ricktoronto

I will be in HK for 5 days, so I plan to buy the Airport Express round trip with 3 days unlimited MTR and buy a separate Oyster Card for the two days after the AE card runs out, and not use that card for MTR travel until AE gives up the ghost. Up to now all my HK trips (coming back from elsewhere in Asia) have been 3 days so the AE combo deal was all I needed to use.

1. Does the AE counter at arrivals sell both cards and in the case of Oyster I can put say $100 on it?

2.Can I add funds to the AE card to use as Oyster on the basis it won't use that added money for MTR fares until the three days unlimited is used up?

3. I use the MTR a fair bit but perhaps not enough where unlimited for 3 days makes sense, so would it be more advisable to get a simple AE round trip ticket to Central and get a new Oyster Card , fund that and use for all 5 days of MTR?

moondog

I don't believe it's possible to buy Oyster cards anywhere in HK.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

It does sell Octopus cards though

You can ask to put extra money on it when you purchase it at the Arrival hall.

I do not know about the AE card though sorry.

Regards

TBS

fliesdelta

The Octopus card you're talking about, with one or two AE rides and 3 days of unlimited MTR use, can be loaded with cash value also, like any other Octopus card. I always get one of those, and if I'm in HK for more than three days, I just load cash on it.

Kevin Adams

The AE travel pass is re-loadable, just get that and add more money if you need it.

Steve M

And more to the OP's question, loading cash onto a Tourist Airport Express Octopus Card doesn't in any way affect the "3 free MTR days" feature. You can load cash at time of purchase, and it won't be deducted for MTR rides during the 3-day period. The reason you'd want to load cash immediately, aside from using it for retail purchases, is so that you can use the cash value to pay for rides on ferries and the ding ding, which are not covered by the "3 free MTR days" feature.

Also, note that "3 free MTR days" is really 4 days based on how most people would count it: it's 72 hours from time of first use, plus the remaining hours of the final day.

fliesdelta

I hadn't thought about adding cash value at time of purchase. I wonder if they will let me use a credit card to do that, since I'm already paying with one. I'll ask when I go next month, and report here.

HKtraveller

Buying the Airport express ride from Klook for 135$ (most expensive distance) leaves 215$ for MTR rides. No way can you spend that if you want to have time other than on the MTR.

christep

Indeed - there are very few scenarios where the 3 day tourist card is cheaper than simply paying as you go.

ricktoronto

So, get a round trip HK island AE card and a separate actual Octopus card with a reasonable value which I can top up at 7-11 would be better? I believe the R/T AE card (not the tourist w/ 3 days) is just a R/T for the Airport Express with no other features.

The tourist card with 3 days is HK$350 for two rides. The two ride HK pass is HK$205 so the three days are costing HK$145. Since I've only used the 3 day pass before I had no idea how much MTR rides I took cost but they were mainly between 3-5 stations in Kowloon. This trip I am in Central so there'd likely be a trip a day to Kowloon and then around Kowloon. Does HK$145 buy a lot of trips?

I've played around with the labyrinthine MTR site, seems Central to Mong Kok is about $10 and about $3 per trip within Kowloon so I might squeeze 4-5 days on an Octopus funded with HK$145 so that seems the better route.

tentseller

Your best value is buying R/T AEx from Klook.com around $130. You will get a QR code that you scan for entry and exit.
Load the balance onto an Octopus card and take MTR during your stay. You will have a balance left over at the end of the trip for a few beers at 7-11.

The Harbourview Ren is very close to the Wan Chai Star Ferry pier which takes you on a relaxing ride over to the Kowloon side. More comfortable than MTR during busy hours.