Originally Posted by
rkkwan
If you decide to checkin at the Airport Express at HKG - and yes you will have to pay for the train fare whether you ride it or not - might as well just take the regular ferry back from Macau to HK Island. Cheaper ferry fare and you can leave Macau later.
Whilst this is true, how much later would you want to leave it? That 1640 from Taipa isn't that wide of the mark. I can't imagine you'd want to leave much later than 1700 to go to Sheung Wan, clear immigration, get the bus to HKIA etc.
I found taking the ferry straight from Taipa to HKIA a very pleasant experience, and once you get the departure tax refund there's not that much in it:
Macau-HKIA Standard/Super class = 246/385
Macau-Sheung Wan Standard/Super class =148/298
I can't recall what I got back but a trawl of the web suggests it's HK$120. Obviously you'll probably end up spending that in the airport, but...
Note they strictly enforce the fact your ferry has to arrive 2hrs before your flight takes off. However as they check you in at the Macau pier for your flight, would there be any problem if the OP had already checked in for his flight in downtown HK that morning???