When flying internationally to Taiwan, you will most likely land at Taoyuan International Airport, otherwise known as “Taipei’s International Airport.”
But Taoyuan Airport is not as close to Taipei as you’d expect. It’s roughly a 40-minute taxi, MRT or bus ride to get into the city. But regardless of where in Taiwan you plan to visit, this airport is the place to start.
This guide will provide you with everything you need to know about Taoyuan Airport.
Note: There is an airport in Taipei City used only for domestic and/or much closer international flights (think: Shanghai, Tokyo, etc.). This guide will strictly cover Taoyuan, though.
Table of Contents
About Taoyuan International Airport
Taoyuan International Airport’s IATA code is TPE.
This airport was originally built in 1979 and given the name Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport, in honor of the former great leader of the Republic of China.
Being one of the 50 busiest airports in the world, Taoyuan Airport sees a large number of foreigners on a daily basis. But despite the growing number of travelers that the airport sees, Taoyuan contains just two terminals.
Pro-tip: Terminal 1 has a theater, where travelers can watch classic films for free while waiting for their connecting flight.
Taoyuan’s Third Terminal
In recent years, the popularity of Taiwan has soared, which in turn has caused some crowding within the airport and runways. But the government has already made plans to solve this pain point.
There are only two terminals, but they have begun construction on the third terminal, which is expected to open by 2018. This expansion will certainly help with the common runway delays happening when flying out of TPE.
UPDATE (2019): The opening of the third terminal at Taoyuan Airport has been postponed. The target year for opening is 2023 – 5 years from the previous goal.
Arriving at Taoyuan Airport (Arrival Guide)
For those people that are clueless at airports, here’s a quick, but thorough guide to getting yourself around and out of Taoyuan International Airport ASAP.
But don’t worry; this airport is really small and really easy to navigate. The chance of you getting lost is minimal. Plus, the staff in the airport are very nice and always willing to help out with basic English abilities.
1: Arrive at Taoyuan International Airport.
Once you land, try your best to beat the rest of your flight to immigrations. For non-citizens, the line has taken me up to 45 minutes before.
How long you wait really depends on when you land. I’ve landed early in the morning and only waited 20 minutes or so. It’s a bit unpredictable, so expect roughly 45 minutes to be safe.
2: Fill out your arrival card.
I would recommend filling this out on the plane. But if not, make sure you have a pen to fill it out while you’re waiting in line at immigration.
Pro-tip: if you’re staying at an actual address and not a hotel, write the name of a hotel anyway. It doesn’t really matter and will make things a lot easier. You can write the W Taipei, the Grand Hyatt Taipei or the Okura Prestige Taipei, to name a few.
If you still need help filling out your arrival card, here’s a quick and painless guide to filling it out.
3: Go through Immigration.
I never have any problems going through immigration because I am visa-exempt as a US citizen. But make sure to have your visa information ready if you need a visa to travel to Taiwan.
Do you need a visa to visit Taiwan? Check out our Taiwan Visa Guide here.
Have in hand:
- Passport
- Arrival card
- Visa (if necessary)
- Plane ticket (upon request)
4: Grab your luggage.
After you’re done with immigration, you’ll likely need to go grab your luggage. After passing the immigration gates, go down the escalators to where all the carousels are.
If you checked-in luggage, make sure to check the large board to see which numbered carousel will have your flight’s baggage.
5: Go through customs and arrival hall.
There will be an exit at the other side of the luggage claim room. Go through it and you’ll find signs pointing to several methods of transportation.
Taoyuan International is really a simple airport with clear signs and intuitive paths. This whole process shouldn’t take too long. If you have a problem, ask staff members. Many of them will be able to speak English to an extent.
How to Buy a SIM Card at Taoyuan Airport
Taiwan is one of the most convenient countries in the world. So getting a prepaid SIM card is actually very easy to do. But sometimes you need data/internet before you can get to your nearest convenience store or telecom shop.
After you go through immigrations, you will take the escalators down to luggage claim on the first floor. When you exit to the arrival hall on the same floor, you will see all the major telecom companies such as Far East Tone, Taiwan Mobile and Chunghwa Telecom.
