Ride the rails to Hong Kong's Disneyland

I want to visit Hong Kong for a long weekend at the beginning of December for a spot of shopping, sightseeing and to explore Hong Kong Disneyland, but don't know how to go about it. Can you recommend a good place to stay? What's the best way to get around the city?

The best way to get around Hong Kong is by the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system (www.mtr.com.hk). With 10 lines, including the Airport Express line, crisscrossing the territory, it's also the fastest way to get from place to place, and offers competitively priced tickets. The 24-hour pass for $50 Hong Kong dollars (Dh24) is good value for money, allowing passengers to board and disembark at any station they want (with the exception of the airport line).

A trip to Hong Kong Disneyland (www.hongkongdisneyland.com), which is located on Lantau Island off Sunny Bay, requires some planning, especially if you're staying on the mainland and are going to take a train back and forth. The park is open between 10am and 11pm right through the week and is connected to the Sunny Bay Station by the famous Disney locomotive, which ferries passengers to the Disneyland Resort Station.

You can buy tickets to the park at a designated MTR station, at the park entrance (be prepared to queue) or online in advance. A regular one-day ticket costs HK$350 (Dh166) per adult and is valid for 24 hours.

If you're planning to spend a couple of days exploring Hong Kong Disneyland, it's best to check into the on-site hotels, Hollywood Hotel or Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, and save time on the commute. The Hollywood Hotel's long-stay package costs from HK$4,789 (Dh2,266) and includes three nights' accommodation at in a garden-view room, taxes and two complimentary Stay2Day admission tickets.

If you'd rather not stay at the park's hotels, the InterContinental Grand Stamford hotel (www.hongkong.intercontinental.com; 00 852 2721 5161), located in Tsim Tsam Sui East and a five-minute walk from Tsim Tsam Sui East MTR station (the Disney station is about a 30-minute ride from here), is a good place to stay. Double rooms cost from HK$1,700 (Dh805), including taxes. Offering views of Victoria harbour, the hotel is also conveniently close to all kinds of shopping - from boutiques to night markets - as well as local restaurants and street food stalls, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Museum of Science and Technology, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and the famous Avenue of Stars.

Do you have travel questions or queries? E-mail them to us at travel@thenational.ae