Train travel in Taiwan
Taiwan is a large island south of Japan and east of the Chinese mainland. When the communists took over in China in 1949, ousted leader Chiang Kai Shek retreated to Taiwan with his government, defiantly retaining the name Republic of China (ROC). It should not be confused with The People's Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland!
Taipei to Kaohsiung by 300km/h high-speed train
Keelung - Taipei -
Kaohsiung (western main line)
Taipei - Hualien - Taitung (eastern
main line)
International travel to & from Taiwan
Europe to Taiwan
via the Trans-Siberian railway
Useful country information
Train travel in Taiwan
A modern rail system links most large towns and cities in Taiwan, and a new high-speed (300km/h) railway opened in January 2007 between the two biggest cities, Taipei and Kaohsiung. Map of Taiwan rail network. Also see this zoomable detailed map of the railway network at OpenStrreetMap.com.
Taipei - Kaohsiung by high-speed train
A brand-new high speed (300 km/h) train service using Japanese bullet train technology started running in January 2007 between Taipei and Kaohsiung. It is run by the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, www.thsrc.com.tw (English button top right).
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300km/h trains link Taipei and Kaohsiung (Zuoying) every 15 minutes throughout the day, at times more frequently;
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journey time 1h40 on the limited-stop trains, 1h55 on other services;
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There are 3 classes: Unreserved economy, reserved seat economy, & business class;
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The fare is 1,490 Taiwan dollars (£41 or $50) in reserved economy, or 2,440 Taiwan dollars (£68 or $81) for business class, although if you book between 8 and 28 days in advance, Early Bird tickets may be available offering either 15% or 35% off the regular fare.
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The station in Kaohsiung is called Zuoying in the north of the city. You can take a frequent Taiwan Railway Administration local train from New Zuoying station (in the same building as the Zuoying high speed station) to Kaohsiung main station in the city centre, journey time 10 minutes, or you can take the Kaohsiung Metro (red line), also taking 10 minutes, metro website www.krtco.com.tw (English button top right). You can buy tickets for the local train from the ticket machines or staffed kiosks, and metro tickets from the machines near the metro platforms. Buses & taxis are available to the city centre. An extension of the high-speed line to a station in Kaohsiung city centre is planned for the future.
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In Taipei, the high-speed trains use the same station as the Taiwan Railways Corporation conventional trains. Taipei metro: english.metro.taipei.
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For times, fares & online booking, see www.thsrc.com.tw, change it to English using the drop-down arrow at upper right. After booking you collect tickets at the station or (for a small extra fee) at a designated convenience store. Feedback appreciated if you book this way.
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Or (easier) buy tickets at 12go.asia. 12go is a reliable booking agency which can access special reduced rates for foreigners. After booking you get a PDF voucher which you either print out or show on your phone at the station to exchange it for a ticket. 12go sells unreserved economy class vouchers which can be exchanged for a ticket for any train within 90 days, but if you like you can reserve a seat on a specific train at the station at no extra charge. www.thsrc.com.tw sells both classes with reserved seats, but tickets are only good for a specific train and offer limited or no refunds if you need to cancel.
Keelung - Taipei - Kaohsiung by conventional trains, western line
The western main line links Keelung, Taiwan's capital Taipei and its second city and major port, Kaohsiung. For a route map, see service.tra.gov.tw/EN/index.aspx or johomaps.com/as/taiwan/taiwanrail.html, for train times, fares & online booking see the official Taiwan Railways Administration website, www.railway.gov.tw (English version available, online booking only available 06:00-21:00).
The best trains are the Tze Chiang expresses which run at up to 130 km/h (80 mph), are fully air-conditioned and take as little as 4 hours. Only one very comfortable class of seating is provided on these trains, with an at-seat trolley refreshment service. The Tze Chiang train fare from Taipei to Kaohsiung is NT$ 843 (£23 or $28) one-way.
The next best train type, with slightly less comfortable seating but also air-conditioned, is the Chu Kuang train service, Taipei-Kaohsiung fare NT$ 650, journey 6½ hours. The next train type down the range is the Fu shin, with less legroom.
Taipei to Hualien & Taitung (Eastern main line)
Taiwan Rail Administration provides generally hourly express trains on the scenic eastern line. From late 2007 new Taroko express high-speed (130 km/h) electric tilting trains were introduced, providing an hourly service between Taipei and Hualien, with several services continuing along the scenic valley to Taitung. All seats must be reserved. For times, fares & online booking, see www.railway.gov.tw.
