Getting Around
You can fly into, but most arrive via Hong Kong (though Macau bargain fares are becoming more common). Getting around the city is easy. English-language maps and bus routes are available at the counters of the Macau Tourist Bureau on Largo de Senado (Senado Square) downtown or at the Macau Ferry Terminal. Buses run between around 6:00 a.m. and midnight. Renting cars, motorcycles and bicycles is easy—ask at a hotel for details. Taxis can be ordered by phone and efficient boat and ferry services operate out of the main port. Pedicabs and replicas of 1920s London buses are fun, if not always efficient.
Due to its free port status, travel between Macau and the Chinese mainland or Hong Kong, passes through immigration. Rules change, so check the latest requirements. Generally, you can obtain a 30-day Macau visa upon arrival.
Public Buses
Bus routes are posted in both Chinese and Portuguese. Buses and minibuses run on the Macau Peninsula, Taipa and Coloane. Bus Nos. 11, 22, 28A, 30, 33 and 34 run between the peninsula and Taipa; 21, 21A , 25, 26 and 26A run between the peninsula and the islands; the AP1 goes to the airport. Within the peninsula the fare is Macau petaca (MOP$) 2.50; it's MOP$3.30 to Taipa, MOP$4-5 to Coloane and MOP$3.30 to the airport. Provide exact change.
Taxis
Base rate is MOP$11.00 for the first 1,500 meters with MOP$1.00 added for every additional 180 meters. MOP$1.00 per 50 seconds for waiting. There is also a surcharge of MOP$3 for each item of luggage in the trunk. Surcharges: MOP$5 from the airport or peninsular to Coloane; MOP$2 from Taipa to Coloane. No surcharge from Macau to Taipa or from the islands back to the peninsula. For taxi service call 853 2851 9519 or 853 2893 9939 (English isn't always understood). Some drivers speak English; all carry maps in Chinese, English and Portuguese.
Air
Located on Taipa, Macau International Airport serves regional destinations with lights to Hong Kong, Taipei and most major mainland Chinese cities daily. Cabs take about 5-10 minutes from the airport to Taipai, 15 to the Ferry Terminal or city center, and 20 to the Barrier Gate.
The airport tax of MOP$80-130 (MOP$50 for children aged between 2 to 12) and departure tax are usually included in the price of your ticket. Call the airport at 853 2886 1111 or visit its website at www.macau-airport.com for more.
Helicopters fly between Hong Kong Shun Tak Center and the helipad at Macau Ferry Terminal. Flights from Macau to Hong Kong run between 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. and from Hong Kong to Macau between around 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. daily, departing every 30 minutes. Service also available between Macau Ferry Terminal and Shenzhen Baoan Airport; trips run about 25 minutes with about five flights daily. For current fares and more info, contact:
Macau: 853 2872 7288; Hong Kong: 852 2108 9898; Shenzhen: 86 755 2777 8333
Website: www.heliexpress.com.
Airport Bus
For passengers only passing through, an airport Express Link Bus runs directly to the Ferry Terminal. There are also airport buses to the Barrier Gate and Coloane. You can take Cross-Boundary buses to major cities in Guangdong (passports and visas required).
Bus to Macau
All buses running between Macau and Guangzhou cross the Barrier Gate immigration checkpoint (7:00 a.m. until midnight). Buses run between 7:15 a.m. and 9:30 p.m., departing from the stop near the Masters Hotel (Avenida Almeida Ribeiro and Rua das Lorchas). You can also cross at the COTAI Frontier Post (Lotus Bridge) in the Taipa-Coloane Reclaimed Area, open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. For inquiries, call 853 2893 3888.
Ferries
All ferries use the Macau Ferry Terminal except one Shenzhen route, departing from the Macau Pier. Most Hong Kong-Macau travelers take the ferry (about a one-hour voyage; try to arrive at least 30 minutes before departure for immigration procedures) thanks to the convenient Shun Tak Center terminal; the Hong Kong International Airport ferry (a 45-minute trip) skips Immigration and Customs. You can take a ferry from the Shenzhen Fuyong Terminal (a one-hour trip) or Shekou (1:20). Kowloon's China (HK) Ferry Terminal is used for turbojet and hover-ferry service to and from Macau (about 1 hour). Website: www.turbojet.com.hk. For all water transport, expect to pay an embarkation tax of MOP$25.