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Getting There By Air:

Macau International Airport (MFM)
Tel: (853) 5988 888.
Website: www.macau-airport.com

Macau’s airport opened in 1995 on an extended peninsula of Taipa Island reclaimed from the sea. Its present capacity is 6 million passengers per year. Regular flights connect with many of China’s largest cities, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Bangkok.

Airport facilities: These include currency exchange, Internet access, tourist office, hotel and car rental booths, a Macanese restaurant and a fast food cafe, duty-free, luggage store and private shower facilities. All signage is in Portuguese and Chinese characters, with plenty in English as well.

Transport to the city: It’s a 15 minute drive across the bridge from downtown Macau. Buses to and from downtown are operated by two companies: No. 26 by Transmac (tel: 2827 1122; website: www.transmac.com.mo), and No. 21 by TCM (tel: 2885 0060; website: www.tcm.com.mo). There is a taxi rank outside the main terminal. A direct Air Express ferry link operates between Macau airport and Hong Kong’s Shun Tak ferry terminal (tel: 2886 1111).

Another airborne access route is provided by Heli Express, which operates a frequent daily helicopter service from the Shun Tak Center in Hong Kong to the Macau Ferry Terminal. (tel: 2872 7288; website: www.heliexpress.com).

Getting There By Water:

Turbo Jet operates a 24-hour hydrofoil service from Hong Kong to the Macau Ferry Port near Fisherman’s Wharf theme park on the east side of Macau (tel: 7907 039; website: www.turbojet.com.hk). A second ferry terminal is due to open in late 2007 on Taipa island, close to the Cotai Strip.

Getting There By Road:

Road access is via two entry points: the Border Gate (0700-2400) and the Cotai Frontier (0900-2000). Delays are frequent, and strict restrictions apply for foreigners driving in China - you must obtain a local Chinese driving license before taking to the road.

Given the strict licensing restrictions on foreigners and the large queues to access Macau by road, driving is not recommended. The vast majority of visitors arrive by ferry from Hong Kong, by air or by coach travel from mainland China.

Coach, rather than car, travel is advised: Kee Kwan (tel: 2893 3888) operates frequent daily buses (0715-2100) between Macau and Guangzhou; journey time is two and a half hours.

Breakdown emergency services
There are no dedicated breakdown services, however if you are hiring for driving in Macau, both Avis and Magic Mokes will provide full breakdown cover and details.

Getting There By Rail:

There is currently no rail access to Macau, and the city has neither railways nor a rail station. A future rail link to and from China is being planned.

Getting Around:

The historic center of Macau is compact, and most of the sights and attractions are easily reached on foot. Other attractions, such as Macau Tower, A-Ma Temple, Guia Hill and Coloane and Taipa islands are more dispersed and require jumping on a bus or hailing a taxi: both of which are cheap, readily available and efficient.

Public Transport
The MGTO offices at the airport and on Senado Square provide the useful Bus Routes of Macau route listing and city map. City buses are operated by the state-owned Transmac company (tel: 2827 1122; website: www.transmac.com.mo), with a number of smaller colectivos minibuses operated by Transportes Colectivos de Macau (tel: 2885 0060; website: www.tcm.gov.mo). These operators also run frequent buses to and from the adjacent islands of Taipa, Coloane, and the Cotail Strip, all of which are accessed via a road bridge across the bay.

Taxis
For faster travel, hail a cab, with your directions written in Chinese characters to show the driver. Taxis are plentiful, safe and metered, and can be flagged down throughout the city. Calling a cab company should only be attempted by guests who speak fluent Cantonese, as little English will be spoken. There are yellow (tel: 2851 9519) and black (tel: 2893 9939) taxis.

Car Hire
Car rental is offered by Avis (office is at the car park of the Mandarin Oriental hotel (tel: 2833 6789; website: www.avismcu.ctm.net), and Happy Mokes (tel: 2843 9393).

Bicycle Hire
Cyclists are almost never seen in Macau, as the integrated road network becomes more congested and hazardous. A limited number of tricycle rickshaws, however, do ferry tourists around the historic old city sights. They can be hired opposite the Grand Lisboa casino on Avenida de Amizade (150 patacas per hour).

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