Taipei Transportation

Taipei is the transportation hub of the whole Taiwan Island. Travelers can take a flight from many places in the world to get here; then enjoy a train ride or a long-distance bus trip to other cities on the island; or take metro, city buses, taxis or bikes to travel around the city.
 There are two airports available for you: Taoyuan International Airport and Taipei Songshan Airport.

Taoyuan Airport is the most important international aviation hub of Taiwan. Many cities have direct flights to get there such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dubai, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. It has buses to Taipei Bus Station and Nangang Exhibition Center Station, taking 40 minutes or so. What’s more, shuttle buses and airport metro are available for you to high speed rail Taoyuan Station, where you can take a high speed train to Taipei or other cities in west Taiwan. There are also free hotel buses to Novotel. A skytrain and buses commute between two terminals.

Taipei Songshan Airport operates the domestic air routes to / fromBeijing, Tianjin, Wuhan, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Hefei, Chengdu and Chongqing… and international destinations include Seoul and Tokyo. Airport shuttle bus 214/ 1/ 16, Metro Wenhu Line and city bus 254, Dunhua Line and inter-zone bus line 262, which are all available for you to travel between Songshan Airport and Downtown Taipei.
 The city has more than one railway station. Among them, Taipei Railway Station is the largest, where Taiwan Rail Line and Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) meet. You can go to any other cities of Taiwan through Taiwan Rail Line such as Yilan, Hualien, Taitung and Pingtung. Taiwan High Speed Rail only passes the western cities like Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung.

Schedule and Ticket Price ( NT$) to Major Destinations:

To	By Taiwan Rail Line		By Taiwan High Speed Rail
	Travel Time	Ticket Price	Travel Time	Ticket Price for Standard Seat
Taoyuan	30m	51-66	20min	160
Taichung	2h15m	289-375	1h	700
Tainan	4.5-6h	569-738	1.5-2h	1,350
Kaohsiung	5-7h	650-843	2h	1,490
Taitung	3.5-7h	604-929	---	---

The station has four underground floors. The ticket hall is on the B1, the railway platform is on the B3, and the B2 and B4 are for the metro.

You can take both the metro and the city bus from the station to other downtown places. The metro and buses 63, 2, 14, 15, 22, 39, 205, 218, 246, and many others have a stop here.

 See more about Taiwan Train
 

Taipei Bus Station, located to the north of Railway Station, is the largest bus center of the city. The bus station and the railway station are connected by an underground passage. It is only 10 minutes’ walk between the two. The exits R1, Y1, Y3, and Y5 of the underground passage lead to the bus station. Many long-distance passenger transport companies are set there, among which Kuokuang Passenger Transport has the best reputation. The bus destinations include Kaohsiung, Tainan, Chiayi, Hualien, Taichung, which depart every one hour. The bus to Chiayi costs about NT$250 with the duration of 4.5 hours, to Tainan takes 5 hours and NT$350, to Kaohsiung costs  NT$500 with the travel time of 6 hours, and to Hualien takes 5 hours with the ticket price of NT$400.

Taipei City Hall Bus Station is also of great importance in the transportation to Keelung, Yilan, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, and Tainan. To get there, you can take the metro to City Hall, and go out from the exit 2.
 There are ships traveling between Taipei and Fujian Pingtan on Mainland China. The ship from Pingtan departs at 09:00 on Monday and Saturday, and 14:30 on Tuesday and Wednesday. The duration is about 3 hours. A first class ticket costs NT$6,500 and a tourist class ticket costs NT$4,500 for a single trip. Sometimes you may enjoy a discount.
 Metro is the most efficient transport to travel around the city. It has seven lines passing a number of scenic spots and transport hubs such as Taoyuan Airport, Shihlin, Tamsui, Ximenting, and Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. A single trip costs NT$20-65 based on the distance and a one-day ticket coasts NT$200. Transportation cards to be mentioned below can also be used to take the metro.
Taipei Metro Map

Tips:
1. Drinking, eating or smoking on rapid transit vehicles is forbidden.
2. In the first and last carriage, it is not allowed to use a cell phone.
3. Bicycles are allowed to take into many stations for MRT ride.
 There are over 300 bus routes in the city. Shihlin, Chunghsiao East Road, and Jhonghua Road are all important transfer places. Besides, you can take the bus near almost each metro station to those scenic spots. A one-section journey costs  NT$15. The buses may not stop at every stop, so you have to ring before getting off and wave to the driver to get on. To name a few bus routes, to Taipei 101, you can take buses 1, 284, 611 or 650 and get off at the World Trade Center; to National Palace Museum, you can take buses Red 30, 255, 304, 815, Small 18, Small 19, Brown 13, and Brown 20.
 The taxis are yellow there. 

Fare	Daytime	Night: 23:00 – 06:00
Flag-down Rate for First 1.25km (0.8mi)	NT$70	NT$70
Surcharge	NT$5 per 250m (273yd)	Less than NT$5 per 250m (273yd)
Waiting Fee	NT$5 for every 1min 40sec
Night Allowance	NT$20 per ride
Trunk Usage Fee	NT$10

 The city has about 180 bicycle lease stations and riding a bike is a good way to see the city. You can use the Easy Card to rent or pay NT$2,000 as deposit. It takes NT$10 every 30 minutes for the first 4 hours, NT$20 every 30 minutes for 4-8 hours, and NT$40 every 30 minutes after 8 hours. On the way, you can find clear route signs. What’s more, there are also detailed cycling maps for you.
 Maokong Gondola is the main transport in Maokong area where roads are narrow. The cable car has two stations in and around the zoo, a Chihnan Temple station, and a Maokong station. There are 30 crystal cable cars for you to better enjoy the beautiful scenery. The ticket price is  NT$70 for a one-stop trip,  NT$100 for a two-stop journey, and NT$120 for three. You can also buy a round-trip ticket at the price of NT$260 and a one-way trip will be gifted. Also, one-day ticket is available and it costs NT$350.
 The Blue Highway is a sightseeing sea route. You can cruise the Tamsui River from Twatutia, Dajia, Kwantu, Meidi, and Xikou wharves.
 Motorcycles are commonly used in Taiwan. You can rent one with an International Driver’s License to travel around the city. There are motorcycle rental shops at No.132 of Chang’an West Road, No.9 of Wanda Road and many other places in the city.

Beitou District is special for its motorcycle service. You can take them to shuttle back and forth. Most drivers are the locals, and they usually prepare a helmet for you. The starting price is NT$40.
 For convenience, you are recommended to buy an Easy Card. It can be used to take the metro, city bus, taxi or ship, rent the bicycle, and pay in chain shops. By using the card, you will enjoy a discount on metro or bus tickets, and a 30-minute free ride of the public bicycles.

Taipei Pass is also usable to take the metro and the city buses. The one-day ticket costs NT$180, two-day ticket costs NT$310, three-day ticket costs NT$440, and five-day ticket costs NT$700. They allow passengers to take the metro and city buses unlimitedly within the valid time. 


 Further Reading: How to Travel between Taipei and Xiamen