How to get to | Hong Kong

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.

Hong Kong

Source: David Iliff

Most visitors to Hong Kong arrive by air but you can also take a bus, train or ferry from neighbouring parts of mainland China and Macao. Airlines flying to Hong Kong (fifth freedom flights in brackets) include:

• Star Alliance - Air China, Air New Zealand (London), ANA, Asiana, Continental, Lufthansa, Shanghai Airlines, Singapore (San Francisco), South African, Swiss, Thai (Seoul & Taipei), Turkish, United (Ho Chi Minh City & Singapore)
• Oneworld - British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Finnair, Japan Airlines, Qantas (London), Royal Jordanian (Bangkok)
• Sky Team - Aeroflot, Air France, China Southern, Delta (Tokyo), Kenya Airways (Bangkok), KLM, Korean
• Other Selected - most Asian airlines, most Middle Eastern airlines

TIP Hong Kong SAR has visa-free entry for most visitors, but visas are required for most people to visit China from Hong Kong.

TIP With so much competition, longhaul fares to and from Hong Kong are relatively cheap. However there are other cheaper places in Asia to buy intra-Asia or longhaul fares from (eg longhaul fares from Taiwan are usually much cheaper than from Hong Kong).

TIP Asian low cost airlines are far cheaper than the full service airlines for intra-Asian travel (particularly between hubs).

UPDATED November 2009 - Continental switch from Sky Team to Star Alliance. No change to advice.