I don’t know which buses you’re catching but I’ve never seen a bus with an octopus reader at the exit door. You tap your card on the reader beside the driver when getting on, and that’s it. Trams on the other hand; you enter through the rear door, no tapping involved. Getting off you tap, near the driver, at the front door. The MTR (train) you tap entering your departure station and then tap when exiting your arrival station.
I've always wanted to see Hong Kong but the idea of getting around in such a big city scared me off. After watching your video I feel I can do this. Thanks for the great tips and info.
Thank you for this video. But I still have a question. You tell me that I can buy the card at a 7-11 inside the arrivals hall at the airport. But when I go back to the airport, after my visit at Hong Kong. Who can pay me back the remaining amount of HK Dollars that is still on the card?
Oh? There could be a kiosk but tbh I never noticed anything of the sort when I was there - and I spent quite a bit of time in the arrivals area. Perhaps it comes and goes and its best to just keep an eye open for one.
Is there any ATM machines in the Airport and is it worth getting currency in advance before travelling? How difficult is it to withdraw cash from ATM in Hong Kong
There’s plenty of ATMs. You can’t miss them and it’s not difficult at all to withdraw money. I’d double check to make sure your bank/bank card will work internationally but otherwise it’s smooth sailing. As for bringing currency, I personally don’t bother when I travel anymore. Banks are so interconnected these days. But if you want to be on the safe side…
Hi Ivan, how much does it cost for a travel by bus/monorail from one point to another? And, what transportation website would you suggest me to check the trip duration plus transit points? Thank you.
The charge to your card is per distance travelled. So you tap the card when you enter a bus or as you enter a subway tunnel. Then you tap the card as you exit and is charges your card accordingly as per the distance you travelled. You can use the MTR trip planner for the subway: www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/jp/index.php. This is useful for planning bus trips: www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/services/searchBusRoutes.php. Hope this helps!
Section fares only applicable to certain routes. Most of time taking the bus in Hong Kong you will be paying the full fare. If there's a section fare on the route: 1. Fare has been set by the driver and just pay as indicated . 2. Tap your octopus card again when alighting. 3. Tap your octopus card at the alighting bus stop. 2 & 3 varies over different bus companies, and should check is the section fare available in advance.
hi Im australian , will be in hk in march. where do i get the octopus card? card fee? card fee & stored value refundable upon the end of my hk stay? thank you
I have downloaded octopus for tourist, I can directly use it, right? No need to buy the physical anymore? And can I get refund gor everything I deposited?
If your phone is Samsung you should be okay. Only Samsung phones.can use the Octopus system. I could be wrong. I think the app is just so you can reload your card.
I can't find that app your talking about. Octopus has a an official app that you can use to load your card. What I understand is that you can get an Octopus Card at the airport or MTR station customer service. Tourist octopus cards are sold with no value. On Loan cards can only be picked up at MTR customer service stations. Also as of Today MTR accepts Visa and MasterCard As do most of the buses.
Also most buses and trains accept contactless payments. Credit card or debit card. And GPay and apple pay. But you need one person can't combine payments for a group.
If you are using iPhone and Samsung phone , you will be ok use it on the phone. However ,I still suggest you to buy a physical octopus card for tourists version to feel how it magical payment experience and how rush of the bong Kong life style .
What about On-loan Octopus card for my 5 day visit? Do I understand correctly that it cost $50 HK with no value loaded, but you can get the $50HK back when turning it in? The other Octopus card is $39 HK with no value load, but non-refundable. $39 HK is not a lot of $, but I don’t want it for a souvenir. Thoughts? Recommendations? Thanks!
