Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hong Kong Transport
GETTING TO HONG KONG
Most international travellers arrive and depart via Hong Kong International Airport. Travellers
to and from mainland China can use ferry, road or rail links to Guǎngdōng and points bey-
ond. Hong Kong is accessible from Macau via ferry or helicopter.
Visas are required to cross the border to the mainland, see
Click here
.
More than 100 airlines operate between Hong Kong International Airport and some 160
destinations around the world. Flights include from New York (16 hours), Los Angeles (15
hours), Sydney (9½ hours), London (12 hours) and Běijīng (3½ hours). There are regular
buses connecting Hong Kong with major destinations in neighbouring Guǎngdōng province.
Twelve trains run daily from Hong Kong to Guǎngzhōu (two hours), and trains to Běijīng
(23½ hours) and Shànghǎi (18½ hours) run on alternate days. Visas are required to cross
the border to the mainland.
Regularly scheduled ferries link the China Ferry Terminal in Kowloon and/or the Macau
Ferry Terminal on Hong Kong Island with a string of towns and cities on the Pearl River
Delta, including Macau. Trips take two to three hours.
Flights, cars and tours can be booked online at lonelyplanet.com.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND TRAVEL
Every form of transport that relies on carbon-based fuel generates CO
2
, the main
cause of human-induced climate change. Modern travel is dependent on aeroplanes,
which might use less fuel per per person than most cars but travel much greater dis-
tances. The altitude at which aircraft emit gases (including CO
2
) and particles also
contributes to their climate change impact. Many websites offer 'carbon calculators'
that allow people to estimate the carbon emissions generated by their journey and,
for those who wish to do so, to offset the impact of the greenhouse gases emitted with
contributions to portfolios of climate-friendly initiatives throughout the world. Lonely
Planet offsets the carbon footprint of all staff and author travel.
