Hong Kong's public transport system has been designed to serve virtually the entire population, with the result that it is efficient, fast, comfortable, extremely extensive and relatively cheap

Trains and trams
The MTR (Mass Transit Railway) is Hong Kong's underground train system, comprising four lines, which operate from 6am to 1am. The Island Line (marked blue on maps) runs along the north shore of Hong Kong Island, from Sheung Wan in the west to Chai Wan in the east, taking in important stops such as Central, Wanchai and Causeway Bay. The Tsuen Wan Line (red) runs from Central, under the harbour, through Tsimshatsui, and then northwest to the new town of Tsuen Wan. The Kwun Tong Line (green) connects with the Tsuen Wan Line at Mongkok in Kowloon, and then runs east in a circular direction, eventually coming back down south under the harbour to join the Island Line at Quarry Bay. Finally, the Tung Chung Line (yellow) follows much of the same route as the Airport Express, linking Central and Tung Chung.

You can buy single-journey tickets ($4-11) from easy-to-understand dispensing machines in the stations. The old Common Stored Value Ticket is now being phased out, and instead you can buy an Octopus Card (tel 2993 8880 for information), a rechargeable stored-value ticket which can be used for travel on the MTR, KCR, LRT, the Airport Express and some ferries and buses. You pay a deposit of $50 to get the plastic card, then add value to it by feeding it and your money into machines in the MTR. Your fare is then electronically deducted each time you use the ticket - which doesn't have to be fed into the turnstile, just swiped over the yellow sensor pad on the top.

The MTR is not to be confused with the KCR (Kowloon-Canton Railway), which is Hong Kong's main overground train line, running from Kowloon station in East Tsimshatsui, north through the New Territories to the border with China at Lo Wu. Apart from the direct trains running through to Guangzhou, there are frequent local trains running between Kowloon and Lo Wu, though note that you are not allowed to travel beyond the penultimate station of Sheung Shui, unless you have documentation for crossing into China. There is an interchange between the KCR and MTR at Kowloon Tong station. A third transport system, the LRT (Light Rail Transit) runs between towns in the western New Territories, though tourists rarely use it.

Buses, taxis and cars
The double-decker buses that run around town are not fast (being subject to frequent traffic snarl-ups) but are comfortable enough, especially now that most are air-conditioned, and they are essential for many destinations, such as the south of Hong Kong Island, and parts of the New Territories, not served by trains. You pay as you board and exact change is required; the amount is often posted up on the timetables at bus stops. HKTA issues useful up-to-date information on bus routes, including the approximate length of journeys and cost. The main bus terminal in Central is at Exchange Square, a few minutes' walk west of the Star Ferry Terminal, though some buses also start from right outside the ferry terminal, or from the Outlying Islands Piers, west of the Star Ferry. In Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, the main bus terminal is right in front of the Star Ferry Terminal.

As well as the big buses, there are also ubiquitous cream-coloured minibuses and maxicabs that can be stopped almost anywhere on the street (not on double yellow lines), though these often have the destination written in Chinese only. They cost a little more than regular buses, and you usually pay the driver as you disembark; change - in small amounts - is only given on the minibuses (which have a red rather than a green stripe). The drivers of either are unlikely to speak English.

Taxis in Hong Kong are not expensive, though they can be hard to get hold of in rush hours. Note that there is a toll to be paid (around $10, but the amount varies according to the tunnel) on any trips through the cross-harbour tunnel between Kowloon and Hong Kong, and drivers often double this - as they are allowed to do - on the grounds that they have to get back again. Many taxi drivers do not speak English so be prepared to show the driver the name of your destination written down in Chinese. If you get stuck gesture to the driver to call his dispatch centre on the two-way radio; someone there will speak English.

Car rental is theoretically possible, though unnecessary and highly inadvisable in Hong Kong. Taxis are far cheaper and more convenient.

Ferries
One of the most enjoyable things to do in Hong Kong is to ride the humble Star Ferry between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The views of the island are superb, particularly at dusk when the lights begin to twinkle through the humidity and the spray. You'll also get a feel for the frenetic pace of life on Hong Kong's waterways, with ferries, junks, hydrofoils and larger ships looming up from all directions. You can ride upper deck ($2.20) or lower deck ($1.70). Ferries run every few minutes between Tsimshatsui and Central (a 7-minute ride; daily 6.30am-11.30pm), and between Tsimshatsui and Wanchai. There are also similarly cheap and fun ferry crossings between Hung Hom and Central.

In addition, a large array of other boats run between Hong Kong and the outlying islands, most of which use the piers immediately north of Exchange Square