Skye HsiaoForeign travellers visiting Taipei for the first time are often amazed by how convenient our public transportation is: the bus, train, high-speed train, metro… it’s incredibly easy to get from one point to another! Whether it’s from your hotel to a tourist attraction or a small café in a far-away neighborhood, there is always a way to reach your destination without having to pay for a taxi.
Image credit: Kentaro IEMOTO
The same thing goes when it comes to getting to and from the airport. Located just outside of the capital in Taoyuan County, less than an hour away from central Taipei, is Taoyuan International Airport, the largest airport in Taiwan. There are several ways to get from Taoyuan International Airport to the city centre, depending on your budget and your time of arrival. Here are some of them:
1. Airport MRT
Image credit: Cheng-en Cheng
The Airport MRT is currently the fastest way to reach Taipei city centre from the airport. It started operating just in 2017 and has made our lives so much easier. All you have to do is hop on the MRT from the airport terminal and it will bring you to Taipei Main Station in just 35 minutes!
Image credit: Wei-te Wong
From there, you can take the citywide MRT system and head to wherever you need to be. A ticket costs NT$160 (US$5.40). Be sure to take the express service (the purple line as depicted above) or you’ll be making unnecessary stops.
The only downside is that the service doesn’t run 24 hours. The MRT departs from the airport starting from 6.05am until 11.35pm, so if you arrive either too early or too late, you’ll have to choose other options.
P.S. The Airport MRT provides free phone chargers and WiFi on board!
2. Shuttle bus
Image credit: Cheng-en Cheng
The shuttle bus is the cheapest option to reach Taipei city centre. It takes quite some time to figure out which one to go with, so let me make it easier for you. Here are the only buses you need to know about:
Bus no. 1960: If you’re heading towards the Taipei 101 area (Xinyi District), this one takes you around there. A ticket costs NT$145/US$5 and the bus runs from 6.05am to 1.05am.
Bus no. 1819 and 1961: These two buses will drop you off near the Taipei Main Train Station (where you can connect to the bus, MRT, train and high-speed train). Bus no. 1819 runs 24 hours whereas 1961 runs until 1am. Prices are NT$125/US$4.25 and NT$90/US$3 respectively.
3. Taxi
Image credit: Chi-hung Lin
The taxi is definitely the easiest but the most expensive option. A ride to Taipei city centre from the airport takes about 50 minutes and will cost around NT$1,200/US$40.50, depending on which area you’re going to. And don’t worry, taxis are super safe in Taiwan, and the taxi drivers are generally friendly too! Just be sure to have your hotel’s address ready in Chinese, as most drivers don’t speak English very well.