Thanks for the message! My understanding is that the on-loan card requires a $50 HKD deposit but you can get this back when returning the card. This is a deposit ONLY and doesn't add to the card's balance. The 'purchased' card or the 'tourist card' is the one I was sold...costs $39 HKD and the card is your property afterwards. I didn't want mine as a souvenir either however I can reactivate it again if/when I go back to Hong Kong. I think the decision ultimately comes down to time vs. money. The $39 HKDs was worth less to me than the hour + that it would have taken me to get to a place to get my deposit back for an on-loan card. So basically, the $39 HKD saved me some hassle and time. From what I understand of your situation, I think the question is what the $39 HKDs is worth to you. Pay a higher deposit but commit to finding the time to return the card or pay $39 HKD and carry on with no commitments. Hope this helps!
@@ivanhikestheworld thank you.it has expire forever or just short time.because I still keep some optopus card from 2015.I dont know it still available or not?
The information regarding use of Octopus Card on buses is incorrect. You only tap when entering the bus, not when disembarking on the vast majority of routes. Fare is based on point of boarding along the route, not distance travelled, other than for a small number of routes which have sectional fares which are applied if Octopus is tapped.
There are a very few buses which do have section fares, like the 53 in the New Territories or the 14 on HK island, but you tap off at the machine next to the driver; there is no separate machine at the exit door.
Your tips are direct and will save me a lot of pain and money. Great job! Thank you!
I’m going to HK next week, thanks for this informative video 👍👍👍
Hope you enjoyed. It’s a fantastic city!
This was really helpful, thank you
Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you found it useful.
I don’t know which buses you’re catching but I’ve never seen a bus with an octopus reader at the exit door.
You tap your card on the reader beside the driver when getting on, and that’s it.
Trams on the other hand; you enter through the rear door, no tapping involved. Getting off you tap, near the driver, at the front door.
The MTR (train) you tap entering your departure station and then tap when exiting your arrival station.
Trams is one of my favorite thing about Hong Kong 🇭🇰
They definitely add a special something. There's a certain quality to them that you don't get with other forms of mass transit.
This was really helpful, thank you :)
Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you found it useful.
Mister Ivaaaaaaaaaan (xD), keep it up, you're doing great!
I've always wanted to see Hong Kong but the idea of getting around in such a big city scared me off. After watching your video I feel I can do this. Thanks for the great tips and info.
Thanks for the excellent feedback! If you do go, feel free to share your experiences!
Thank you for this video. But I still have a question. You tell me that I can buy the card at a 7-11 inside the arrivals hall at the airport.
But when I go back to the airport, after my visit at Hong Kong. Who can pay me back the remaining amount of HK Dollars that is still on the card?
there used to be the Octopus card kiosk at the airport, just across the arrival exit. It's not there anymore?
Oh? There could be a kiosk but tbh I never noticed anything of the sort when I was there - and I spent quite a bit of time in the arrivals area. Perhaps it comes and goes and its best to just keep an eye open for one.
We will be in kowloon next week. The octopus refund is is hkd or can we get yen?
Enjoy Kowloon! I'm not 100% sure but I'm pretty sure it's only in hkd.
payment method: is mastercard/visa card for int'l travel popular in hk? i have a card like that and i can load it with hk dollars
Is there any ATM machines in the Airport and is it worth getting currency in advance before travelling? How difficult is it to withdraw cash from ATM in Hong Kong
There’s plenty of ATMs. You can’t miss them and it’s not difficult at all to withdraw money. I’d double check to make sure your bank/bank card will work internationally but otherwise it’s smooth sailing. As for bringing currency, I personally don’t bother when I travel anymore. Banks are so interconnected these days. But if you want to be on the safe side…
Do you need one Octopus card per person? E.q. if you're with 2 you'll need 2 or 1 card?
I'm certain you need one per person. The way the card records where you enter the metro, for example, wouldn't make it possible to record two entries.
mastercard / visa card accepted for payment in hk?
Hi Ivan, how much does it cost for a travel by bus/monorail from one point to another? And, what transportation website would you suggest me to check the trip duration plus transit points? Thank you.
