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5 Ways To Get From Guangzhou To Hong Kong

The journey from Guangzhou to Hong Kong can be a regular trip for travelers working in China or doing business with Chinese suppliers. Whether it is to catch a last minute flight or to meet a client, visitors to Guangzhou are often looking for the best way to head to Hong Kong. Below is a guide to 5 ways to get from Guangzhou to Hong Kong.

Guangzhou To Hong Kong By MTR Intercity Through Train

• Cost: Around HKD280 (RMB235)
• Journey Time To HK Central: Around 3 hours 15 minutes
• Journey Time To Hong Kong Airport: Around 3 hours 30 minutes
• Comfort & Convenience: 7/10

The MTR Intercity Through Train is a high speed train that runs from Guangzhou East Station to Hung Hom Station in Hong Kong, which bypasses the border at Shenzhen altogether.

Pros:

• The MTR Intercity Through Train’s strongest advantage is that the train goes directly from Guangzhou East Station, over the Shenzhen border, and into Hong Kong, to arrive at Hung Hom Station. As a result, passengers avoid the busy immigration control at the Shenzhen borders, and instead are able to use the immigration control at Hung Hom Station in Hong Kong, which is exclusively for passengers of the MTR Intercity Through Train.
   
• The train is undoubtedly one of the fastest ways to get from Guangzhou to Hong Kong. Significantly faster than the coach services and the normal train service, the MTR Intercity Through Train is recommended for travelers short on time.

Cons:

• While the train journey itself can be convenient for many business travelers, the frequency and times of the trains are decidedly less so. There are only 12 trains per day running from Guangzhou to Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the earliest train leaves at 08:19 and does not get into Hung Hom until 10:17, which can result in losing the entire morning of work to travel. The last train goes from Guangzhou at 21:23 and there is a gap of two hours between trains in the middle of the day from 12:03 to 14:04.
   
• The MTR Intercity Through Train is a popular service both going to and from Hong Kong, and with so few trains running each day, the tickets usually sell out quickly. Travelers planning to purchase their ticket on arrival may wish to consider another option so they are not stuck at the train station without a way to get to Hong Kong.
   
• Although the MTR Intercity Through Train has the advantage of travelling directly into Hong Kong, the arrival station of Hung Hom is not usually an area of the city that passengers are aiming to arrive at. Additionally, it is not so convenient to travel by subway to the rest of the city from Hung Hom station. Passengers heading to Hong Kong Island will need to use two to three lines including a walk between East Tsim Sha Tsui and Tsim Sha Tsui stations, while those heading to the airport will need to use two lines.

Guangzhou To Hong Kong By Train

• Cost: Around HKD150 (RMB125)
• Journey Time To HK Central: Around 4 hours
• Journey Time To Hong Kong Airport: Around 4 hours 30 minutes
• Comfort & Convenience: 5/10

If the MTR Intercity Through Train is not convenient, the regular train service is also available. Business travelers can take the train from Guangzhou East Station to Shenzhen Railway Station, where they can then cross into Hong Kong at the Luohu border by foot, before continuing the remainder of the journey by using the MTR.

Pros:

• Unlike the MTR Intercity Through Train, the regular train service from Guangzhou to Shenzhen runs much more frequently with trains usually leaving every 15 minutes or so from 06:12 to 22:48. Travelers can turn up at any point during this time and expect to get a ticket for a train leaving in the next 40 minutes during the non-peak period, and around 1 hour and a half during peak hours.
   
• While the regular train service is also popular, it rarely sells out as often as the MTR Intercity Through Train, so travelers can turn up at the station confident in the knowledge that there will be tickets available for the train. One important note is, however, that during the national holidays there is much higher chance of these trains actually being sold out.

Cons:

• The most obvious disadvantage of this way to get from Guangzhou to Hong Kong is that the train cannot travel inside of Hong Kong, with the final call coming at Shenzhen Railway Station in Luohu. From Shenzhen Railway Station, passengers will need to walk to the Luohu border and navigate the immigration control at both the Mainland China and Hong Kong side. After making it through the border, travelers will then be required to purchase a ticket at the Lo Wu MTR station and continue the rest of the journey in Hong Kong by subway.
   
• As well as not being convenient, crossing the border by foot can also be somewhat dangerous for some travelers. The Luohu border area is a notorious tourist trap, where a number of scam artists operate trying to con business travelers. There are a number of tourist scams to watch out for, but the best way to avoid them is to stay away from the area completely if possible.
   
• The regular train service, which travels slower than the MTR Intercity Through Train, is further slowed by the number of stations it calls at between Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The train makes three stops in the city of Dongguan alone.

Guangzhou To Hong Kong By Coach

• Cost: Around HKD200 (RMB170)
• Journey Time To HK Central: 5-8 hours
• Journey Time To Hong Kong Airport: Around 5 hours 30 minutes
• Comfort & Convenience: 4/10

For business travelers in search of an alternative to the train, there are several coach routes that run from Guangzhou to multiple destinations inside Hong Kong.

Pros:

• One clear advantage that the coach offers over either the MTR Intercity Through Train or the regular train service, is that they operate multiple routes to Hong Kong. Business travelers can find coaches that go to the Airport, Kowloon area, and to Hong Kong Island.
• For travelers operating on a budget, the coach service is also usually the most cost-effective way to travel to Hong Kong. The coach may be the slowest way to Hong Kong, but most passengers can reach their destination for less than RMB200, however they need to sacrifice a lot of time.