Sometimes you’ll see a long line for one telecom company and it’s empty for the others. It’s really just a bunch of tourists “following” the crowd. The truth is all these companies are very reputable. Personally, I go with Far East and Chunghwa – probably the two biggest.
Depending on how much data you need and the duration of your trip, pick out the best plan to fit your needs. Normally, it’ll be about $500 – $700 NTD for a week pass. However, this can vary and you’ll need to check with them for current prices
If you’re not in a rush, get a prepaid SIM card in the city. Keep in mind; you will always be able to add on data to your existing SIM card at a convenience store.
Is there WIFI in Taoyuan Airport?
There is free WIFI at the airport. Connect to “Free Airport Wifi” and agree to the terms for access to the Internet. It’s not the fastest, but enough for you to check emails, call an Uber or contact the person picking you up.
Save this page on your phone in case you need to refer to it at the airport.
Getting From Taoyuan Airport to Your Destination
Not all people arriving in Taoyuan will be going to Taipei. And why would they? Taiwan is full of great hidden gems and stunning scenery.
But the great thing about Taiwan is that there are numerous ways to getting to your destination in this beautiful country. You can take the HSR, buses, trains and even taxi!
Taoyuan Airport to Taichung
Taichung is a popular destination for tourists, but more importantly home to the world famous Sun Moon Lake. Most of the time, you would be able to transfer to a domestic flight to get to Taichung.
But if you’re not flying, there are other ways of getting there.
To get to Taiwan’s third largest city, follow signs in the arrival hall to the basement floor, where all the buses are. You’ll have a selection of bus companies to go with.
You will be able to choose from: Ubus, Free Go and Kuo-Kuang. They should have buses every 30 minutes, so ask all the companies to find the bus with the earliest departure.
Cost: Around $150 NTD (check price at airport)
Operating hours: 6 AM to 1AM
Approximate time: 2 hours
Alternatively, you can take the airport HSR shuttle to Taoyuan’s HSR station and take the high-speed rail to Taichung, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
It takes 25 minutes to get to the HSR station and 45 minutes to get to Taichung by HSR. Not to mention, you might not be able to find seats on the earliest departure to Taichung. Also, it’s much more expensive.
Taoyuan Airport to Kaohsiung & Tainan
Kaohsiung and Tainan are both great cities with a charm of their own. Being the first city in Taiwan, Tainan is known for its historical buildings. Kaohsiung is the second largest city in Taiwan, only behind New Taipei City.
You will want to take the HSR shuttle/bus from the basement of the airport to the HSR station in Taoyuan. Get a ticket to Tainan or Zuoying (Kaohsiung) station.
Hours: Usually between 7AM to 10:30 PM
Cost: Around $1500 NTD one way
Approximate time: 25 minutes to HSR station and 60 to 75 minutes to Tainan and Kaohsiung respectively.
RECOMMENDED: Complete Guide to Tainan, Taiwan
Taoyuan Airport to Taipei
Taipei is by far the most popular destination in Taiwan, partly because of the great night markets, fantastic cuisine, amazing cultural attractions, active nightlife and a building called Taipei 101.
Taipei City is not as close to Taoyuan International as one would think. But, that doesn’t mean it’s hard to get there. Here are your options.
Taking the MRT (Recommended)
The Airport MRT Line is finally opened! This is by far the best way of getting to Taipei city because it’s convenient and cost effective.
To take the MRT, follow the signs down the escalators for the MRT, and you’re there! If you don’t have an Easy Card already, I highly recommend you get one because you’ll need it for this ride. Plus, it’s just really convenient.
This MRT Line will take you to Taipei Main Station, where you can pick your choice of transportation (MRT, bus, taxi, uber, etc.) to your final destination.
There are two MRT trains: commuter and express. The commuter stops at every stop, whereas the express only makes a couple stops. If possible, take the express.
The two types of trains will alternate with 5 minute intervals. They serve from 6 AM to 11 PM daily. So, make sure you arrive accordingly.
