Hong Kong Short Term Stay Essentials
During your Hong Kong short term stay there are a few basic items that you’ll need to help make your stay in Hong Kong comfortable.
Local Simcard with Data
You want to avoid using roaming on your mobile phone when travelling the bills quickly add up! Look for a 7-11 shop that’s close to the serviced apartment or vacation rental you’ll find that they sell pre-paid sim cards that start from $48 HKD (~$6 USD). If you choose Three HK you can get unlimited data which is capped at $28 HKD a day, so you can get internet on your phone when you are exploring Hong Kong.
Octopus Card
Hong Kong transportation is extremely efficient. When travelling on the train, bus or tram you should use an octopus card. It’s a electronic keycard that you top up with pre-paid credit, and when travelling you simply swipe it when you travel. Remember for trains and buses you swipe when you get on and for trams you swipe when you get off. You can buy an octopus card at any train station, it costs $50 deposit to buy one. They are perfect for Hong Kong short term stays as you get the deposit refunded back when you leave Hong Kong. You can use octopus cards for purchases at 7-11′s, and most small shops and eateries which saves you having to carry small pocket change around!
Locations with Free WiFi
Hong Kong is a very wired city. Most likely your vacation apartment or serviced apartment will come with Wifi. However in the event there is not, there are many locations around HK that have free Wifi like the Hong Kong airport, major shopping centres like Landmark and at hotel lobbies. At every Starbucks and McDonalds there is free 20 minutes WiFi per day. Look for PCCW or Y5Zone hotspots you can get a list of hotspot locations in Hong Kong here.
For some more details on what you should look out for when booking your Hong Kong short term stay, please view this post.