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MTR: tap in, tap out, distance-based
Hong Kong MTR uses Octopus in and out. Airport Express is a separate fare table. East Rail First Class needs an extra tap. How to use exit letters.
Notes dated 2026-09
Exits are letters and numbers, such as Mong Kok E2. Hotels and maps use these. They beat “east exit”. MTR Mobile lists them.
Lines visitors actually use
- Tsuen Wan line (red): TST–Mong Kok–across the harbour toward Central.
- Island line (blue): Sheung Wan, Central, Causeway Bay, North Point, Shau Kei Wan (bus 9 to Dragon’s Back).
- Kwun Tong / Tuen Ma: Sham Shui Po; Diamond Hill for Sai Kung buses.
- East Rail: Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau, University, Admiralty. Border line. First Class is a separate tap.
- Airport Express: its own fare table, not a normal MTR ride. For cheap ordinary MTR, take S1 to Tung Chung then the Tung Chung Line — see the airport arrival page.
Light Rail (Tuen Mun, Yuen Long)
Street-level trains in the northwest New Territories. Validate on the platform before boarding and when you leave. Sam Shing is handy for the Tuen Mun waterfront. It is not urban MTR; Google sometimes routes you oddly.
Questions
What if I cannot exit for lack of value?
Pay the difference or top up at the customer centre. On-loan cards allow a small negative; sold tourist cards often do not, so you can get stuck.