Taking the Bus
This is my favorite method of getting from Taoyuan Airport to Taipei. Why? It’s because the bus is extremely cheap, easy to use and has many departures. Oh, and the travel time is roughly the same as taking a cab.
Follow the signs to the bus station located on the basement floor of the airport. Go down the hall and there will be several bus companies on your right hand side.
If you’re uncertain where you’re going in the city, ask the workers behind the counter. They’ll be nice enough to direct you to the bus and the stop closest to your destination.
Feel free to ask the following companies: Citi Air Bus, Free Go, Kuo-Kuang, Kamalan Bus, San Chung Bus and Evergreen. As long as your can get into the city somewhere, an inexpensive taxi ride will take you to your final destination.
Pro-tip: Kuo-Kuang buses offer a 24-hour service to Taipei City, but departures in the middle of the night are limited. There are departures at 1:20 AM, 2:30 AM, 2:50 AM, 3:30 AM and 4:30 AM.
Hours: 24 hours (depending on the company)
Cost: Roughly $150 NTD
Approximate time: Around 40 minutes
Taking the Cab/Uber
Follow the signs out to the arrival hall and turn left after you’ve gotten out. If you follow the taxi signs, it’ll lead you to a line where you wait to get a taxi. But don’t worry there are always taxis there.
Hours: 24 Hours – but less cabs in the wee hours of the night.
Cost: $1200 to $1400 NTD (depending on your destination in Taipei)
Approximate time: 35 to 45 minutes
Pro-tip: If you know someone in Taiwan, they can call a taxi company to pick you up for a flat rate of $900 to $1000 NTD. However, most taxi companies need 3 days in advance to airport pickup.
Going From Taipei to Taoyuan Airport
When your trip is all done, how do you get from Taipei to Taoyuan Airport? Fortunately, it’s just as easy as getting to the city from the airport. Here are my favorite methods of transportation.
Taking a Cab to the Airport
There are a number of ways to get from Taipei City to Taoyuan airport. The quickest but most expensive method is to take a 40-minute cab ride. This will run you about $1000 to $1300 NTD (depending on the area) if you grab a taxi off the street and go by meter.
Pro-tip: Calling a taxi company in advance can save you a few hundred dollars. Taxi companies will offer a ride at a scheduled time and pickup destination for a flat rate of $900 NTD.
To book a taxi pickup from the airport, you need to call 3 days in advance. But for rides from Taipei city to the airport, calling a few hours in advance will suffice.
The two most popular taxi services you can call are 55178 or 55688 (Yes, their company names are really just arbitrary numbers). The latter is recommended for their bigger cars (small mini-vans) and comfort.
Keep in mind that these are mandarin-speaking companies, so asking a nice Taiwanese stranger to help out could work. But if you’re staying at a hotel, you can tell the front office to call the taxi company to book you a ride.
Taking a Bus to the Airport
The other more cost-efficient way to get to the airport is to take the bus from Taipei Main Station. First take the cab or MRT to Taipei Main Station.
Follow the signs to the bus station upstairs. Turn left upstairs and you’ll see the ticket booth. Find the bus taking you to the airport. Tickets will run about $150 NTD (check final price at the station) and will take about 40 minutes.
Taoyuan Airport Map
For a detailed map of Taoyuan International, please check this PDF file.
Hotels Near Taoyuan International
Sometimes you’ll want to stay near the airport for those flights in the thick of the night. The two areas I would recommend are Taoyuan and Dayuan Township, located right outside of the airport.
You can take a quick taxi ride to a nearby hotel if you already know of one or booked one in advance. Or, you can take the Taoyuan hotel shuttles in the airport.
Taoyuan Airport Hotel Shuttles
If you follow the signs for Hotel Shuttles, you will find free shuttles to various hotels around the airport, such as Novotel Taoyuan Hotel in Dayuan Township.
These shuttle services are free because they assume you’ll be staying at the hotel they bring you to. They are also 24 hours and run every 15, 30 or 60 minutes depending on the time of the day.
Of course there are pros to this, but keep in mind, these hotels aren’t always the cheapest. However, they are convenient if your flight is in the middle of the night and you need to catch some sleep beforehand.