Octopus Card, Hong Kong

Our previous visits involved buying round trip tickets which I understand that it costs more. However, my family did very little travelling as we rarely ventured out of the magical world of Disneyland.

This time though, we have split our time between Disneyland and another hotel around Mongkok. We also planned to move around - shopping and sightseeing, a little bit more.

Thus, getting the Octopus card is more convenient as it removes the need to queue up to buy tickets.

What's more, you can use the Octopus card to purchase items for a variety of stores in and around the MTR stations. Very useful card indeed.

If you intend to use public transport in Hong Kong the Octopus card is a convenient way to pay. a $50 deposit will get you one, in arrivals at the airport for us, but available all over the city, then add as much credit to it as you like. Each time you use public transport swipe the card over the terminal and the fare is deducted. Can also be used to pay entrance fees to museums, Happy Valley racecourse etc.
See website for more information.

I fell in love with the Octopus Card. You can use it on all mass transit, Metro, Buses, Ferry, and even the Peak Tram. What was an added bonus with this card is that you can use it in some convience stores like 7-11. I never needed to deal with coins because of this card. If you are going to spend any time there in HK this card is a must.

The Octopus card is perhaps the best way to access a city's public transportation that I have ever seen. Other cities could take a lesson from this. Here is how it works. You arrive at the airport. Before reaching the trains into the city, you access a desk where you buy this card. You give them a deposit and decide what value you would like to have on the card. Then, if you have planned your trip right, you will never have to do anything but swipe that card at a turnstile as you take the public transportation in Hong Kong. When you go through a stile, you will see how much fare has been deducted. There are also machines at the stations that can tell you how much value remains on this smart card. At any time, you can add more value by making an additional deposit.

The best part is that the card works on everything in this city. Here is a list of what I used that card for:

(1)Train between the airport and the city.
(2)The STAR ferry crossing between HK and Kowloon
(3) the ferry to outlying islands (Lamma in my case)
(4) the Peak tram, this takes you to Victoria Peak
(5) The MTR (the subway)
(6) the streetcars

You can use this on virtually all public transportation in the city. I understand that you can now even use it is some stores. This card will prevent you from having to dig for loose change everytime you take a ride. Just be sure to keep it safe with you as you travel. The deposit and remaining value on your card will be returned to you as you turn the card back in.

The cheapest way to get around Hong Kong when visiting is by obtaining a Octopus card.
There are a few options you can get, one of which is the Aiport Express Octopus Card. For around HK$300 you get 3 days unlimited MTR travel, as well as a return journey on the Airport Express, and HK$50 refundable deposit.
You also get HK$20 usable credit on your card. Basically this means that you can use your card to pay for purchases that accept the Octopus Card. All you do is place your card on the reader and that will deduct the payable amount from your card. You can also top up your card at various shops and machines located in the stations.
I found this feature very useful when you just want to buy something small and dont want to pay using a note of a high denomination.

Hong Kong has excellent public transportation. The Octopus Card makes it very easy to use because you never have to worry about having the right change for the MTR, buses, the Star Ferry, etc. More and more vending machines and fast food restaurants use the system. We bought ours at the Customer Service counter at Chep Lap Kok. We added value during the week and obtained a refund of the deposit and the unused value at the airport before leaving Hong Kong.

The introduction of the Octopus Card really created great convenience to travel around in Hong Kong. Not only to get around town, this smart card can be used in convenience stores, restaurants and supermarkets...the list just keep on expanding.

If you're staying in Hong Kong for a while and use public transportation frequently, it's definitely better to get an Octopus Card, which can be obtained in a lot of places, such as any MTR stations. You can put in any desirable amount into the card at any places that accept it. Other than convenience, you can also get a small discount when you use it to take the MTR or the bus.

The card used to be 100% refundable. But starting Nov 1, 2004, a HK$7 processing fee is applied to a card refund issued within 3 months.

The card makes a "doot" sound everytime you use it; the locals swear by it and you should too! This nifty little card called the "Octopus" is the handiest transport buddy you will have during your stay in HK. The Octopus is essentially a pre-paid fare card which you can continuously top-up at all MTR stations. At just about every transportation you can name, you just need to tap it before boarding. The only exception is the double decker trams, where you pay with the Octopus just before you alight.

So named because back when it was launched in 1997, it was used on 8 modes of transportation. The Octopus can now be used on even MORE forms of transport and can also be used at major supermarket chains and restaurants like Café de Coral and convenience stores like 7-11. It's just a much quicker, cash-less way of getting things done (if you're unfamiliar with HK coins this is an added incentive to avoid the "figuring out the change" hassle!)

Forms of transport you can "doot" your way through: buses, MTR, trams, mini-vans (both the green and red-topped ones), light rail, ferry, KCR (which has since been re-named), Airport Express, and a couple others. Note that taxis DON'T take the Octopus, though!

Fun fact: the Octopus card generates more than 10 million transactions every day in HK.