https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3357470

One of the most beautiful areas to visit near Taipei, is the white marble cliffs of Taroko Gorge. Well known for its abundant supply of marble, its mountains, and the beautiful Liwu River; you can enjoy hiking, biking, river bank exploration, or admiring its spectacular views. Whether you are a serious hiking enthusiast, or a large group or family, Taroko Gorge has something to offer everyone, and it is possible to see it in a day. Here's how to get there.

https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/int/hualien-taroko-gorge-taiwan-cruises

1. By Train.

There are 3 train stations that serve Taroko Gorge, National Park :

Taipei - Hualien- Taroko

• The train from Taipei to Hualien station  takes around 3 hours (including a bus), so you could leave the city at 6 am and leave Taroko around 6 pm and get back to Taipei by 9 pm.
• This station has the largest frequency of trains from around the country so it’s most likely that you’ll come here as it is harder to get a ticket for the less frequent trains that service the other train stations near Taroko. Taroko Gorge main entrance is about an hour away from Hualien, but you can catch a public bus that will take you right into the park.
• Train tickets to Hualien Station from Taipei Main Station can be bought online two weeks in advance. Follow this link for timetables or to purchase a ticket. You can use your confirmation and passport numbers to print out your ticket at any 7/11 in Taiwan.
• There are 4 trains from 07:00 am - 07:40 am, leaving from Taipei Main station and will arrive Hualien station about 09:21 am, 09:25 am, 09:39 am and 10:01 am. It costs NT$440 per person.
• Once in Hualien, buy an all-day bus ticket for the Taroko Shuttle Bus. When you exit the station, make a left and walk all the way down the street until you see a bright orange building across the street. This is where you can purchase an all-day ticket for NTD $250.
• If you prefer to pay cash on the bus, a trip from Hualien to Taroko costs between NT$ 100 and NT$ 200 depending on how far in you go. If you go this route remember to have change, as bus drivers will not give any.

Taipei -Xincheng- Taroko

• Xincheng is a small town located nearby the front entrance of Taroko National Park and therefore is closer to Taroko Gorge than Hualien. However, the Taroko Express trains don't stop there. An option is to catch a local train to Hualien that stops off in Xincheng (not an express). It will cost around NT$ 283.
• Tickets can be purchased from the TRA counter at Taipei Main Station but it is advised to book the tickets 2 weeks in advance online, as they sell out.
• You can take a Tourist Shuttle Bus from Xincheng Railway Station to the National Park after getting off the train in Xincheng. The bus boarding point is just outside the train station. The traveling time should be around 10 minutes.
• To get on the first tourist shuttle bus from Xincheng to Taroko National Park at about 9:00 am, you should take the 6:25 am bus from Taipei. You can only visit the park during the day, so it’s best to start off early and make the most of it.

Tianxiang

• Tianxiang is a village located towards the geographical center of Taroko National Park and the last stop for most visitors. It is, therefore, a convenient way to return to Hualien train station or Xincheng train station.
  

  2. By Bus.

• At Taipei City Hall station ground floor, go to bus counters to buy combo tickets for a bus to Luodong station and a train tickets to Hualien.
• Buses stop 30 meters behind Luodong station. Walk into Luodong train station and show your combo tickets to tickets counter and staff will give you train tickets for next available local train to Hualien.
• If you want an express train, you must pay more but you might need to wait a long time so it could be better to just take the next available local train (which could stop off in Xincheng meaning you could avoid Hualien altogether)
• The following buses are available from Taipei Main Station:

  Capital Star bus :

Capital bus #1570 from Taipei City Hall station to Luodong station cost NT$120 per adult and NT$60 per child

When leaving Hualien, buy combo tickets at Hualien station and take the train to Luodong station. Walk out back of the station to bus counters, show your combo tickets and staff will give you tickets to take your bus to Taipei City Hall Station.

At Taipei City Hall station, go down to MRT platform to take MRT to Taipei Main station.

Kamalan Bus:

Kamalan Bus # 1915 from the 4th floor of Q Square Mall next to Taipei Main station. Cost per adult NT$ 141 and a return $ 254. NT$ $71 for children

When leaving Hualien, buy combo tickets at Hualien station and take a train to Luodong station. Walk out back of the station to bus counters, show your combo tickets and staff will give you tickets to take Kamalan bus to Taipei Main station.

3.By Car.