Cons:

• Although traveling from Guangzhou to Hong Kong by coach does offer more routes than by train, passengers must still disembark following the coach schedule. Moreover, the coach does not even follow the strict schedule. The bus can simply start off only when it is fully packed with people, which may prolong your journey dramatically. Hong Kong is a large city and passengers should be prepared for further travel even after arriving in Hong Kong.
   
• Arguably the biggest disadvantage of using the coach to get from Guangzhou to Hong Kong, is the change over required at the border in Shenzhen. When reaching the border, passengers are required to depart their bus and cross immigration alone. For those without experience in China, this can be a confusing and intimidating experience. Once the passenger makes it through immigration control, they are then required to find the new bus on other side of the border, which can be an even more daunting experience.
   
• The journey from Guangzhou East Station to Hong Kong downtown with the traffic jams on both sides, slow speed of the bus and immigration process can last up to 8 hours which is considerable amount of time. This could be a big frustration not only for travelers short on time but for anyone who are unwilling to waste almost a day for a trip that can last 3.5 hours by alternative means.

Guangzhou To Hong Kong By Taxi

• Cost: Around HKD950 (RMB800)
• Journey Time To HK Central: 3 hours 45 minutes
• Journey Time To Hong Kong Airport: 3 hours 45 minutes
• Comfort & Convenience: 7/10
   

Business travelers can avoid public transport altogether and take a taxi from Guangzhou to Shenzhen, where they can cross the border at Huanggang and then find another taxi to them to their final destination in Hong Kong.

Pros:

• One obvious advantage of taking a taxi is that you can leave when and from wherever you wish. Travelers are not required to travel across Guangzhou in search of a coach or train station, and they are not beholden to a set time schedule.
   
• Another advantage that a taxi holds over a train or coach is the ability to travel in private. By offering a degree of privacy, a taxi allows business visitors to catch up on work emails, make some calls to clients, or to even just get some rest.

Cons:

• Mainland taxis are only able to take business travelers as far as the border as they are not permitted to drive into Hong Kong. Once arrived at the Huanggang in Shenzhen, travelers must cross the border on foot and drag their luggage all the way to the HK border. They need to find another Hong Kong taxi once on the other side in Hong Kong. Going through immigration control can be a stressful experience for those unfamiliar with China and Hong Kong.
   
• Even reaching the border in Shenzhen without incident can be considered an achievement, as there are a number of Chinese taxi scams that business travelers should be mindful of. Especially with longer journeys such as Guangzhou to Shenzhen, some drivers will feel emboldened to demand a set price without using the fare meter, go a longer route to drive up the price, or even use a rigged fare meter that can double or triple the price.
   
• Even getting a taxi to start off with can be difficult, in particular for those that are looking to travel during rush hour or national holidays. If you know you are on a tight schedule then it is not recommended to rely on hoping to get a taxi on the street.
   
• As listed above, there are a significant number of potential issues that can arise when using a taxi to go from Guangzhou to Shenzhen to cross into Hong Kong. Arguably the biggest issue of them all is that scarce few taxi drivers in Mainland China can speak any English at all, which means that if any of the above issues do arise, they are almost impossible to resolve for business travelers who do not speak Chinese.

Guangzhou To Hong Kong By Private Car

• Cost:Search online for the most competitive rates
• Journey Time To HK Central: 3.5 - 4 hours
• Journey Time To Hong Kong Airport: 3.5 - 4  hours
• Comfort & Convenience: 10/10

Travel in complete comfort and convenience as a private car picks you up from wherever you wish in Guangzhou and takes you over the border directly to your destination in Hong Kong.

Pros:

• One way that a private car service truly distinguishes itself from a regular taxi, is the ability for private cars with both Mainland China and Hong Kong license plates to travel over the border. This removes the hassle of standing in immigration queues or having to find another mode of transport once over the border inside Hong Kong. A private car removes the most stressful element of travelling from Guangzhou to Hong Kong.
   
• By using a private car, not only can business travelers be picked up exactly where they want to in Guangzhou, but they can also be taking directly to their destination in Hong Kong.
   
• Various car service companies in Guangzhou provide a wide range of fleet that you can choose from. You can rent the car of the desired model whether it is an executive sedan like Mercedes S-Class, Toyota Camry or a group minivan. You can book the vehicle in advance and forget about the cross-border stress.
   
• Going through immigration control, especially as a relative newcomer to China, can be a stressful experience. From December 2017, China Customs requires passengers to exit the vehicle with luggage to pass through China immigration, and then they can re-enter the vehicle directly after (avg. 10 min.).  HK immigration is able to be done from within the vehicle as before. With a private car service, your driver will safely drop you off for immigration purposes and pick you up again in 10 minutes on the other side of the border. He will guide you the entire process and help answer any questions you have about the process.
   
• A private car allows visitors to travel in private and in comfort. A car service is more private than the MTR Intercity Through Train and more comfortable than a taxi, meaning business travelers are free to catch up on work or to get some rest after a long trip of client meetings and supplier visits.
   
• By booking a private car in advance, it removes the risk of being susceptible to scams while riding in a taxi. Furthermore, travelers can rest safe in the knowledge that their driver can speak English incase that any changes are made to the travel plan or any issues arise.
   
• It is definitely the quickest and the most hassle-free option to get from Guangzhou to Hong Kong. By renting a car in Guangzhou, you will save a considerable amount of time and be able to stick to your scheduled plan without wasting your time.

Cons:

• A private car service are at higher cost than normal public transport, but the advantages mean it is well worth the money spent. There really is no better option for those who wish to be picked up on time, to travel in a comfortable car model of your choice, to cross the border without stress, and be dropped off at the doorstop of their destination.

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