Octopus cards
 

OK, a forum member here posted this URL to purchase Octopus cards for pickup at HKG:

http://store.mtr.com.hk/shop/default.asp (site now wants IE or Netscape but doesn't seem to like Safari like it used to. It loads on Firefox after throwing up a warning tho but who knows if I actually try to purchase whether it will work?)

So it's appealing to order online, get a bit of a discount, pickup at the airport.

My question is, can you get an Octopus card without the Aiport Express rides at all? The part I'm most interested in is the Tourist 3-Day pass for unlimited rides on the MTR.

My flight will land down at HKG on Sunday night Jan 29 at 10:40 PM. By the time I get through customs (plan to carry on only), it will be pretty late already so I don't want to deal with AE and then transferring to taxi/shuttle etc. My hotel is the Metropark and I can get a shuttle straight from the airport to the hotel for 100HKD or 180HKD round trip.

So I would prefer to take the shuttle to and from the airport instead of AE. Well maybe I could do the one-ride AE for the return trip, since I should be more settled (my flight is 10 AM on Friday Feb. 3). But again, why transfer if I could just jump on one vehicle for the whole trip for approximately the same price?

So can I just buy an Octopus card with the 3-day MTR unlimited and some of the credit towards the ferry and tram and all the other transport options?

Can I order it online?

There's no 3-day MTR pass without the AE portion. However, there's a 24-hour MTR pass for HK$50. Hardly cheap, and few people use it.

Octopus is simply a cash-card system. You can get a regular Octopus for all your transportation and convenient store/supermarket needs. $150 to start card with $100 of value. You'll get ~$43 back the day you depart. It's not a pass, and each fare (bus, ferry, MTR, etc...) will be deducted from your credit.

OK, how about if I purchased the pass with the one AE ride and then started using the unlimited rides on Monday and used the AE ride on Friday?

When does it start counting the 3-day unlimited portion? When you pick it up at HKG or when you do the first MTR ride?

Any idea where the Kowloon AE station is in relation to the Sheraton? Will it require a taxi or shuttle?

The 3-day unlimited MTR starts when you ride the MTR for the first time. You can use the AE ride after the 3-day expires. No problem.

The Kowloon AE station is in the middle of nowhere. You need a shuttle or taxi to get to the Sheraton or any hotel in Tsimshatsui.

We stayed at the Sheraton and used the AE on our way in, but just took a cab on the way out since it was early morning so no traffic. The cab was the same cost in that case. However, during traffic times, the AE is much faster and so convenient. We did have to take a quick cab from the Kowloon station to the Sheraton.

If one gets on a taxi from a hotel to the AE station, it's extremely common for the cabbie to offer you a discounted price to bring you directly to the airport. In fact, if the driver doesn't suggest that, either he/she's a fool or he/she's ending his/her shift soon and doesn't want to go to the airprot.

Instead of $300 or so from Kowloon to airport, $200-220 is a reasonable offer. For two people it's about the same price as the cab fare to the AE station and two regular AE tickets. You save the transfer from cab to train, and it takes about the same time.

Or even walking/waiting around with luggage looking like you're just about to head to the airport may solicit other similar cabbie offers of cheap airport trips.

As for the Octopus cards - just order the regular $150 one. Cash it in when you leave if you want, or run the value down and keep it for the next time you're in HKG or pass it to a friend to use.

I have one which I've had for about 7 months and used several times while in HKG. I personally think the tourist pass ones are fairly useless and overpriced.

Note that they will not cover you for the Star Ferry, buses or KCR or other services such as the tram up to the Peak. Some of this will be covered in the HK20 extra value on the card, but you may have to refill it anyway.

You might want to have a look at the MTR Fare table to see what kinds of fares you would be paying on your planned journies:

http://www.mtr.com.hk/jplanner/2005f...le_drl_all.pdf

Anyone try ordering from the MTR web site?

A couple of months ago, it was working on all browsers but now, it says only IE and Netscape are supported. Or maybe only IE.

Anyways, I put it in the cart and order via IE. Enter name (they want passport too but I didn't have it so I input random number and it gets past the screen) and credit card number.

It summarizes the transaction. Then I click "Confirm" and it shows a page saying it's goign to take "1 minute" to confirm credit card. It never returns and now I can't get it back to the state it was in. I got no emails confirming the transaction.

No link to a contact email.

Hopefully I can just purchase at HKG with a credit card, assuming they haven't charged it already.

I've never understood what the benefit is of purchasing an Octopus card online... surely you have to go to an Octupus-selling place to pick it up anyway, so what's the point? Am I missing something here?

It sounds like you'd save 11 HKD on the card with the 1 AE ride and more on the card with the 2 AE rides.

That's a bit over a buck.

You're right no big deal. I guess as long as I could go and buy one at HKG with a credit card after getting off the plane.

OK NWA screwed up the connection real bad from NRT to HKG. As a result, my flight was delayed about 3 hours and we landed around 1 AM.

So obviously couldn't pick up the tourist pass at the airport. I did see a lot of machines selling AE tickets but I didn't have time to check to see if they had the Octopus card with the 3-day unlimited MTR.

NWA arranged buses to take us near our hotels so I didn't need it. But still want to pick up the version with the 3-day unlimited pass, unless there are more economical options.

Would 7-11s have it or MTR stations? I'm at the MetroPark hotel, which is in Causeway Bay.

I´d try the MTR - the Tin Hau station seems to be right next to your hotel. I can´t say enough good things about the Octopus Card. Its a must have in Hong Kong.When you are done you simply return the card at the Airport Expess station, and get back whatever balance is left , minus a tiny 7hk$ fee.

Yeah, go to any MTR station and ask for the HK$250 Tourist pass with 3 days of MTR + one AE ride. They will sell you one there.

OK, I see the options available at the Tin Hau station.

What is the main difference between the 50 HKD 1-day unlimited ride and the 3-day unlimited with one of the Tourist Passes?

Does the Tourist Pass just include more credit for things like the Ferry? As well as a refund at the end?

Do they take credit cards at the machines which sell the Octopus cards?

wco81 - the Tourist card has:

- One or two AE ride
- 3 calendar days of MTR travel
- $20 to spend on other stuff, like ferries, buses, 7-eleven.
- $50 of deposit

The $50 1-day card has
- 24 hour or MTR travel

And again, you can use a credit card to get AE tickets, tourist passes and 1-day MTR pass. You cannot use one to get a regular Octopus card. I don't know if you can use a CC at a machine or not, but each station has manned ticket counter.