How to Travel From Hong Kong to Guangzhou – 4 Best Routes
Traveling from Hong Kong to Guangzhou it’s kind of confusing even for the local inhabitants of the mainland. Both locations are great outposts for, and it’s easy to get lost if you don’t know the language. We tried to solve the issue by making a brief compilation of the most accessible ways on how to travel from Hong Kong to Guangzhou using public transportation. Try to follow our instructions to the letter to avoid getting lost.
Before you begin your travel into mainland China, make sure you are familiar with the routes, and also have your Chinese visa with you. Unlike traveling in Hong Kong where you don’t need a visa, going into mainland China will require one. Also, if it’s your first time going into mainland, remember that English is not very common in Guangzhou. You may want to brush up on your Mandarin or get some interpreting help. Here are the different routes you can take to get from Hong Kong to Guangzhou.
Hong Kong To Guangzhou Distance: 129 km
Option 1: Take the Shenzhen High-Speed Train to Guangzhou
The high-speed Shenzhen to Guangzhou train is by far the best option for transportation, and it’s in the top of our list because of how efficient it is. The train still gathers some apprehension by the locals, but it’s the cheapest and quickest method to travel the Hong Kong to Guangzhou distance without hassles. It’s not recommended if you are carrying large amounts of luggage or if you are traveling with young children.
The trip begins in Shenzhen, where you need to take the MTR to Lo Wu. The travel from Hung Hom will take you about forty-five minutes, but you will be able to hop on the line at your convenience. The Lo Wu MTR station has a custom China Immigration checkpoint where you need to present your visa to mark your exit from Hong Kong to the mainland. The process is pretty easy and quick if you follow the sings.
After passing through China Immigration, you will be in Shenzhen. To get to the train station, you will have to exit immigration and walk straight. You will find the Shenzhen railway station in the large building at your left. It’s a five-minute walk. Locals use their ID card to get on the train, but you will have to buy a train ticket to Guangzhou from one of the counters. You can choose between first class and second class.
Prices & Tickets
You can buy tickets for the train from Shenzhen to Guangzhou either inside the train station or through the MRT Website. Prices can range anywhere from 80 RMB to about 100 RMB depending on the class and availability.
The high-speed trains depart from Shenzhen every 10 to 15 minutes and most of the times you can travel comfortably sit, but at rush hour you will have to stand. Once you arrive at the mainland in Guangzhou East, you can either take the MTR or a taxi to your final destination. It is truly one of the most efficient ways to travel between Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
There are pros and cons to using the Shenzhen high-speed train. The pros we can list are the low price of making such a long trip and how fast it is once you get on the train. The cons are the imperative need to travel light, the trains don’t have accommodations for luggage, so make pack a light bag, and as we mentioned is not a good way to travel if you a large party or a family group that includes little kids, you are bound to lose someone in the confusion.
Option 2: Make the Trip on the NEW Hong Kong to Guangzhou High-Speed Train
There is a new high-speed rail train running directly from Hong Kong to Guangzhou that started to operate back in September of 2018. The train connects the Hong Kong Kowloon West station with the Guangzhou South station in forty-five minutes flat. This is the fastest direct route between the two cities and the trains run at least thirty times a day, something that makes it already a much more convenient service than the one offered by Kowloon/Guangzhou East Intercity service.
This train departs from the brand new Kowloon West station that is located between the Austin and Kowloon MTR stations. You can take a walk to Kowloon West arriving from Austin to the Kowloon MTR stations. Every train arrives at the Guangzhou South station located at the outer limits of Guangzhou city. You will have to take the MTR or face the traffic once you get to Guangzhou to get to your destination.
Prices & Tickets
If you need to buy tickets for the Hong Kong to Guangzhou train, you can book online and collect them on the Kowloon West Station. If you are in Guangzhou, you can buy your tickets on any train station on the mainland. You can choose between second class tickets or regular business class to make your trip more comfortable. This train has a significant advantage over the previous option: you can carry as much luggage as you need since the trains are pretty spacious. The only downside of this service is that it is more expensive than other options on this guide.
Option 3: Take the Hong Kong to Guangzhou Intercity Through Train
The Intercity Through train is recognized as the most common way to cover the Hong Kong to Guangzhou distance used by foreigners. It’s not the same service as any of the High-Speed Train options we already described. The Intercity through train is much slower but is also a very relaxing way to travel between the cities and gives you some excellent sightseeing options to take advantage and get some great pictures.
The service currently offers twelve trips a day to each direction between Hung Hom in Hong Kong and Guangzhou East. The process to board it is pretty similar to catching a flight at the airport. You will have to be at the station at least one hour before your departure since you need to go through migration to check your passport and visa. You will have to wait for a moment in a waiting room before taking the train, and once you get on board, you will get to Guangzhou in two hours tops.
Prices & Tickets
The price of this service is also one of the lowest on the list with the highest premium ticket costing only half of the total costs of the high-speed train. You can purchase tickets from Klook online service. It’s a good option if you are used to dealing with airports since the basic premises of boarding this train works in the same fashion. It’s also an excellent service if you need to arrive at the central part of Guangzhou, you won’t have to spend money on a cab to get there.
The Intercity through Train is very accommodating if you have a large amount of luggage, and it’s very friendly for large parties or families with kids. The slow pace works wonders for nervous travelers. Sadly this is also one of the most time-consuming means to travel from Hong Kong to Guangzhou. You have to make sure to board your train on time, the ticket is good for an upcoming trip if you miss yours, but you will have to wait a lot of time this line suffers from frequents delays and disruptions.
Option 4: Ride the Ferry from Hong Kong International Airport to Guangzhou
The last option is taking a ferry that departs from the Hong Kong International Airport to mainland China. This option is offered on the list as a last resource since it’s not really convenient if you need to get to Guangzhou. There are currently three ferries making the trip each day from each direction, is one of the easiest ways to get to Guangzhou only if you are flying in or out of the Hong Kong International Airport.
Overall, the full journey on the ferry takes about one hour and forty-five minutes. It’s also incredibly expensive even with the multiple class options to choose from. The closest you can get to downtown Guangzhou is arriving at the LianHuaShan port, and you will have to make a trip on a taxi for at least an hour to get to your destination. Ferry tickets can be bought online or at the ferry terminal. Just use this option if you need to go to a specific place, you will fare better with the other choices.
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