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Taoyuan Airport to Taipei 2026: Every Option, Priced

Updated: 2026-08-17

Taoyuan Airport to Taipei 2026: Every Option, Priced

Take the Airport MRT unless you land between 23:00 and 06:00 or your hotel is far from a station: NT$150 to Taipei Main Station, 35-38 minutes on an Express train, every 15 minutes. Buses cost NT$105-NT$164 and run around the clock on route 1819, which makes them the answer for a red-eye. Fares below were checked against operator and government sources on 2026-08-16. - **Fastest** → Airport MRT Express, NT$150, 35 min from T1 - **Cheapest** → bus 1961, NT$105 on a four-seat-row coach - **Landing after 23:00** → bus 1819 or a taxi; the MRT is closed - **Hotel near Taipei City Hall / Xinyi** → bus 1960 or 1961

Taoyuan Airport to Taipei: All Options Compared

Bus fares differ by coach layout — three-seats-per-row coaches cost more than four-seats-per-row ones on the same route and schedule.

OptionOne-way fareTime to central TaipeiRunsArrives at
Airport MRT ExpressNT$15035 min (T1) / 38 min (T2)06:00-23:00, every 15 minA1 Taipei Main Station
Airport MRT CommuterNT$150~49 min (T1)06:00-23:00, every 15 minA1, all stops
Bus 1819 (Kuo-Kuang)NT$133 / NT$16455-70 min24 hoursTaipei Bus Station
Bus 1961 (Dayou)NT$105 / NT$13560-75 minDaytimeBeimen MRT, west-central Taipei
Bus 1960 (Dayou)NT$140-160 / NT$175-20060-80 minDaytimeFar Eastern Plaza, Grand Hotel, Taipei City Hall
Taxi~NT$1,000-1,500, metered40-60 min24 hoursAny address
  • Express and Commuter cost the same NT$150 — you pay for time, not comfort class.
  • Bus 1960 charges by distance: NT$140 to Far Eastern Plaza, NT$160 to Taipei City Hall on a four-seat coach.
  • Taxi fares are metered, not fixed, so treat that range as typical rather than guaranteed.

Airport MRT: Express vs Commuter, and the 23:00 Cutoff

Trains leave from A12 under Terminal 1 and A13 under Terminal 2 for A1 Taipei Main Station. Two types share the track at the same fare.

  • Express (purple) — near non-stop, 35 minutes from T1. Dedicated luggage racks and wireless charging.
  • Commuter (blue) — every station, about 49 minutes from T1. Worth taking only if your hotel sits at a mid-line stop such as A8 Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.
  • Payment: tap in with EasyCard, iPass, iCash 2.0 or a Taoyuan Citizen Card, or buy a single-journey token. No special airport ticket needed, and the same card then covers Taipei Metro, city buses and convenience stores.
  • In-town check-in at A1 handles bags and boarding passes on the outbound leg with participating airlines — useful on your last day, irrelevant on arrival.
  • Service runs 06:00-23:00. A 23:40 landing means no train, so plan a bus or taxi before you fly.

When a Bus or Taxi Beats the Train

The bus wins in three specific situations and loses in the rest.

  • Late-night arrivals. Route 1819 runs 24 hours to Taipei Bus Station, right beside Taipei Main Station.
  • Your hotel is east of Taipei Main. A1 sits in the far west of the centre, and Xinyi is a Metro transfer plus a walk with luggage. Routes 1960 and 1961 stop closer to those hotels.
  • Tightest budget. NT$105 still buys a reserved seat and a luggage hold.

The loss condition is traffic. Freeway 1 backs up on Friday evenings and Sunday nights, turning a 60-minute ride into 90. The MRT is immune to that, which is the real case for the extra NT$45.

Taxis queue outside Arrivals at both terminals and run on the meter plus tolls — roughly seven to ten times the train fare, so they make sense split three or four ways, or outside MRT hours with heavy bags. The airport is 40 km from the city; decline any driver quoting a flat price without the meter and use the rank supervisor instead. Ride-hailing works in Taiwan, with pickup points signposted separately from the taxi queue.

The same rule — rail first, bus for off-hours — applies at Incheon and Narita and Haneda.

Pricing the Rest of Your Taipei Trip

The transfer is one line in a budget that usually also includes a few paid sights and a data connection. If your days are heavy on Taipei attractions and Metro rides, a multi-day city pass can absorb transport costs an EasyCard would otherwise drip-feed; for a two-day stop with one big view, a single attraction ticket plus pay-as-you-go transit comes out cheaper. A round-trip airport bus coupon is worth pricing against NT$150 each way, particularly for a late-night return flight when the MRT has stopped. Current lowest platform prices for these are below.

Compare prices for related tickets

FAQ

  • How much is the Airport MRT from Taoyuan Airport to Taipei Main Station?

    NT$150 one way, the same on Express and Commuter trains. Tap in with EasyCard, iPass, iCash 2.0 or a Taoyuan Citizen Card, or buy a token at the machines.

  • What do I do if I land after the MRT stops running?

    Take bus 1819, which runs 24 hours between both terminals and Taipei Bus Station, for NT$133 on a four-seat coach. A metered taxi is the alternative at roughly NT$1,000-1,500.

  • Is the Express train worth it over the Commuter train?

    Yes for Taipei Main Station, because it costs the same NT$150 and saves about 14 minutes. Take the Commuter train only if your stop is one the Express skips.

  • Which is faster overall, the MRT or the bus?

    The MRT, by more than the timetables suggest. It is 35-38 minutes regardless of traffic, while a bus scheduled at 55-70 minutes can stretch to 90 during Freeway 1 peaks.

  • Can one card cover both the Airport MRT and Taipei's city metro?

    Yes. EasyCard, iPass and iCash 2.0 all work on the Airport MRT, Taipei Metro, city buses and in convenience stores.

Sources

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