The charge to your card is per distance travelled. So you tap the card when you enter a bus or as you enter a subway tunnel. Then you tap the card as you exit and is charges your card accordingly as per the distance you travelled. You can use the MTR trip planner for the subway: www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/jp/index.php. This is useful for planning bus trips: www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/services/searchBusRoutes.php. Hope this helps!
Section fares only applicable to certain routes. Most of time taking the bus in Hong Kong you will be paying the full fare.
If there's a section fare on the route:
1. Fare has been set by the driver and just pay as indicated .
2. Tap your octopus card again when alighting.
3. Tap your octopus card at the alighting bus stop.
2 & 3 varies over different bus companies, and should check is the section fare available in advance.
and the second link only shows MTR bus, which are "metro shuttle". For full journey planner, I would suggest using citymapper instead.
hi Im australian , will be in hk in march. where do i get the octopus card? card fee? card fee & stored value refundable upon the end of my hk stay? thank you
Watch the video again only this time listen.... he says clearly on it the answer to all your questions
I have downloaded octopus for tourist, I can directly use it, right? No need to buy the physical anymore? And can I get refund gor everything I deposited?
If your phone is Samsung you should be okay. Only Samsung phones.can use the Octopus system.
I could be wrong.
I think the app is just so you can reload your card.
I can't find that app your talking about. Octopus has a an official app that you can use to load your card.
What I understand is that you can get an Octopus Card at the airport or MTR station customer service.
Tourist octopus cards are sold with no value.
On Loan cards can only be picked up at MTR customer service stations.
Also as of Today MTR accepts Visa and MasterCard
As do most of the buses.
Also most buses and trains accept contactless payments.
Credit card or debit card. And GPay and apple pay.
But you need one person can't combine payments for a group.
If you are using iPhone and Samsung phone , you will be ok use it on the phone. However ,I still suggest you to buy a physical octopus card for tourists version to feel how it magical payment experience and how rush of the bong Kong life style .
What about On-loan Octopus card for my 5 day visit? Do I understand correctly that it cost $50 HK with no value loaded, but you can get the $50HK back when turning it in? The other Octopus card is $39 HK with no value load, but non-refundable. $39 HK is not a lot of $, but I don’t want it for a souvenir. Thoughts? Recommendations? Thanks!
Thanks for the message! My understanding is that the on-loan card requires a $50 HKD deposit but you can get this back when returning the card. This is a deposit ONLY and doesn't add to the card's balance. The 'purchased' card or the 'tourist card' is the one I was sold...costs $39 HKD and the card is your property afterwards. I didn't want mine as a souvenir either however I can reactivate it again if/when I go back to Hong Kong. I think the decision ultimately comes down to time vs. money. The $39 HKDs was worth less to me than the hour + that it would have taken me to get to a place to get my deposit back for an on-loan card. So basically, the $39 HKD saved me some hassle and time. From what I understand of your situation, I think the question is what the $39 HKDs is worth to you. Pay a higher deposit but commit to finding the time to return the card or pay $39 HKD and carry on with no commitments. Hope this helps!
@@ivanhikestheworld thanks - very helpful
how much to pay for Optupus card at store .pls?
The tourist version is $39 HK.
@@ivanhikestheworld thank you.it has expire forever or just short time.because I still keep some optopus card from 2015.I dont know it still available or not?
@@qiangming5549 bring it with you and see. You may be able to reactivate it for free.
@@ivanhikestheworld how to reactivate it ? just top up more money?pls tell me how do it.thank
@@qiangming5549 I’ve never done that before but the website says you can at any MTR customer service center or service point.
The information regarding use of Octopus Card on buses is incorrect. You only tap when entering the bus, not when disembarking on the vast majority of routes. Fare is based on point of boarding along the route, not distance travelled, other than for a small number of routes which have sectional fares which are applied if Octopus is tapped.
Great to know!
There are a very few buses which do have section fares, like the 53 in the New Territories or the 14 on HK island, but you tap off at the machine next to the driver; there is no separate machine at the exit door.
This was really helpful, thank you
Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you found it useful.