Taipei City to Taoyuan International Airport (2017 Updated Guide)
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
When I travelled to Taipei recently, I discovered that some bus terminals have been moved due to the recent renovations at Taipei Main Station and most online guides I found on Google aren't updated to reflect the change so here's an 2017 updated guide on how to get to Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) from Taipei City. The five main ways are highway airport bus, Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR or HSR), Taoyuan International Airport MRT, taxi, and private airport transfer.
1. Bus
Get to Taipei Main Station (blue and red line), then follow the sign that says TRA / HSR, not Taipei Bus Station. Taipei Bus Station, Taiwan's largest bus transfer station, is where you can buy bus tickets to other places in Taiwan (Taitung, Yilan etc).
If you're asking for directions, remember to mention that you're going to Taoyuan International Airport, not just Taoyuan or they might lead you to the bus interchange for a bus to Taoyuan City.
Travellers used to take buses from the west side of Taipei Main Station but it has now been changed to the east side. To get to the bus, you have to find the East 3 exit (東3出口). The exits are really nearby each other though, so all you have to do is find the east side of Taipei Main Station and you'll be able to spot a large ticketing banner.
The queue is usually for boarding the bus to Taoyuan International Airport. Go straight to the ticketing booth to get your tickets to Taoyuan International Airport then join the queue.
Before boarding, you'll be issued a luggage number when you store your luggage at the trunk of the bus. The trunk is separated into Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 so make sure you know which terminal your flight is at. Generally, Terminal 1 is the main terminal and terminal 2 is for free-fledged carriers like Singapore Airlines, EVA Air etc.
Cost
NT125 (SGD $5 to $6, depending on the exchange rate)
Duration
45 minutes to 1 hour, subjected to traffic conditions
Frequency
To book
Buy on the day itself, at the station. You're not allowed to buy advance tickets at the station.
2. Taiwan High Speed Rail
Similar to Japan's Shinkansen, Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) — as the name suggests — has trains that can run up to 330km/hour, providing travellers a quick way to make transfers from city to city. I've personally only taken buses and private airport transfers so I cannot vouch for THSR but from what I heard from my colleagues, THSR popular with tourists who wish to get to the Taoyuan International Airport quickly.
Note that you still have to take a shuttle bus from Taoyuan HSR Station to Taoyuan International Airport. The shuttle bus ride costs NT30 (around SGD $1.50) and it takes about 20 to get to the airport.
Cost
NT160 (SGD $7 to $7.60, depending on exchange rate. SGD 6 if you purchase your tickets online)
Duration
30 minutes
Frequency
To book
3. Taoyuan International Airport MRT
The MRT line that will bring travellers from Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei City, Taoyuan International Airport MRT (purple line), will be launched on 2 March 2017.
Cost
NT$160 (SGD $7 to $7.60, depending on the exchange rate)
Duration
Frequency
Every 5 minutes
4. Taxi
If you're in a group, getting a taxi might be a logical choice. I typically don't go for a taxi despite the convenience because I don't fancy the tedious booking process. Firstly, you'll have to call a specific number and they have different numbers for different fleets of taxi. Then you have to provide your address, usually in Chinese. Taiwan's addresses are also filled with different numbers — misread one and your driver will be on an entirely different road.
Although Taiwanese are a friendly bunch and your hotel receptionist / Airbnb host will usually be more than glad to help you with this, I prefer not to trouble them so I usually book private airport transfer online prior to travelling.
Cost
Generally NT1000 to NT1200, excluding highway tolls (SGD $44 to $57, depending on exchange rates
Duration
To book
5. Private Airport Transfer
I prefer booking chartered transport to getting a taxi only when I've reached Taiwan because I like having the assurance that someone's going to pick me up for sure. Besides, I'll be able to key in my address beforehand and the driver can contact me should he not understand the English address I keyed in.
I previously utilised the Taoyuan International Airport Private Transfer to/from Taipei for 3 when I travelled alone, and used it once again with two other colleagues when we were in Taipei for work. My other colleagues who travelled in a bigger group tried Taoyuan International Airport Private Transfer to/from Taipei for 8.
Both services were quite typical — the driver picked us up at our stated destination, helped us with our luggages and got us to our destination.
