Getting around · Taipei · Taiwan
Getting around Taipei
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Fauzty, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Taipei is one of Asia's easiest cities to get around: the MRT is clean, frequent and signed in English, buses cover the rest, and a single EasyCard pays for metro, buses, YouBike bikes and convenience-store purchases. No.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Metro
- Airports
- TPE, TSA
- Need a car?
- No
- Travel pass
- EasyCard
Ways to get around
Metro
Taipei Metro's colour-coded lines connect almost every sight, including Taipei 101, Longshan Temple, Shilin, Beitou, Tamsui and the zoo for Maokong. Trains are frequent from early morning until around midnight.
Tap your EasyCard on entry and exit; fares are calculated by distance.
Bus
City buses reach Yangmingshan, the National Palace Museum and neighbourhoods between MRT lines, with stop announcements in English.
Some buses charge on boarding and others on exit; watch for the sign by the driver.
Cycling
YouBike public bikes are docked across the city and along riverside cycle paths, and can be rented with an EasyCard.
Train
Taiwan Railway trains from Taipei Main Station serve Keelung, Ruifang for Jiufen and the Pingxi line, and Yilan; High Speed Rail heads south.
Taxi
Yellow metered taxis are plentiful and reasonably priced; ride-hailing apps also operate. Few drivers speak English, so have your destination written in Chinese.
Cable car
The Maokong Gondola runs from the Taipei Zoo MRT station up to the tea-growing hills of Maokong.
Tickets and passes
EasyCard
A stored-value card for the MRT, buses, YouBike, trains and convenience stores, sold at MRT stations and convenience stores.
Taipei Metro day passes
Unlimited-ride MRT passes for one or more consecutive days, worthwhile if you plan many journeys.
Taipei Fun Pass
A visitor pass combining unlimited transport with entry to selected attractions, in several durations.
From the airport
Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is about 40 km west of the city. The Airport MRT express train reaches Taipei Main Station in about 35–40 minutes, airport buses take about an hour, and taxis about 45–60 minutes. Songshan Airport (TSA), inside the city on the MRT brown line, handles domestic flights and some short regional routes.
Do you need a car?
No. Public transport covers the city and most day trips. A car or scooter is useful only for touring the east coast or central mountains, and driving in Taipei's traffic is stressful.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Jiufen | About 1–1.5 hours by bus | Direct bus from Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT, or train to Ruifang and bus |
| Shifen and the Pingxi line | About 1.5–2 hours by train | Train to Ruifang, then the Pingxi branch line |
| Yehliu Geopark | About 1–1.5 hours by bus | Intercity bus from Taipei towards Jinshan |
| Tamsui | About 40 minutes by MRT | MRT red line to Tamsui |
| Wulai | About 1 hour by MRT and bus | MRT to Xindian, then bus to Wulai |
| Jiaoxi | About 1 hour by bus | Express bus through the Hsuehshan Tunnel |
| Keelung | About 45 minutes by train | Taiwan Railway from Taipei Main Station |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Taipei?
No. Public transport covers the city and most day trips. A car or scooter is useful only for touring the east coast or central mountains, and driving in Taipei's traffic is stressful.
+How do you get from the airport to Taipei?
Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is about 40 km west of the city. The Airport MRT express train reaches Taipei Main Station in about 35–40 minutes, airport buses take about an hour, and taxis about 45–60 minutes. Songshan Airport (TSA), inside the city on the MRT brown line, handles domestic flights and some short regional routes.
+What is the best way to get around Taipei?
Metro: Taipei Metro's colour-coded lines connect almost every sight, including Taipei 101, Longshan Temple, Shilin, Beitou, Tamsui and the zoo for Maokong. Trains are frequent from early morning until around midnight.