Ways to get to the city from Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan

Let's say you arrived at Taoyuan International airport, there are several ways to get to Taipei or anywhere else in Taiwan. One of the conveniences of this airport is the options to get around. There is the typical taxi which operates 24 hrs a day. Using "Grab" app to get a ride. The cheapest is by Bus. And the newly opened Train from the airport to Taipei Main Station.

Easiest way is by taxi if your arriving in the wee hours in the morning because of its 24 hr operation. There are some waiting just outside the arrival area. Although expensive, (around NT900 up if i'm not mistaken) but it will get you to your destination quickly and less guesswork.

There's also the "Grab" app. I saw sign posts outside the terminal where you will wait for your ride. I honestly haven't tried using this or any other ride sharing services so if you have experience with this, you have that option.

If your flight arrived during the day, you could use the just opened express train from the airport straight to Taipei Main Station. Although right now it's still in its test phase, operation is from around 6am-11pm and will be half price (regular price is around NT160) until its normal operation on April 2017.

There's also the cheapest option, using the Bus. Although not as fast as the train, but it is reliable as they also follow a time table. Several buses link the airport to Taipei, Taoyuan City, Jhongli, Taichung, Banqiao, Changhua, and THSR's Taoyuan Station. Bus terminals are present at both terminals. For buses going outside of Taoyuan area, operations start at around 5:30am. For buses just going around Taoyuan, it has continuous operation albeit longer wait times.

You could buy tickets at the bus counters, but if you have an Easy Card or iCash, you could pay directly before boarding. 

To pick up a bus:

- From T1: zone at B1 Arrivals.

- From T2: At the northeast arcade of the 1st floor Arrivals lobby.

Available buses from the airport:

- 1819 to Taipei Main Station

- 1840 and 1841 to Songshan Airport

- 1843 to Nangang Exhibition Center

- 1960 East Bus

- 1961 West Bus

- 5201 and 5202 bus

We were going to Taipei so we boarded the 1819 to Taipei Main Station and it cost NT130/person and NT65/person for concessionaire. Travel time was around 1 hour.

Additional info:
When your finally in Taipei, there are several stations for bikes called U-bike, where you could rent a bike and go around the city for a minimal fee. There is more information on the terminals if your interested. But the jist is there is a kiosk near the bikes that has information on the number or bikes available and parking spots on the different bike terminals nearby.

Travel tips if your going to Taiwan

Now you've decided to visit Taiwan. The land of the Beef Noodle, Night Markets, and Cherry Blossoms. Below are some tips that I learned when I visited Taiwan.

First, secure a VISA or E-VISA. For further details here is a link: http://www.roc-taiwan.org/ph_en/post/1421.html

Second. If your visiting during the first or last quarter of the year, better pack your winter clothes or at least layer your clothes as it gets pretty cold! We learned this the hard way as we still caught the tail end of the cold season and we just brought hoodies. (cue the weeknd: "I can't feel my face when I'm with you...")

Third. When you do arrive at the airport, you could purchase an Easy Card or iCash card at the convenience stores. This is like the EZ Card of Singapore or the Octopus card of Hong Kong. We paid around 100NTD for the card and loaded 200NTD. These cards are your way of payment for trains and buses. These could also be used to pay in convenience stores and mall stores that accept Easy Card and iCash payment.

Fourth. Get an unlimited data sim card for 3, 5, or 7 days. You could do this through the Klook app if your arriving in the wee hours of the morning (booth opens at 5:30 am) or just through the local kiosks around town or within the airport (opens around 9:00 am). This helps a lot if you like to remain connected to social media and using google maps to get around town. I suggest using another phone and just use it as a hotspot as keeping data on your phone eats the battery faster or bring a hefty power bank to keep your device juiced up.

Enjoy your trip!

For the places, food, and events we encountered will be in a separate blog! Stay tuned!