FAQ - Hong Kong train
Category: train
Question: How to buy train tickets in Hong Kong?
You can book departures from Hong Kong to Beijing and Shanghai by email at the official (cheap!) ticket office price through KCRC (Kowloon Canton Railway Corporation) Customer Services. Visit their website at www.mtr.com.hk (click "customer site" then "intercity passenger services" then "more information". Then you will visit an online ticket booking site as below:
http://www.it3.mtr.com.hk/b2c/frmIndex.asp?strLang=Eng
Note that the online booking system on their intercity trains home page is only for the HK to Guangzhou intercity trains, for the Beijing & Shanghai through trains you'll need to email their customer services department. When looking up times and fares on their website, remember that Hong Kong is shown as "Hung Hom"). You will be given a reference number and can then pick up and pay for tickets at "Hung Hom" station in Kowloon. Note that Hong Kong ticket office does not accept credit cards, only cash. However, there is an ATM just round the corner from the station.
Question: What is the railway station in Hong Kong like?
The station in Hong Kong is in Kowloon and called 'Hung Hom'. It can help to know that the Chinese refer to Hong Kong/Kowloon as 'Jiulong'.
You can check Hong Kong to Beijing fares and train times (and book HK departures) at www.mtr.com.hk (click 'customer site' then 'intercity passenger services' then 'more information' & remember that Hong Kong is shown as 'Hung Hom').
Be warned, the Beijing-Hong Kong through train is very popular, and gets booked up well in advance. There are also a range of daily air-conditioned trains between Guangzhou (Canton) & Hong Kong, see www.kcrc.com for times, fares and online booking.
More questions: What is train travel like in China?
