Arriving in Taipei: Traveling from Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei City

Note, this article is written for travelers flying into Taoyuan International Airport, Terminal 1 or Terminal 2. Travelers flying into Songshan Airport please see our separate post here.

歡迎光臨, Welcome, Bienvenidos!

You have landed and made it through immigration. Let’s talk about the next steps to get into Taipei City (located some 50 km away). The good news is that Taiwan has an incredible transportation system that makes it easy for foreigners while also providing a wide range of options to get into the city.

Finances and a SIM card

Before we go further, let’s talk about two essentials that you will need in addition to your luggage and your passport: New Taiwan Dollars (NTD) and Cellular Data or a Wifi Hotspot. While you can travel in Taiwan relying only on public wifi and downloaded or paper maps, it is less convenient. Most cellular data plans in Taiwan are fairly cheap (around $10 for five days or $30 for one month) and will save you time and energy in the long run. See our post about SIM Card Comparisons for Foreigners in Taiwan here.

Both Taoyuan’s Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 have a number of cellular provider stores with kind, multi-lingual staff. A few booths are even located within the baggage claim area in Terminal 1 where the savvy traveler can buy and insert a SIM card before their luggage trundles around the carousel.

If you are not entering the country with New Taiwan Dollars in hand, the Taoyuan International Airport has a number of currency exchange shops located both in and outside of baggage claim in both Terminal 1 and 2.

ATMs that accept all major banks/cards can be found a few meters to the right or left outside of baggage claim. International credit and debit cards do work in Taiwan, however, it’s a good idea to have cash on hand just in case as well as for smaller purchases.

Now let’s head into the city!

Transportation Options

From Taoyuan International Airport you will have three main options to get into Taipei proper: the Airport Transfer MRT, Express Bus, or Taxi/Uber. If you are arriving before 06:00 or after 23:00 please see the Arriving Late Section below.

Taoyuan Airport MRT

This is the fastest and the cheapest method that will take you directly to Taipei Main Station. It takes about 36 minutes, costs 150 NTD. Trains runs every fifteen minutes between 06:00 and 23:27. From Taipei Main Station it is easy to transfer to the normal MRT (Red or Blue lines) to get further towards your destination. Google and Apple Maps has up-to-date lines and arrival times for all MRT trains which makes it easy to navigate. You can also check a map of Taipei MRT lines here.

Taoyuan Airport MRT Time table:

(Departing from the Airport)

• Terminal 1 – 00:13 / 00:28 / 00:43 / 00:58 minutes past each hour
• Terminal 2 – 00:10 / 00:25 / 00:40 / 00:55 minutes past each hour

https://www.taipeitravelgeek.com/taoyuan-airport-mrt

Note: There is both an express train (purple) and a commuter train (blue). The commuter train makes more stops and will take about one hour to reach Taipei Main Station from the Airport. If you accidentally get on the commuter train, don’t worry. They overlap stops at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and the New Taipei Industrial Park. It’s easy to exit the commuter rail and cross the platform to board the express train at either location.

Pro Tip: If you are using the Airport MRT, you can buy an EasyCard alongside your Airport MRT token or simply buy an EasyCard at one of the kiosks at the entrance to the Airport MRT. This will help you to transfer easily to the MRT once at Taipei Main Station. EasyCards are wonderful and widely used in Taiwan for all forms of public transportation and even for paying for food at convenience stores. Read more about EasyCards in Taiwan here.

Express Bus

While there are other busses, the AirPort Bus 1819 to Taipei Main Station is your best option from Taoyaun International Airport. It costs 125 NTD and runs every 15-20 minutes 24/7. The total travel time is often around 50 minutes. If you are getting in late this will be your cheapest option. If you are going somewhere other than Taipei Main Station, check with the agents at the bus counter to see if there is a different bus to take.

Taxi or Uber

It’s not the cheapest option from Taoyauan International Airport, but a taxi or an Uber does tend to be less hassle especially if you have lots of luggage. It will likely be in the range of 1200-1500 NTD and take at least 50 minutes if not longer.

Pro Tip: When taking a taxi write the address down in both English and Chinese (Traditional) so there is less room for confusion.

Arriving Late

If you are arriving between 23:00 and 06:00 your best bet will be to take the Airport Bus or a Taxi. These operate 24/7 out of both terminals at the Taoyuan International Airport.

Pro Tip: Make sure to communicate with your hostel or hotel to let them know of your late arrival time as well. It’s the nice thing to do and sometimes you will need a code to enter a building.

Thanks for reading and check out some of our other blogs about Taiwan here: https://pop-rooms.com/blog/

Note: This article was written and published in November, 2023. Please be aware that transportation times and costs may have changed since the date it was published.