Macao: Aiport and Scheduling
 

Hello. I'm arriving in HKG for the first time ever on 12/5 for several nights. I've been doing some light research about Macao, enough to undertand that an absolute mininum of a nght and a full day--besides gambling--is worthwhile.

At what point during, say, 5 HKG days does it make sense, esp. with regard to HKIA the customs issues, etc. Doesn't this make the customs, etc. potentaily more complicated? That is, do a first or last day make sense with more than trivial bags?

OTOH, a midweek Macao trip disrupts the HK hotel stay. One poster here recommend this strategy, butleaving extra bags with your hotel until you'e back.

Thoughts? Thanks! :confused:

Do you need to sleep a night in Macao? The ferries run all night so there's no problem doing the day and as late as you want into the evening in Macao and then getting a ferry back to HK.

Certainly leaving the main bags at the HK hotel would work, but is it worth the hassle of packing and unpacking (and perhaps getting a worse room rate) so that you can sleep one night in a different place?

You don't "have to" stay overnight, but hotels are significantly cheaper in Macau than Hong Kong that it makes sense to stay there overnight if you have the time.

But if you do want to stay in Macau but don't like checking out and then in again at a HK hotel, then either going to Macau first or last will work. There are ferries that go from airside of HKG to Macau, so you don't have to go through HK immigration at all.

There is no "issue" with customs going to/from Macau. Yes, you will have to clear customs and immigration upon exiting HK and then upon entering Macau (and then vice versa on the return) but it's generally straightforward. As rkkwan said, if you tack Macau on to either end of your visit you can save one trip through customs by taking a Turbojet ferry direct between Macau and HKIA, in which case you do not have to clear HK immigration. Unfortunately, the airport ferry schedule is not particularly frequent or convenient. You're better doing this at the end of your trip heading back to the airport, because if your flight into HKG is late and you miss the ferry you wanted, there could be a long wait for the next one.

The Macau->HKIA ferry schedule is not very frequent, not conveniently timed and often some of the more useful departure times will sell out of economy class seats because large tour groups are headed from Macau back to the PRC via the ferry and HKIA. Fortunately "super class" ferry tickets aren't really that much more expensive and beat getting up two hours earlier or somesuch.

Also the Macau->HKIA check in and transfer experience is somewhat annoying. But despite that I still usually end up using the Macau-HKIA service because it's still less hassle overall than the alternatives.