Getting from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to the city

The airport MRT

• NT$160 from either terminal to Taipei Main Station.
• About 35 minutes on the express (purple) service; the commuter (blue) service costs the same and takes longer because it stops at every station.
• Children under 6 travel free with a fare-paying adult.
• Stations are inside both terminals.

In-town check-in

This is the feature worth knowing about and it is easy to miss.

• Taipei Main Station has an in-town check-in facility for participating airlines.
• Drop your bags in the city, then travel to the airport with hand luggage only.
• Check whether your airline participates and what the cut-off time is - it is usually several hours before departure.
• For a departure day where you have to check out of a hotel in the morning and fly in the evening, this changes the whole day.

EasyCard

• Buy an EasyCard at any MRT station or convenience store.
• It works on the MRT, city buses, most intercity buses, the airport line and in convenience stores.
• Taiwan runs on this card, and having one removes almost every small friction of getting around.

Buses

• Airport buses run to various parts of Taipei and to other cities, at fares comparable to the MRT.
• They are worth it if your destination is far from an MRT station, which in Taipei is not many places.
• They run through the night, unlike the MRT - which matters for a very late arrival.