How to Get Around Taipei Taiwan? MRT, TRA, PUBLIC BUSES & THSR

Joana Paola Gutierrez

Oct 4

Going to Taiwan anytime soon? Here's a complete guide on how to get around Taipei and other cities in Taiwan. If you are wondering how bad is the traffic? I can guarantee that you'll never get stuck in a horrible traffic in Taiwan. Or at least, none that I know of.

Traveling around Taipei is as easy as searching for the nearest MRT station to your destination. There are several ways to get around Taipei and that is through (1) MRT, (2) Public Buses, (3) TRA, (4) Taxi and (5) THSR. I have tried all sorts of land transportation in Taiwan and so far I love how the system works.

Taipei, Taiwan

Airport MRT to Taipei Main Station

Here's how to get around Taipei. First, getting out of the airport will be your first concern. There are several ways to get out of the airport and that is to (1) book a private car, (2) charter a taxi and through (3) airport MRT.

The cheapest will be through airport MRT. Although do take note that the airport MRT does not operate 24/7. It opens at 6AM and the last trip is at 11PM of the day. So unless your flight will be arriving in between those times, airport MRT will not be an option.

Next option is to either book a private car online or hire a taxi outside the airport which is really expensive and costs around Php2,500.00 to get to Taipei Main Station. It will be cheaper to book a private car online via Klook.

BOOK DISCOUNTED AIRPORT PRIVATE CAR TRANSFER HERE

Insider tip: Keep in mind that the Airport MRT is not part of Taipei MRT.

Airport MRT to Taipei Main Station

Download MRT Map of Taipei

Like I have mentioned earlier, traveling around Taipei is as easy as searching for the nearest MRT station to your destination. Make things easier by downloading the MRT map of Taipei below to check which line you should go.

To pay for your fare you can either (1) buy physical tickets at the counter or (2) purchase smart cards for easy tap on service. It's quite hassle to keep buying MRT tickets every time you will use the MRT. Hence, I highly recommend to purchase tap on smart cards.

BUY MRT TAP ON CARD HERE

TRA or Old Railways in Taiwan

If you'll be staying only in Taipei, you won't be using TRAs. However, if you are planning to go to old villages like Shiffen Old Street, Pingxi Old street and Jiuffen Old Street for sky lanterns then this is the fastest way to get you there.

Mind you, TRAs are the oldest train transportation that was built in Taiwan which is why you can expect that most of its facilities are very old and not as developed as the MRTs you can see in Taipei. But you don't have to worry that much because it's as easy as buying a ticket and hopping on a train.

TRA to Stiffen Old Street (How to get around Taipei)

Public Buses

Public buses are almost everywhere too. They have a lot of stopovers and the sequencing and timestamps for each stop are very accurate. You can use Google Maps to track the time and bus number if you are commuting.

To pay for your fare, it is advisable to purchase smart cards. Do not forget to tap twice (1) when you get in and (2) before going out.

I also noticed that compared in the Philippines, public buses do not stop for a long period of time just to wait for the bus to be full. Public buses in Taiwan stop at each destination to drop and pick up passengers, after that it spontaneously travel around its route. I think this is one of the reasons why there is no traffic here.

World's Top 10 Fastest Train: THSR

Now if you are planning to go to other cities in Taiwan like Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan, etc. the best option to go to these places is through Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR).

These cities are very far from Taipei City and it will take long hours if you are choosing bus for transportation. Although buses are cheaper alternatives, I would still opt for THSR especially if I'm traveling with a limited time. Say you got time to spare then bus will do.

The 345-kilometer-long Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) spans almost the entire length of the country. It will lessen your travel time from 4-5 hours bus ride to 1.5 hours only, based on my experience.

How to reserve THSR tickets? It is cheaper if you book online and it is recommended to buy your tickets a day before your travel.

BUY DISCOUNTED THSR TICKETS HERE (20% OFF)

How to get around Taipei

Help me improve my travel guide on How to get Around Taipei by commenting suggestions in the comment section below, I am very open to new ideas.
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