Job Discussion Forums

wuliuchiba · Joined: 07 Jul 2013 Posts: 61

Posted this in the China forum, figured I could get some useful tips from people actually living in HK as well.

The last time I did a visa run I tried the Shenzhen Bay crossing because you can simply walk in to HK from one side and walk back into China from the other side - entry points going both ways are in the same building. Big mistake - it literally took me over four hours in total to cross over to HK and return to Shenzhen because of the ridiculous weekend crowd. Is there a less crowded border crossing in Shenzhen? I'm going to spend a few days in HK so I don't need to exit and re-enter at the same border crossing.

As for why I don't just fly directly to HK, it's because domestic flights to Shenzhen are 2-3 times cheaper in China than to HK.

sistercream · Joined: 18 Dec 2010 Posts: 497 Location: Pearl River Delta

If you think SZ Bay is crowded, then for heaven's sake steer clear of Luohu! Even at weekends, SZ Bay is less worse than that.

I an't find any current info on the ferry service between SZX and either Kowloon or HK island, so I guess it no longer runs Sad

but you can still catch a ferry from Shekou (mind you, I haven't done that on a weekend...).

I haven't tried the Huanggang crossing because it's not convenient to where I live.

Javelin of Radiance · Joined: 01 Jul 2009 Posts: 1187 Location: The West

GreatApe · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:10 am Post subject:

I'd have to agree with J of R ... timing is everything! I've crossed at Luohu 90% of the time and never had a really bad experience in 4 years. Longest wait was around an hour.

--GA

kjkrause · Joined: 03 Nov 2005 Posts: 17

louhu has dedicated lines to foriengers so generally it is much better then most of the others....especially avoid futian checkpoint on weekends....

wuliuchiba · Joined: 07 Jul 2013 Posts: 61

By foreigners do you mean lines specifically for non-Chinese? That would be great, since 98% of the border crossers are mainland Chinese, and avoiding the crush of that crowd would make a border run a snap.

Kowloon · Joined: 11 Jan 2016 Posts: 133

I crossed in to Shenzhen from Lo Wu last weekend and bought a Shenzhen visa in the process. If it hadn't been for the cashier changing shifts literally seconds before being handed my application ( Mad

) I think I would have made it from the MTR to the MRT in under 30 minutes including getting the visa! This was on a Saturday afternoon about 4.30pm.

The time it took to cash out and then cash in easily doubled that! Rolling Eyes

Came back via Futian. Huge lines but they moved pretty quickly. As people have said above no dedicated lines for foreigners.

MESL · Joined: 23 Aug 2003 Posts: 291

Never enter Hong Kong from Shenzhen. Always enter from Guangzhou. Never walk, never take a bus, never take a ferry. You don't need to fly either. Take the express train from Guangzhou. Runs all day. 200 RMB. 2 hour trip. Fast border crossing. Indoors. Plenty of luggage space. Drops you off in Tsim Tsa Tsui, which is a huge travelplex with 2 dozen exits and connections to everywhere.

Songbird · Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2016 4:32 am Post subject:

MESL, actually that would depend on where you're coming from. I wouldn't be travelling all the way to GZ just to get that train from Shenzhen. Also if you were going from Shenzhen I'd advise getting off at Kowloon Tong and changing metros if you were heading to Central district. Hung Hom is a pain tbh.

When I lived in Shenzhen about 4 years I lived in Futian at Lianhua North, so I'd naturally take the Futian checkpoint into HK. I'd try and beat my personal best every time I went- my best time was from my front door to getting of at Central, going via Kowloon Tong, walking quickly to get in lines at the borders and generally knowing exactly where to go within 1hr 20mins!

Ah.....I miss life there (now back in Oz in an office job getting yelled at all day....)