• Hiring a car to see Taroko might sound great but beware, Taipei to Taroko Gorge is about 165 km of narrow winding small roads and heavy truck traffic.
• There also aren't many English road signs, parking is expensive and difficult to find, and you have to constantly be on the lookout for scooters cutting in front of you without warning.
• Additionally, Taiwan drives on the left, so for those that are not accustomed to left-hand drive, this could be an added stress.
• Consider a private driver who will know the best spots, and can drop you off if there is a parking issue and collect you when you need collecting (even in a different location if you want to walk). This will save you a lot of trouble.
• You will find many cab drivers in Hualien who will offer private tours and generally they will be trustworthy, but for peace of mind consider Ding Taxi or Own Rides for affordable private tours. You will be able to select your own itinerary and the guides come with experience and can speak English.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/taiwan/taroko-national-park/attractions/taroko-gorge/a/poi-sig/1358454/1318932

If you are looking for a safe, convenient and affordable ride to or from any of the airports in Taiwan, a shared ride is definitely worth the consideration. CallCar,  who have been operating for ten years in Taiwan, offer airport shuttle services from as little as NT200, making it one of the most affordable ways to travel in Taiwan when you fly.

Simply schedule a trip on the app, and CallCar will link you up with others to share the ride. The Basic price is NT$199- NT$389 per person but the price will be calculated based on the number of occupants traveling in the vehicle. The more people who share the less you pay, it's that simple. All cars have GPS which means full security and protection, and their drivers are friendly, professional and have no prior accident records.

At the moment the areas of service are Taipei City, New Taipei City, and Taoyuan City; however, for remote areas, please refer to their website and input your address.  

Airports.

Call Car operates at all four major airports; Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Sung Shan Airport, Taichung Chingchuankang Airport, and Kaohsiung Airport.

Bookings.

Telephone bookings can be made Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM (09: 00 ~ 21: 00). The reservation hotline: (02) 2596-1600

Internet reservations are open 24 hours but you will need to register yourself on their website beforehand and input your credit card details. There is no cash accepted. Once you have registered you can request a ride, through the APP or from the website.

You can also download the APP to make and to manage your bookings. Unfortunately, only Taiwanese mobile numbers are accepted.

Once you have made a booking, and 20 hours before your schedule, you will be able to see your pickup and dropoff information, including the driver and the vehicles number plate.

How to pay?

Pay by credit card through the APP, no cash accepted.

When to book.

The pick-up service must be booked within 5 working days, 5 working days excluding the day of booking and the day of boarding, and excluding holidays, and national holidays

Luggage.

You will be allowed one piece of hand luggage and one piece of large luggage (20- to 29-inch). If you have additional pieces, you need to reserve extra space at NT100 per piece. If you do not reserve excess baggage in advance, you will only be permitted the basic luggage allowance.

Night charges.

Between 10:00 PM ~ 5:59 AM (22:00 ~ 05:59) , you will be charged an additional NT$200.

Service Hotline: (02) 2596-1600 (overseas please dial: +886-2-2596-1600)

Fax Line: (02) 2596-0609 (overseas please dial: + 886-2-2596-0609)

Service Email: service@callcar.com.tw

Callcar Facebook page.

The MRT system (mass rapid transit) at Taoyuan International airport's Terminal 2, links up Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) and its surrounding cities, and it is fast, enormously efficient and convenient. With its express service taking just 37 minutes to Taipei Main Station, it is the fastest and most convenient way from the airport to Taipei and you can catch it directly from  Terminal 2 on arrival.

Finding the Airport Terminal 2 station.

The Airport Terminal 2 station is located directly under Terminal 2 of Taoyuan International Airport.

• After baggage collection, you will exit the arrivals hall on the first floor.
• Facing the arrivals hall turn right and follow the signs directing you to the MRT station. It will be easy to find as all the signs are in English, and they are very clear.
• You will need to go down to level B2 to get there.
• Walk near the side of level B2’s food court. (There are MRT signs).
• The MRT entrance is near exit 1.
• It will take you just 5 minutes walking from the arrivals hall to get here. 

  

Take the MRT to Taipei Main Station

The airport line at Terminal 2 offers two types of trains; the express service (Purple Line), which is the fastest (37 min), and the commuter service (Blue Line) that takes a little longer as it stops at all stations (79 min). Both trains run until midnight so even if you arrive late, you can still catch a train into the city. They depart every 7.5 minutes and are available from 06:09 am (Blue) and 06:14 am (Purple) to 22:42 pm (Purple) and 23:42 pm (Blue) .

Please visit the Taoyuan Metro website for details.

Ticket Information.

• Tickets can be paid in the following ways:
• Cash at a ticketing machine or at a booth will give you Single-Use tokens to scan at the gate on entrance. Ensure you keep the tokens until you leave the MRT station on the other side as you are required to put them into a slot to exit.
• Easy cards can be purchased at any convenience store. If you are going to be using the trains a lot in Taiwan, this is a good and easy option. Commuter passes are available for 30, 60, and 90-day durations.
• One-Day Pass (unlimited rides until the end of the day for NT$150)
• 24-Hour Pass (unlimited rides for 24 hours for NT$200)

Ticketing booths have multilingual systems and are easy to use.

