Quick question about my layover and currency
 

A little over a month from now I will have a 7 hour layover in HKG from sydney on my way back to new york.

I plan on leaving the airport and doing a little sight-seeing and eating, my question is, (as i will likely be sticking to the touristy areas) will I be O.K. expecting to charge everything? Or will I need some HK currency?

expected costs are: express to central, possibly train to somewhere else, food, snacks, and return trip.

Thanks!

You can purchase at least some types or Airport Express train/Octopus public transportation cards with a credit card, including AmEx, at the airport, but you might have some unused credit on it at the end of the day.

You need cash for street food and similar purchases. I don't remember whether museums take credit cards, but major and hotel restaurants (more expensive) with English menus and English spoken should take all credit cards. I think taxis may take the octopus card, but I can't remember using it that way. Similarly, I've always paid for the star ferry (do not miss) with coins from my hotel, but they must accept the octopus card for the fare.

I would be uncomfortable walking around for a day without any local cash, but that's me and I can always save it for the next trip.

You can charge your airport express train tickets and eat at better restaurants. But you need cash fo everything else - either in actual cash, or as credit on an Octopus card.

Only a handful of taxis - and I mean literally a handful - take Octopus or credit cards. The vast majority of taxis are cash only.

Thanks, has Visa/Mastercard infilitrated HKG?

Yes and we even have electricity and running water!

Phew, I was worried about that :-D

I always like to have a little bit of local currency though, but I'm also a foreign currency hoarder

You'd love HK if you like bank notes. Each of the $20, $50, $100, $500 and $1,000 notes is issued by 3 different banks with different designs. And you generally can find the current and previous generation types in use. So, you will find 6 of each denomination regularly.

Three different banks? I thought it was only two!

Bugger, guess that means another trip back to HK ;-)

SCB, Bank of China, HSBC.
That is 3 banks.

Also, don't forget on top of that the HK government issues the HK$10 notes.

$10 I usually end up getting coins...

But these are cool polymer notes that don't rip!!

All our notes are polymer in Australia ;-)

Great for when you leave notes in the pockets of your jeans and you chuck them in the wash!

And you can still get the older government $10 (paper), and if you are patient you will encounter the even older green $10s which were issued by banks.

Our $50/100 notes are mostly polymer now in Canada.