Take the Airport MRT express if you land in the daytime and your hotel is near Taipei Main Station or a Taipei Metro line: the purple express train reaches Taipei Main in about 35 minutes from Terminal 1 and the fare is NT$160 (). Take Kuo-Kuang bus 1819 if you land late at night, when the MRT has stopped, or if your hotel is along Zhongshan North Road, where the bus stops before reaching Taipei Main.
Cover and social-card photograph: Subscriptshoe9, CC BY-SA 4.0; cropped and resized.
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is about 40 km west of central Taipei. The Airport MRT station sits inside the airport complex below both terminals, and the bus counters are in the arrivals halls. Both options end around Taipei Main Station, but at different buildings, and only the bus runs through the night.
| Your situation | Better starting choice | What to check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime arrival, hotel near Taipei Main or Ximending | Airport MRT express | That you board the purple express |
| Hotel on Zhongshan North Road near the Ambassador Hotel | Bus 1819 | The stop list on the bus counter board |
| Landing after about 11 pm | Bus 1819 | Next departure from your terminal |
| Lowest fare with heavy luggage | Bus 1819 (4-row seat) | Seat type on your ticket |
| Going south to Taichung or Kaohsiung | Airport MRT commuter to Taoyuan HSR | High-speed rail ticket separately |
The Airport MRT has two services on the same track. The purple express calls only at Taipei Main Station, New Taipei Industrial Park, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and the two airport terminals, and runs about every 15 minutes, taking around 35 minutes to Terminal 1 and 38 to Terminal 2 (Metro map guide). The blue commuter train stops everywhere and takes around 50 minutes. The fare is the same on both, so take whichever comes first if you are not in a hurry.
Pay with an EasyCard, iPASS or a single-journey token from the station machines. The express has luggage racks in each car. The catch is at the city end: Airport MRT station A1 is in its own building on the west side of the Taipei Main complex, and walking with bags to the Taipei Metro or Taiwan Railway platforms can take 10 to 15 minutes.
The MRT does not run overnight. Third-party timetables list the last express toward Taipei leaving the terminals just before 11 pm and the last commuter around 11:35 pm (Funtime); check the operator's timetable before a late flight.
Photo: Littlebtc, CC BY-SA 4.0; cropped and resized.
Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport route 1819 runs 24 hours between both terminals and Taipei Bus Station, next to Taipei Main Station. The trip takes about 55 minutes in normal traffic. Fares are NT$133 for a standard four-across seat and NT$164 for a wider three-across seat (ANA airport guide). Buy at the Kuo-Kuang counter in arrivals: Terminal 1's bus area is on basement level B1, and Terminal 2's is on the arrivals floor.
On the way into the city the bus stops along Zhongshan North Road, including the Ambassador Hotel, before ending at Taipei Bus Station. Suitcases go in the hold underneath. After midnight departures continue through the night, with gaps of up to about 40 minutes in the small hours.
Photo: 綠豆還有綠豆糕, CC BY-SA 4.0; cropped and resized.
To Taipei Main Station and anywhere one Metro stop away, such as Ximending, the express MRT is faster and more predictable than the bus. To hotels along Zhongshan North Road, the bus can be quicker overall because it drops you nearby without the long walk from A1. Highway traffic on weekday evenings can stretch the bus trip well past an hour, which never affects the MRT.
If your flight lands after about 10:30 pm, assume you may miss the last train once immigration and baggage are done. Bus 1819 is the public option that runs all night. A taxi from the airport to central Taipei typically costs around NT$1,200 to NT$1,500 on the meter (Academia Sinica directions), which can make sense for three or four people with luggage.
Load an EasyCard with enough credit, or plan to buy a token at the MRT station. Save your hotel address in Chinese, and note whether the nearest stop is the MRT's A1 or a bus stop on Zhongshan North Road. If you land late, check the 1819 departures from your terminal before you leave the plane.
A co:sim data-only eSIM can be installed before departure so maps and timetables work in the arrivals hall. It provides data only, without a Taiwanese phone number, so keep your home SIM active for SMS codes if your phone supports two lines.
Pick the transfer by arrival time and hotel location first, then compare co:sim for the rest of your Taiwan trip.
Yes, slightly. The standard bus seat costs NT$133 against NT$160 on the MRT. The wider bus seat at NT$164 costs about the same as the train.
No. Both services charge the same fare between the airport and Taipei Main Station. The express is only faster because it skips most stations.
No. Trains stop around midnight and restart around 6 am. Bus 1819 is the public transport option that runs through the night.
You do not need data to ride the MRT or the bus, but it helps you check the last train, find the right exit at Taipei Main and follow the walk to your hotel.
A co:sim data-only eSIM provides data without a phone number, calls or SMS. You can set it up before departure and use it as soon as you land. Compare network and validity details on co:sim's Taiwan plan page before choosing.
Instant delivery by email · Install before you fly
Travel TipsTake the Keisei Skyliner if your hotel is in Ueno, Asakusa or north-east Tokyo: it reaches Nippori in as little as 36 minutes for ¥2,580. Take the Narita Express if you are staying near Tokyo Station, Shinjuku, Shibuya or Yokohama, because it runs straight there, and the ¥5,200 round-trip ticket brings each leg close to the Skyliner fare.
Travel TipsTake bus 86 if you are travelling light, land before mid-evening and are staying near Hoan Kiem Lake: it costs about 45,000 dong and takes 50 to 70 minutes. Take a Grab if there are two or more of you, you have big bags or you land late, because one car to the Old Quarter usually costs about 230,000 to 320,000 dong and drops you at the door.
Travel TipsTake the KLIA Ekspres if you are travelling alone or as a pair and your hotel is near KL Sentral or a rail line: it reaches KL Sentral in 28 minutes from Terminal 1 for RM55, less 10% if you buy online. Take a Grab if three or more of you are going to a hotel away from KL Sentral, because one car fare usually costs less than three train tickets and drops you at the door.
co:sim Team