MTR Central Station

We went to Hong Kong as a day trip from Guangzhou on August 30, 2015. The MTR is clean and efficient and not too crowded as others I have ridden (Beijing was clean and efficient, though). Cost was minimal and we bought an Octopus Card. The exchange rate for the U.S. dollar was fantastic. Even though it was raining outside (no big deal), the metro was still kept clean and dry. We used to this station to connect to the other MTR stations to Shenzhen for the fast train to Guangzhou. Very pleasant.

As a native of You-​Must-​Own-​A-​Car-​Southern-​California the MTR is nearly everything I would want out of urban mass transit. The system winds through all the major areas you’ll probably need as a tourist, and the rest of the mass transit network of very cheap trolleys and buses will get you that last kilometer to your destination.
Likes:
*It’s clean: There are fines for eating aboard a train and no one seems to do it (except one jerk kid that I was jealous of b/​c I was starving).
*Connectivity: My mobile hotspot worked just as well two levels underground on a fast moving train as it did at street level.
*Free wifi at MTR stations: There are some caveats in that you need to find a wifi area in the station and you only get five 15 min blocks per day. Maybe changing your device name could get you an extra five blocks, but I don’t know.
*Food. Food everywhere: Just like in Japan or other major Asian cities, every MTR station doubles as a food court, mall, convenience store festival and any mix of the above. You will never lack for snacks or drinks, a big deal for a snacker like myself.
*It’s mothereffing CHEAP: A one hour ride from Wanchai to HK Disneyland cost maybe USD $ 8 and that’s an uncommonly long ride if you’re staying in the city. Most places only cost a couple dollars each way. To contrast, a one-​way Amtrak ticket from San Diego to DTLA costs $ 30. From SD to Irvine – still $ 30. Wtf!
*HK Disneyland Line: A special train (suitably Disney-​fied with mouse ear windows, hand-​holds, etc.) takes you right to HK Disney’s doorstep.
*No urine puddles. Anywhere.
Dislikes:
*Not 24 hour service. The trains start at 6am and run through roughly 1am (depending on which station you are and whether the last train of the night has passed you yet). Watched a lot of people shuffling off in the Last Train Speedwalk as they tried to get home without having to use a cab.
*No Eating: Don’t tell me when and where I can eat my Baby Star Ramen snack.
*You will miss it when you leave: I don’t like driving in traffic and would rather read Unilocal reviews or get addicted to the newest free-​to-​play garbage game while commuting.
Extra credit tip: If you’re visiting town, try to get a hotel or airbnb as close to an MTR station as possible. Your quality of life will improve significantly when you’re on day three of heavy walking and the girls are wearing heels to go out at night.
Extra credit tip #2: The Octopus Card is god in HK. You can only load it with cash (no credit cards), but it’s accepted in nearly every place including the MTR, buses, trolleys, convenience stores, fast food joints and more.

Born and raised in NYC, I grew up hating our subway station. It’s old, decrepit, and inefficient. But when I first rode on the Hong Kong’s MTR system more than 20 years ago, I was amazed on how fast and clean the system was. They were already on top of the no swipe card technology. Twenty years later, it’s still as good and it’s one thing I wish New York City’s MTA system can one day adopt (probably not for the next 100 years).
What gives MTR an incredible advantage is that Hong Kong is a very a small city in comparison to NYC. Their underground system is not as old as the tunnels that are overrun by rats for decades in NYC. Their management team knows what their customers want and that is zero delays. I’ve heard that when there are delays in the MTR system, it makes it to the breaking news category of the day. In NYC, delays are the norm, whether we like it or not.
Oh yes, I could rave about the MTR on and on because it’s one of the best things I love about Hong Kong. This station is no exception. It’s like a hub central with multiple exits (kind of like NYC’s Times Square). It is super packed especially with all the business professionals working around this area. But everything still runs super smooth.

The stop where you can change to Sheung Wan. Super packed though. Watch out for ham sup los