Bay Area Family Trip

7 days · Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou
~15 min rail
~30 min rail
Family diary, photos and votes

These are kept private. Family members open them through the invite-only trip app.

Open the family app

Essentials

Getting between cities

HK West Kowloon → Shenzhen Futian~15 min
HK West Kowloon → Guangzhou South~50 min
Shenzhen North → Guangzhou South~30 min
MTR East Rail → Lo Wu / Lok Ma Chau~45 min

High-speed rail tickets are tied to each passport. Book on the 12306 app or at the West Kowloon counter, and bring everyone's passport.

Money

  • Hong Kong: HKD. Load an Octopus card per person for MTR, buses and 7-Eleven.
  • Mainland: RMB. Almost everything is paid with Alipay or WeChat Pay. Link a card in both apps before you leave.
  • Carry a little RMB cash for older relatives and small stalls.

Phones

  • Instagram, WhatsApp and Google don't work on mainland Wi-Fi. Roaming or a travel eSIM usually still reaches them.
  • Use Amap (高德地图) for maps and Didi for taxis on the mainland.

Entry and plugs

  • Check that every passport has 6+ months left, and check current entry rules before you fly.
  • Hong Kong uses UK three-pin plugs. Mainland sockets take flat two-pin (Type A) or angled three-pin (Type I) plugs. Pack a universal adapter.