Other scenic routes
3 scenic railway branches are worth a visit. The Neiwan Line takes in a river, Hakka museums, temples, Hakka culture cafes and restaurants. The Pingsi line takes in waterfalls, a river, tourist coal mine, cafes and restaurants and various culture festivities. The Jiji line passes mountains, historical village and houses, cafes and restaurants, several through services available from Taichung TRA railway station and Taichung high speed rail station. These three lines offer a special tourist ticket, allowing tourists to get off where they like and reboard any train throughout the day for 80 Taiwan dollars. This special tourist ticket is available at all major railway stations across Taiwan. All branch line trains are air conditioned.
Ferries from Japan to Taiwan
Currently no ferries available: Sadly, the twice-weekly ferry run by Arimura Sangyo Lines links between Japan & Taiwan was discontinued in 2008. For the record, the Arimura website was www.arimuraline.co.jp, but it was in Japanese only and now seems to be down, sailing times in English used to be posted on www.tokai-kyowa.co.jp which may have info on alternatives or any resumption in service, though this seems unlikely. It's reported that Star Cruises (www.starcruises.com) may have occasional cruise sailings between Japan & Taiwan, you fill out a form and they contact you if they have anything suitable. But they're not cheap, and it's not clear if they will allow one-way voyages.
Ferries from China to Taiwan
There are several ferries now between mainland China and Taiwan. If you've any information or photos that would help improve this page for future travellers, please e-mail me. For overland travel from the UK & Europe to China, see the Trans-Siberian page.
1. Overnight ferry from Xiamen (China) to Keelung (Taiwan)
A weekly ferry started between Xiamen on mainland China and Keelung on Taiwan in 2010, website www.coscotw.com.tw/cht/asp/star-main.asp but it's in Chinese.
2024: It's reported this ferry remains suspended post-pandemic, use the Fuzhou route instead.
Fares: The fare is around NTD3,500 ($112 or £70) per person in 6-berth 'luxury' cabin. RMB 620 ($96 or £62) for a berth in a 4-berth cabin.
How to buy tickets: For info & booking contact gracewang@mail.coscotw.com.tw or try the emails on www.coscotw.com.tw/cht/asp/star-cont.asp. Try calling (0592) 2616737 or faxing (0592) 2392018.
Traveller Adrian Clemmens reports: "I took the Cosco ferry from Taichung to Xiamen last week (24/7/2013). All went well with the stock standard 10 other guests on the boat, comfortable beds and very nice staff. I had a bit of trouble getting in contact with the Taiwanese side of the operators. I ended up emailing both offices and only communicating with the Chinese side before calling the Taiwan office the day before departure and organising my reservation, having to go to the office to show my passport and Chinese visa before they gave me a reservation. Ryan (a blogger who helped me on the Chinese side) was as friendly as one can be via e-mail with swift responses and happy replies and helpful tips. The lady in the Taipei office had little English skills but was incredibly caring and tried her hardest to make sure I understood where and when I had to be at the port. I had what she has written down translated by a girl into hostel just to be 100%. The offices at the passenger ferry terminal in Taichung don't open until 7pm so there is absolutely no need to get there early and wait out in the stifling heat just to pick up your ticket. I'm pretty sure a 4pm bus from Taipei arrives around 7:30 at the port and gives you plenty of time before departure to sit and watch the empty car park..."
Traveller Janis Putrams reports: "I took the ferry from Xiamen to Taichung in the end of 2012 and it was very good. The staff did not speak much English in the terminal and wanted to offer me an option where part of the trip is done by ferry and the other part by plane. Though after some communication difficulties and using Google Translate we understood each other. Before the trip I actually managed to make a reservation by email. We were only three passengers on the whole ship but the staff was very helpful and actually gave me a better cabin than I had paid for. The restaurant had 4 choices if I remember correctly where one was vegetable rice and the other ones were meals with pork, beef and chicken. The breakfast was included. There is also a very nice cafe/lounge on the top deck that was open in the evening.
Traveller Amaya reports: "The ferry is very comfortable and clean. Breakfast is included and there is a free Sauna and bathing area."
Traveller Armin Cebron reports: "The ferry is indeed operational but with limitations. I just booked a ticket from Xiamen (China) to Taichung (Taiwan) for the 11th January 2011. The limitation is that you can only buy the ticket on the day of departure. You can reserve the ticket before but not buy it until the day of departure because if there are not enough passengers the ferry simply stays put, for both directions! Prices are as follows:
510
CYN for a Standard cabin - 60 passengers and shared
bathroom (I guess the bathroom in the hall)
620 CYN Luxury cabin - 16 passengers shared
bathroom (I guess the bathroom in the hall)
690 CYN Superior Luxury cabin - 6 passengers
private bathroom (private for the 6 passengers)"
They don't answer any e-mails, not even on the
Taiwan pages! Phoning them is also a waste
of time as they do not answer and if they do
they just tell you to come to the terminal in
person. The only way to buy or reserve the
ticket (from China to Taiwan) is in person at
the International ferry terminal Pier 2, Xiamen
[May also be called the Xiamen International
Cruise Centre].
