It is possible and easy to travel from Hong Kong to various destinations in China by high speed trains. From Shenzhen, just over the border, it is possible to reach most key destinations in China. Bullet trains depart from the Shenzhen North Railway Station. There are multiple trains to Beijing and Shanghai but also to the Guilin / Yangshuo area in just a few hours.
In this video we show how to travel from Hong Kong to the Shenzhen North Railway station (and vice versa). In part 1 of this video, we show how to do it by shuttle bus.
The travel time of the subway is about the same as the bus although the subway in not influenced by the rush hour traffic and has more frequent departures. So the subway is generally quicker. The bus is also a bit more expensive but much more comfortable.
For both videos, we picked Tsim Sha Tsui as our destination or point of departure. The total travel time was less than 2 hours:
- Departure Shenzhen North ................11h15
- Arrive at border....................................11h40
- Immigration process completed .......12h00
- Subway on HK side departs ..............12h05
- Arrive in Tsim Sha Tsui.......................13h00
- Total travel time .........1h45
Cost of both subway rides is 41.60RMB (about US$6.25). You need to pay in Hong Kong dollars on the HK side.
You should have a good subway map to plan your journey. There are numerous apps for smartphone. You can also consult the website of the metro systems. For Hong Kong, go here: http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/tourist/index.php
For the Shenzhen subway, this is the official site: http://www.szmc.net/page/en/index.html
We also have a video on how to use the Shenzhen metro here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlELVVjegUk&t=133s
Make sure to watch part 1 on using the shuttle bus: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5ap4p1_how-to-travel-between-hong-kong-and-the-shenzhen-north-railway-station-part-1-using-the-bus_travel

Visit our channel to learn more about train travel and train stations in China: http://www.dailymotion.com/china-diy-travel-video

To consult schedules online and book train tickets, visit https://www.china-diy-travel.com/en