HKG late arrival options
 

Since UA fares are through the rood for January, have to take a less convenient flight.

Arriving on Hong Kong Airlines' from PEK at 23:05 on Sat, staying at Empire Kowloon at TST.

If I take Airport Express, free hotel shuttles are not working by then. I will have to take a cab.

Another option is to take the Cityflier A21 almost to the hotel. This looks like the most convenient option, but last bus leaves at midnight, and I am not sure if I'll pass immigration/ customs by then.

After midnight looks like there is an N21 Cityflyer - a little longer walk to the hotel, but still not too bad.


Question - did I miss any options? Wha't the better one - Airport Express + cab or Cityflyer?

Cityflyer is about 1/4 the cost of AE to Kowloon Stn and then taxi.

It will take abit over an hour (entire route is 75mins according to the timetable) from the time you get on the bus, until you get off. Airport Express + Taxi will cost about HK$140 all up. To me this seems like the better option after a long flight and getting in late. It will take somewhere around 35mins using the AE & Taxi.

The bus is cheap, and you can see the route in the link below, but to me it is well worth the extra few dollars to catch the airport express & taxi.
http://www.nwstbus.com.hk/routesearc...16&intLangID=1

They will all get you to your hotel either way.

Thanks for your opinions. Looks like I'll see how I feel after the flights. Might still try the bus for a change.

If you can catch the A21, go for it. If after midnight, taxi. N21 way too slow.

Thanks.

There's a few more options. But first:

1) What's your budget? Economical? $150? $250?
2) How much luggage do you have? Full size? just carry-on?
3) I assume you're arriving with US passport right?

Budget is less of a concern than convenience. I would rather get almost to the hotel than get to the Kowloon station and look for transportation from there.

I'll have one bag - either a carry-on or something slightly larger.

US Passport, correct.

After hotel shuttle is done for the night at AE Kowloon a taxi will take you to the doors of your hotel.

It is also easiest to hop on AE in the terminal than head outside to grab the A or N bus.

I understand it about a taxi, but kinda hate to pay for something that normally is free :) I should also say one reason I like the bus idea is simply because I never tried it.

I think after all the plan is to take A21 if I can get to it before midnight, if not - AE + taxi...

Waiting for a taxi at Kowloon station can take some time if it happens to be a Friday or Saturday night, or a night with special events.

Back in Nov I arrived in HK at late night after flight delays. Took an airport express to Kowloon station and then spent about 40min waiting for a taxi (queue was extremely long in that occasion) :td: It was a Saturday.

I thought it I'd had taken a bus, I should have arrived at my hotel long before (and cheaper).

Thanks for your input, will consider this.

My personal experience is that if you only get to land-side after 2400, take a cab direct to hotel. More than once there was no cab available (or long line/wait) at Kowloon station that I need to haul my luggage to the W hotel to "steal" a cab from there. Not an experience I want to try after flying

Thanks everyone for advise.

After all this was one of the fastest arrivals for me - we landed at 23:00 and I was in the hotel by 00:30. Immigration was a breeze, bags were already on the carousel (the PEK-HKG flight was only 1/4 full), A21 bus arrived 5 minutes after I got to the stop.

I have to say I enjoyed the bus ride. Pretty fast, and the walk to the hotel was shorter than the walk from the train to the shuttle bus stop.

After all, I will definitely consider this route even if free shuttle buses are running, if the hotel is close to the Citiflyer stop.

Taxi at HK Station (Airport Express) late at night
 

My family and I are arriving very late, ~11.30pm on a Thursday night. After immigration, bags and everything, it'll be easily past midnight by the time we're landside. We were originally going to spend the first night at Marriott Skycity before heading to Conrad the next day. But since the Conrad price has come down, I'm thinking about just heading straight to Conrad via Airport Express then cab from HK Station.

Question: Will there be plenty of taxis available at HK Station around 12.30-1am?

If the taxis will be scarce, or if there's any chance I may have to wait 30-40min (like someone said above about Kowloon Station), then I think this option is out.

(Please note that I'm not taking a late-night taxi again from HKIA into town after a scary past experience, and also I can't blow 1000+ HKD on Conrad limo service.)