TICKET INFORMATION

Getting onto the MRT.

At the airport, scan your Easy card, Ipass or MRT token at the entrance gates to the MRT system. From here, you will see arrows directing you to the commuter train platform or the express train platform. Trains have luggage racks and charging panels for your mobile devices and free wifi.

Useful Links.

• An easy guide to using the Taoyuan MRT
• Taoyuan Metro promotional short film on using Taoyuan Airport MRT
• Directory of Taoyuan Airport Terminals (Pg 24 for Terminal 2)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZCvC7yOMIo

The MRT system (mass rapid transit) at Taoyuan International airport's Terminal 2, links up Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) and its surrounding cities, and it is fast, enormously efficient and convenient. With its express service taking just 37 minutes to Taipei Main Station, it is the fastest and most convenient way from the airport to Taipei and you can catch it directly from  Terminal 2 on arrival.

Finding the Airport Terminal 2 station.

The Airport Terminal 2 station is located directly under Terminal 2 of Taoyuan International Airport.

• After baggage collection, you will exit the arrivals hall on the first floor.
• Facing the arrivals hall turn right and follow the signs directing you to the MRT station. It will be easy to find as all the signs are in English, and they are very clear.
• You will need to go down to level B2 to get there.
• Walk near the side of level B2’s food court. (There are MRT signs).
• The MRT entrance is near exit 1.
• It will take you just 5 minutes walking from the arrivals hall to get here.

Take the MRT to Taipei Main Station

The airport line at Terminal 2 offers two types of trains; the express service (Purple Line), which is the fastest (37 min), and the commuter service (Blue Line) that takes a little longer as it stops at all stations (79 min). Both trains run until midnight so even if you arrive late, you can still catch a train into the city. They depart every 7.5 minutes and are available from 06:09 am (Blue) and 06:14 am (Purple) to 22:42 pm (Purple) and 23:42 pm (Blue) .

Please visit the Taoyuan Metro website for details.

Ticket Information.

• Tickets can be paid in the following ways:
• Cash at a ticketing machine or at a booth will give you Single-Use tokens to scan at the gate on entrance. Ensure you keep the tokens until you leave the MRT station on the other side as you are required to put them into a slot to exit.
• Easy cards can be purchased at any convenience store. If you are going to be using the trains a lot in Taiwan, this is a good and easy option. Commuter passes are available for 30, 60, and 90-day durations.
• One-Day Pass (unlimited rides until the end of the day for NT$150)
• 24-Hour Pass (unlimited rides for 24 hours for NT$200)

Ticketing booths have multilingual systems and are easy to use.

TICKET INFORMATION

Getting onto the MRT.

At the airport, scan your Easy card, Ipass or MRT token at the entrance gates to the MRT system. From here, you will see arrows directing you to the commuter train platform or the express train platform. Trains have luggage racks and charging panels for your mobile devices and free wifi.

Useful Links.

• An easy guide to using the Taoyuan MRT
• Taoyuan Metro promotional short film on using Taoyuan Airport MRT
• Directory of Taoyuan Airport Terminals (Pg 24 for Terminal 2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZCvC7yOMIo

With none of the hassle and stress of planning a trip or being restricted by a pre-planned itinerary, Ownrides is an online platform for tourists to customize their private tours through booking drivers directly and affordably. Prices are quoted instantly, there is flexible pickup time and a driver with tour experience is provided. No more squeezing on crowded trains or waiting around for buses to arrive. Its safe, affordable and it's super easy!  

Ownrides offer not only destination information, but also gives you local perspective through their online support. On their site, you can talk to someone who will help you establish the best itinerary for your needs, and you can build your plan step by step online with the estimated times and dates and locations on a map. Furthermore, Ownrides not only make sure your trip is as smooth and comfortable as possible, they also promise you professional and quality private drivers; only professional drivers who are licensed and have more than 5 years of driving experience are selected.

How does it work?

1. Simply go to their site and opt to either take a look through their most popular itineraries which can be customized to your preference or simply build your own itinerary from scratch. It is really easy and clear to use.
2. Ownrides will find a suitable driver for you and you can choose a vehicle from the list of car options.
3. Select your preferred language, Chinese or English ( an extra NT$ 300 for English).
4. You will see all your charges on the right-hand side of the screen. Each itinerary has its own fair price, calculated to include the fuel cost, highway toll and parking fee required for the itinerary. There are no hidden fees and you don’t get charged for anything you don’t need.
5. Save your trip for later or proceed to payment and input time and date.
6. You will be required to pay a small deposit and the remainder will be due to the driver in cash at the end of your trip. (in New Taiwan Dollar)
7. Once you have paid the deposit you will be sent the drivers details and communication is very easy, either through your profile on the site or via Viber, Whatsapp, Messenger or LINE.

