Job Discussion Forums

eagle_eye · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 5

We are arriving in Hong Kong on February 9th at 5.10pm and need to get to Quanzhou. I'm told we can only get an international flight to Xiamen then a taxi to Quanzhou, but cannot find anywhere that we can book this flight in advance.

Is it normal to buy the flight on the day? How much will it cost? Can you buy a return for 9 months later back to Hong Kong or are most flights one way tickets?

I need to buy the ticket in advance so that we will not need a visa to enter Hong Kong, as we will than have proof of an onward journey. Otherwise it looks to the officials, like we are staying in Hong Kong for 9 months as per the return date on our ticket back to Australia.

Please I hope someone can help. I have only come across websites directing you to telephone numbers that are engaged or booking forms that have no price stated on them.

Any help is appreciated with regard to any way that we can get to Quanzhou from Hong Kong.

Cheers, Elle.

dajiang · Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 663 Location: Guilin!

Hiya,
I was just looking at the map on how to get there.
im pretty sure you can take a bus from either shenzhen or guangzhou to xiamen, and from there hop on to quanzhou.

flying of course is nicer, especially if you dont know the way very well around those cities yet. I dont have that much experience buying tickets in HK but you can get tickets at the airport directly, or through an agent in HK on fairly short notice.

There are no direct international flights to xiamen that ive heard of.
Trains are not very convenient to and in Fujian. I'd take a bus probably. They're fun, cheap, plentiful and reasonably fast but slightly risky.

Well a hongkong visa is merely a stamp. You can stay for 3 months free. and it doesnt matter if you should stay there, cuz you will only activate your chinese visa when you cross the border at shenzhen or take an onward flight.
You wont lose anything by staying in HK for a few days.
Plenty of people going to the mainland there and back at other times. This wont be any problem at all for HK custom. plenty of people arrive without return flights too.

You'll arrive at 5 in the afternoon, that means you might be better off staying in hongkong anyway, since it'd be rather late to cross the border at night and find accomodation and all.
Unless you can find a flight that very evening. Can the school make a reservation for you there? They could give you the name of the airline and then you can simply go over to the office at HK airport and check in.

I have bought plane tickets on short notice, but of course, when you arrive at 5 at night, there might not be a flight anymore.

I usually find its always easier to arrange transport when you're there. And it's china, there's always a way to make it work. Dont worry, at worst youll be bussing for a few days. Smile

good luck

dajiang

monju · Joined: 30 Oct 2004 Posts: 89 Location: Wutaishan, China

As far as I know there are direct flights to Xiamen via Singapore (Dragon Air) and Malayasia , once you get there a bus or taxi ride to Quanzhou is no problem (though you'll have to negotiate with the taxi or get ripped off.)

If your an Australian citizen you shouldn't need a visa to enter HK whatever your circumstances - you should automatically get a visa upon entry.

There are flights from HK to Xiamen but you may have to wait a day to get one. You can always try your luck.

Wishing you all the best with your preparations.

millie · Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 413 Location: HK

There is a daily bus from Kowloon if you feel up to it.
M

eagle_eye · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 5

Thank you for all of your replies. We have decided to take the bus from Hong Kong to either Xiamen (where we will be picked up) or right through to Quanzhou (if this service exists!). Any idea where we can find timetables and prices?

Thanks again,

Elle

millie · Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 413 Location: HK

Hello Elle,

I have seen the bus and where it finally ends in Quanzhou.
I have not used the bus. Others have.
It leaves from the same place as the XM bus in Kowloon.

By the way make sure you get a ticket to QuanZhou ("Chen Joe") not Guangzhou - others have made this mistake due to mis-pron!)

Happy travels
M (if I actually exist!)

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

What are you talking about - "visa for Hong Kong"? Only certain nationals need a visa, for instance Nigerians, Cameroonians or other Africans.
If you are NOT a national from one of those risky countries you won't need a visa, and you can touch down in HK even with a one-way ticket in your pocket.
Besides, if you were to BUY a ticket from HK to the mainland, you would have to leave the transit area, and thus, yuou would need a visa (if you were a national from one of the above countries).
Otherwise, you will merely get an arrival stamp in your passport, which will also state how long it is valid, and that you must not work in HK.

As for onward travelling, you can hop across the border in a number of ways; the cheapest is by taking an A bus to Kowloon, then a KCR train to the border, then walk across. NExt to the customshouse is a long-distance bus station with buses running to XIAMEN and FUZHOU. The Fuzhou-bound buses might pass through QUANZHOU. Quanzhou is, if I remember correctly, somewhere half-way between the two places. It's a long haul, though; count on sitting on the same seat for around 6 hours!

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Addendum:
SInce you arrive late in the afternoon, you won't be able to travel on a through-bus all the way from HK to Quanzhou (pronounce it "chuanjo'). BUt you can get as far as Shenzhen; in Shenzhen there are NIGHT BUSES all the way to Fujian province if you like to travel this way... not my cup of tea, though (I consider night buses the least safe method of travelling).
If you get stranded in Shenzhen, you can stay overnight for a modest room rate in a relatively nice hotel some one km from the customshous, near a KFC, on the left-hand side as you walk away from the HK border. Last time I paid RMB 168 for a double there, with a spick-and-spakn bathroom.
Alternatively, you can overnight in HK, but you will have to traipse around a while in search of affordable accom; most backpackers end up at the Chungking mansions in Kowloon - a rather grotty place!

clomper · Joined: 07 Oct 2003 Posts: 251 Location: Beijing

If you are still up to flying.. you might want to check Amadeus.net for flight times from your home airport to xiamen. I know in the Philippines we have direct flights to Xiamen daily.

Dragonair has a 6:05pm flight to Xiamen from HKG. There are flights from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Manila.

Claudine

TESOLman · Joined: 25 Apr 2004 Posts: 34 Location: Vancouver, BC

Take a ferry. You can get it either from HK or Kowloon. Check with the terminals or HK Tourism.

millie · Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 413 Location: HK

There are NO ferries to Quanzhou (in Fujian) from HK.
I think you have confused this name with Guangzhou in Guangdong.
M

china_sk8er · Joined: 30 Oct 2004 Posts: 166 Location: Harbin

When I came here in February of last year I took a bus over night to Xiamen from Hong Kong and arrived in the morning. It took about 9 hours, which included customs inspection. The best way to go is to take the KCR to Lo Wu and then walk across the border into Shenzhen. Buy an overnight bus ticket to Xiamen and you will arrive in the morning. A brand new bus station was just built during the summer in Xiamen. A bus from Xiamen to Quanzhou will set you back about 30 kuai each and it only takes an hour and a half. From Fuzhou it will take about 3 hours to Quanzhou so I would rule that out.

Here are the prices:

Bus from Shenzhen to Xiamen: from 150-180 kuai each
Bus from Xiamen to Quanzhou: 30-40 kuai each

Taking a bus from Hong Kong to Xiamen will set you back about 300 kuai. Going into China from Hong Kong is way over priced and you can get a much cheaper ticket from Shenzhen.

Hope this helps.

Cheers