of your accommodation written in Cantonese to show him.

Although the heat and humidity may mean that walking is generally best kept to a minimum with small children, if you are in the vicinity you might like to try out the Mid-Levels Escalator Link, a giant series of escalators which run 800m straight up the hill on Hong Kong from Central to the SoHo residential area (andt he longest covered escalator in the world). They're an easy and fun way to explore streets in the area, though during morning rush hour they run downwards only.