Inclusions

Private driver’s service fee

Car’s fuel cost, highway toll, parking fee

Transportation for entire tour

Pick up and drop off at city

Additional Info

1. Overtime fee of 250 TWD per half hour is required if trip exceeds duration set for this tour
2. Gratuity/tip is optional but we recommend 10% if the driver’s service is good
3. Modification to tour should be discussed with the driver directly and is possible.

See Reviews.

Messenger

Blog

• support@ownrides.com

If you are looking for a safe, convenient and affordable ride to or from any of the airports in Taiwan, a shared ride is definitely worth the consideration. CallCar, who have been operating for ten years in Taiwan, offer airport shuttle services from as little as NT200, making it one of the most affordable ways to travel in Taiwan when you fly.

Simply schedule a trip on the app, and CallCar will link you up with others to share the ride. The Basic price is NT$199- NT$389 per person but the price will be calculated based on the number of occupants traveling in the vehicle. The more people who share the less you pay, it's that simple. All cars have GPS which means full security and protection, and their drivers are friendly, professional and have no prior accident records.

At the moment the areas of service are Taipei City, New Taipei City, and Taoyuan City; however, for remote areas, please refer to their website and input your address.

Airports.

Call Car operates at all four major airports; Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Sung Shan Airport, Taichung Chingchuankang Airport, and Kaohsiung Airport.

Bookings.

Telephone bookings can be made Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM (09: 00 ~ 21: 00). The reservation hotline: (02) 2596-1600

Internet reservations are open 24 hours but you will need to register yourself on their website beforehand and input your credit card details. There is no cash accepted. Once you have registered you can request a ride, through the APP or from the website.

You can also download the APP to make and to manage your bookings. Unfortunately, only Taiwanese mobile numbers are accepted.

Once you have made a booking, and 20 hours before your schedule, you will be able to see your pickup and dropoff information, including the driver and the vehicles number plate.

How to pay?

Pay by credit card through the APP, no cash accepted.

When to book.

The pick-up service must be booked within 5 working days, 5 working days excluding the day of booking and the day of boarding, and excluding holidays, and national holidays

Luggage.

You will be allowed one piece of hand luggage and one piece of large luggage (20- to 29-inch). If you have additional pieces, you need to reserve extra space at NT100 per piece. If you do not reserve excess baggage in advance, you will only be permitted the basic luggage allowance.

Night charges.

Between 10:00 PM ~ 5:59 AM (22:00 ~ 05:59) , you will be charged an additional NT$200.

Service Hotline: (02) 2596-1600 (overseas please dial: +886-2-2596-1600)
Fax Line: (02) 2596-0609 (overseas please dial: + 886-2-2596-0609)
Service Email: service@callcar.com.tw
Callcar Facebook page.

Visitors to Taiwan have long been using the Guoguang highway buses running every 15mins or so between TPE airport and Taipei main station. And it is an endless wait for many passengers who land during the popular and busy time of the day. Now, after years of debate and construction, the Taoyuan Airport MRT is finally open to the public! The MRT officially opened in February but was only available to selected group tours, and starting from 3/1, the MRT is open to the public and is currently having the promotion of 50% off all ticket prices. So right now a single way 30 minute ride from Taoyuan airport to Taipei cost NT 80 which is roughly 2.5 USD, can’t beat that price! Here’s a step by step picture for the actual ride from airport to Taipei main station. Video coming soon.

Note: this is a tutorial for Terminal 1 of Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)

Step 1: Walk from the arrival hall back to the departure hall.
Not a great picture, but if you’ve never flown out of Taoyuan airport before, this is roughly what the departure hall looks like.

Last Updated: 201601

London has Oyster Card, Hong Kong has Octopus, Taiwan of course also as something along the lines of electronic tickets that can save travelers time and money when moving through the city.

Last Updated: 201601

Backpackers will usually choose public transportations such as metros or buses when it comes to traveling abroad due to the budget issue. But if you are more of a night owl or traveling a more remote area, then you might still run into the situation of riding a taxi. So we're going to introduce in this article the rates of taxis and things to watch out for in Taiwan.

Last Updated: 201601

For tourists, subways are probably the most reliable and convenient tools to ride within Taipei and Kaosiung two major urban area. Taiwanese people categorize the public transportation by TRA, THSR, and other rail systems that move within the city area is commonly called MRT (Metro Rapid Transit).

Kaohsiung Metro Formosa Boulevard Station Dome of Light。Photo by Chi-Hung Lin, CC: BY-SA