Taiwan’s bustling capital, Taipei, provides a beautiful contrast to Japanese colonial-style streets and modern skyscrapers, including the iconic Taipei 101. It’s a friendly city with something for everyone. Famous for its great street food offerings and numerous night markets, it also has large and quiet spaces to escape the crowds such as parks, museums and monuments. Taipei is the perfect place to start your visit to Taiwan. Once you’ve enjoyed the capital, head southwest to Taichung City. Although it is considered an industrial city, it is the starting point to the fantastic mountainous interior of the country. Whether you want to go hiking or climbing, or you feel like visiting Taichung’s night markets and museums, you won’t be bored in this city. Read on to find out how to get from Taipei to Taichung.
Travel options from Taipei to Taichung
It’s not a long drive from Taipei to Taichung. The road is 160 kilometers (100 miles), so if you are driving on your own, the journey will take less than two hours. Although Taipei and Taichung have their own airports, they are so close that there are no flights on this route. But it’s not a problem, because there is a high-speed train (Taiwan High Speed Rail) from Taipei to Taichung that will take you in a short time and for a good price. There are also standard trains that go from one city to another, and if you want to save some money, you can take the bus.
From Taipei to Taichung by train
A standard high-speed train car has a row of two seats on one side and three seats on the other side © MoreGallery / Shutterstock.com
As we mentioned earlier, there are two types of trains that run from Taipei to Taichung, so it’s important to know what the differences are. The high-speed train takes you to Taichung in just 40 minutes, although some can take up to 70 minutes. On the other hand, standard trains take between 2 and 3.5 hours to cover the route, so there’s a big difference between the two options.
Let’s talk about high-speed rail first. This is the most expensive way to get from Taipei to Taichung, but certainly the fastest. High-speed trains are modeled on the Japanese Shinkansen and can reach speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph). Taiwan’s high-speed trains are slightly cheaper than those in Japan and are just as comfortable. You can enjoy the services of snacks, bathrooms, air conditioning and even Wi-Fi.
This service from Taipei to Taichung is great because it has many daily departures. Trains go to Zuoying Station, but all stop at Taichung. You can choose from a variety of departure times, as they depart every 10 minutes during peak hours. You can depart Taipei at 6:26 AM and arrive Taichung at 7:32 AM for breakfast. If you want to travel later, no problem as the last train leaves at 22:10. In addition, travel at the time you travel, the price of tickets is always the same, so you will not have to pay more for travel during the busiest hours.
You can book tickets for the Taiwan High Speed Railway from Taipei to Taichung via the website 12Go.asia. You’ll be able to see all available departures on the day you want to travel and you’ll be able to make an instant booking with instant confirmation.
If you are traveling by high-speed train, please note that the station is not in the center of Taichung, but on the outskirts of the city. In any case, getting to the center is not complicated, as there are always buses and taxis that can take you closer.
If you like traveling by train but want to save some money, you can take the standard train that runs from Taipei to Taichung. It is slower, but it is a convenient and reliable service, and also cheaper. The express train takes 2 to 3.5 hours. If you want the fastest express train option, look for the Puyuma and Taroko Express trains.
From Taipei to Taichung by bus
U Bus © TK Kurikawa / Shutterstock.com
An even cheaper option is the bus from Taipei to Taichung. Buses take two hours from Taipei Liuzhangli Station to Taichung Station. If you compare it with slow trains, you will see that buses can be faster as well as cheaper.
There are several bus carriers to choose from: Citi Air Bus, U Bus and Taiwan Bus. They all charge almost the same per ticket. Buses run regularly, so you’ll have no problem finding a seat on one of the options we’ve listed. However, we recommend booking in advance for greater peace of mind.
All in all, although the high-speed train is the most expensive way to get from Taipei to Taichung, it is also the fastest. We recommend this option for a different experience. The trains are very well equipped and pass through areas with more impressive scenery than roads. While riding a slow train or bus can save you some money, HSR is not too expensive. Therefore, if you can afford to spend a little extra on your trip, we recommend booking your High Speed Rail ticket through 12Go!