Taipei's international airport is officially called Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (台灣桃園國際機場) (IATA: TPE). However, the name was changed only in September 2006 and the old name, Chiang Kai Shek International Airport (often abbreviated as CKS), is still commonly used. Many airlines fly to the Taoyuan International Airport, among them is the low-cost carrier, AirAsia. The airport is located about 30 km from the city and freeway buses ply the route, picking up and dropping off passengers at most of the five star hotels. It also stops at the Taipei Main Station and the domestic airport (Songshan Airport), which is in downtown Taipei. There are also bus services connecting the airport to nearby cities and Taichung in central Taiwan. Travelers to other destinations need to change transportation in Taipei.
There are four transportation options at the airport: bus, high speed rail, taxi, and pre-arranged sedan. An MRT line is under construction, but it will not be completed until June 2013. Here are the options from cheapest to most expensive forms of transportation:
Express airport buses cost between NT$120 and NT$150 depending on the bus company, and there are stops at both terminals. Most Taipei routes are divided into West and East, with each company operating a service every ten to fifteen minutes on each route. The western line bus terminates at Taipei Main Railway Station and also makes a stop at Yuanshan MRT Station on the Xindian line (NB: The Airbus company buses on the western line meander through local towns before joining the freeway and therefore take much longer than the blue and white Guoguang buses which enter the freeway directly). Buses plying the eastern route terminate at the Taipei Grand Hyatt Hotel and make a stop at Zhongxiao-Fuxing MRT Station on the Nangang and Muzha lines. There is also a bus connecting to the domestic Songshan Airport. Ticket counters display route maps showing all stops.
In addition, there are some non-express buses which are slightly cheaper, but pass through towns such as Taoyuan (桃園), Nankan (南崁) or Kueishan (龜山) before arriving in Taipei.
When returning to the airport, express buses can be caught at various stops throughout the city. One major one leaves every 15-20 minutes from Taipei West Bus Station adjacent to Taipei Main Railway Station (near MRT exit M5 and underground mall exits K12 and Z3). Another is at the terminal at the Songshan Domestic Airport (松山機場). Other stops are outside major hotels and also in front of Minsheng MRT Station. For people taking early morning flights, the earliest available buses to the airport leave at around 4AM from the Far Eastern Plaza Hotel (台北遠東國際大飯店) (201 Dunhua South Rd Section 2).
It is also easy to get to the High Speed Rail station from the airport. There is a bus that runs approximately every 15 minutes from the airport to the Taoyuan High Speed Rail station. From there, you can catch one of the HSR trains to Taipei Main Station (where it is easy to take a taxi or MRT to your final destination). The bus is NT$30 and the train is NT$160. On the way back, there are check-in counters at the station for China Airlines, EVA and UNI flights.
A one-way taxi fare between the airport and Taipei will cost at the minimum NT$900 (generally NT$1000-$1200 from the airport). In Taipei, don't make the mistake of asking a taxi driver to take you to the Taipei airport (Songshan) if you actually mean Taiwan Taoyuan Airport. The international airport is actually about an hour's drive from Taipei, while Songshan is in downtown Taipei.
A one-way pre-arranged sedan fare between the airport and Taipei will cost at the minimum NT$1300-$1500. Generally these sedans are pre-arranged through your hotel and the sedan company or driver will meet you as soon as you exit baggage claim. Since the price is not much more than taking a taxi, it is usually recommended that you ask your hotel if they offer this service. This is a more comfortable half-hour ride to the hotel.
Direct bus connections between the airport and other cities in Taiwan are also available. U-bus also runs shuttle buses every 15 min from both terminals to THSR Taoyuan station (15 min away), from where you can continue your journey by high-speed train.
In addition to the transit hotel within the airport terminal, there are several hotels located near the airport if you desire more comfortable quarters for an extended transit or for some other reason would rather lodge by the airport than in Taipei. The Novotel Taoyuan International Airport, located next to the China Airlines headquarters building, is mere minutes from both terminals and has commanding views of the airport's runways. Also nearby is the CitySuites Gateway Hotel, 10 minutes from the Cing-pu High-speed Rail Station and three minutes away from Taoyuan International Airport. . Another inexpensive option is a nearby love motel
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Taipei
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Taipei - updated Apr 2024
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Taipei Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