Cost
$40 to $55, depending on your flight arrival / departure time
Duration
To book
1. Bus
Get to Taipei Main Station (blue and red line), then follow the sign that says TRA / HSR, not Taipei Bus Station. Taipei Bus Station, Taiwan's largest bus transfer station, is where you can buy bus tickets to other places in Taiwan (Taitung, Yilan etc).
If you're asking for directions, remember to mention that you're going to Taoyuan International Airport, not just Taoyuan or they might lead you to the bus interchange for a bus to Taoyuan City.
Travellers used to take buses from the west side of Taipei Main Station but it has now been changed to the east side. To get to the bus, you have to find the East 3 exit (東3出口). The exits are really nearby each other though, so all you have to do is find the east side of Taipei Main Station and you'll be able to spot a large ticketing banner.
The queue is usually for boarding the bus to Taoyuan International Airport. Go straight to the ticketing booth to get your tickets to Taoyuan International Airport then join the queue.
Before boarding, you'll be issued a luggage number when you store your luggage at the trunk of the bus. The trunk is separated into Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 so make sure you know which terminal your flight is at. Generally, Terminal 1 is the main terminal and terminal 2 is for free-fledged carriers like Singapore Airlines, EVA Air etc.
Cost
NT125 (SGD $5 to $6, depending on the exchange rate)
Duration
45 minutes to 1 hour, subjected to traffic conditions
Frequency
Every 15 minutes
Earliest bus
The bus service is 24 hours
Buy on the day itself, at the station. You're not allowed to buy advance tickets at the station.
2. Taiwan High Speed Rail
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| (KKday) |
Similar to Japan's Shinkansen, Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) — as the name suggests — has trains that can run up to 330km/hour, providing travellers a quick way to make transfers from city to city. I've personally only taken buses and private airport transfers so I cannot vouch for THSR but from what I heard from my colleagues, THSR popular with tourists who wish to get to the Taoyuan International Airport quickly.
Note that you still have to take a shuttle bus from Taoyuan HSR Station to Taoyuan International Airport. The shuttle bus ride costs NT30 (around SGD $1.50) and it takes about 20 to get to the airport.
Cost
NT160 (SGD $7 to $7.60, depending on exchange rate. SGD 6 if you purchase your tickets online)
Duration
30 minutes
Frequency
Every 10 to 20 minutes
Earliest HSR
6:26am, Southbound (heading towards Taoyuan) from Taipei
3. Taoyuan International Airport MRT
The MRT line that will bring travellers from Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei City, Taoyuan International Airport MRT (purple line), will be launched on 2 March 2017.
Cost
NT$160 (SGD $7 to $7.60, depending on the exchange rate)
Duration
35 minutes for express trains, 50 minutes for commuter trains
Earliest train
To be confirmed
Every 5 minutes
4. Taxi
If you're in a group, getting a taxi might be a logical choice. I typically don't go for a taxi despite the convenience because I don't fancy the tedious booking process. Firstly, you'll have to call a specific number and they have different numbers for different fleets of taxi. Then you have to provide your address, usually in Chinese. Taiwan's addresses are also filled with different numbers — misread one and your driver will be on an entirely different road.
Although Taiwanese are a friendly bunch and your hotel receptionist / Airbnb host will usually be more than glad to help you with this, I prefer not to trouble them so I usually book private airport transfer online prior to travelling.
Cost
Generally NT1000 to NT1200, excluding highway tolls (SGD $44 to $57, depending on exchange rates
Duration
45 to 50 minutes, subjected to traffic conditions
To book
- Terminal 1: +886-3-3982832
- Terminal 2: +886-3-3983599
5. Private Airport Transfer
I prefer booking chartered transport to getting a taxi only when I've reached Taiwan because I like having the assurance that someone's going to pick me up for sure. Besides, I'll be able to key in my address beforehand and the driver can contact me should he not understand the English address I keyed in.
I previously utilised the Taoyuan International Airport Private Transfer to/from Taipei for 3 when I travelled alone, and used it once again with two other colleagues when we were in Taipei for work. My other colleagues who travelled in a bigger group tried Taoyuan International Airport Private Transfer to/from Taipei for 8.
Both services were quite typical — the driver picked us up at our stated destination, helped us with our luggages and got us to our destination.
Cost
$40 to $55, depending on your flight arrival / departure time
Duration
45 to 50 minutes, subjected to traffic conditions