Actually you don't even need to go to Pier 2,
because they sell the tickets at all the
windows. Don't take the bus, take a taxi
for about 13CYN from city centre. Bring an
interpreter or make sure they understand you
want to go to mainland Taiwan by ferry otherwise
they will sell you a combo ticket for a ferry to
one of the islands and then by plane to Taipei!"
2. Fuzhou (China) to Matsu (Taiwanese island) & Matsu to Keelung (mainland Taiwan)
You can travel between China and Taiwan in two stages, first taking a short ferry ride from Fuzhou in China to Matsu, an island group that's part of Taiwan, then a ferry from Matsu to Keelung on mainland Taiwan. I'll explain it here as China to Taiwan, but it works in either direction. When Trans-Siberian trains linked Europe with China, you could travel all the way between Europe & Taiwan this way. In 2024, this route is operating and is the one to use.
Step 1, take a train to Fuzhou: For train services between Chinese cities & Fuzhou, see www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains.
G-category high-speed trains link Beijing Nan (Beijing South) with Fuzhou in around 8h several times a day, you'd then need to stay overnight in Fuzhou. Some G category trains go to Fuzhounan (Fuzhou South) which is less central than plain Fuzhou. Alternatively, a D-category sleeper train with soft & hard sleepers leaves Beijing Fengtai station late afternoon, arriving Fuzhou next morning, in time for the ferry on dates when it sails in the afternoon.
Transfer from Fuzhou station to Fuzhou Langqi pier ferry terminal, a 28-minute 39 km taxi ride, around RMB 120, see route map.
Step 2, take a ferry between Fuzhou & Matsu:
The fare is RMB 170. Be at the ferry terminal 1 hour or more before departure, you buy tickets on the day at the terminal, there are always places. Operator not known, no known website, but try www.matsu-nsa.gov.tw/articles.aspx?a=2625&l=2.
Heading from China to Taiwan, you will need to spend the night on Matsu island, try the Lian-Yuan Homestay No.1 or Holiday Hotel in Fuao harbour near the ferry. There is an ATM in the 7/11 at Fuao harbour.
Step 3, take a ferry between Matsu & Taiwan
Fare from Keelung to Matsu 1000 NTD in a seat, berths & private cabins are also available. Check-in closes 30 minutes before sailing time. You can buy tickets at the port on the day if you get 1-2h ahead, places always available. You can also buy tickets the night before at the ferry company office in Nangan.
The ferry is known as the New Taima Ferry, operated Shinhwa Navigation Co. Ltd, no known website. There's information at www.matsu-nsa.gov.tw/articles.aspx?a=2587&l=2.
Traveller Damien reports (2019): "The ferry terminal from Fuzhou is no longer in Mawei. It has been replaced by the brand new Langqi Terminal (浪歧码头). Unfortunately, it is way more remote from Fuzhou centre than the other already was. There are now 2 departures a day to Matsu (Nangan island): 09:00 and 16:00. Arrive one hour in advance to get the tickets. It cost me 170 yuan at the terminal, not 270. It is impossible to catch the first ferry by public transportations from Fuzhou center, but it's possible to arrive at 15:00 and make it for the second. Be careful with time though because buses in Mawei and Langqi are scarce and tend not to respect their schedule. I couldn't find a way to book the tickets in advance, but the ferry was nearly empty so there shouldn't be a problem getting a ticket last minute on the spot."
Traveller Jessica Davies reports (2017): "I took the overnight ferry from Keelung (基隆) to Matsu, booked the ticket a week in advance by phone (your hotel or hostel should be happy to help if you don't speak Chinese). Received a text with a bank a/c and made a transfer, paying in cash, from a Taipei bank. Mine (cheapest bunk on offer) cost 1050 NTD. Definitely worth booking the day tickets go on sale as they get busy. Ticket collection starts around 8pm on day of departure from upstairs ticket hall in Keelung West Passenger Ferry Terminal - a short 5-10 minute walk from where the bus drops you off if you come from Taipei. Boarding is 9/9:30ish. Took "economical" bunk and perfectly fine - privacy curtain, berth lamp, pillow and blanket provided. Had my own sleeping bag liner. Arrived at about 8:30am at Nan Gan (南竿) island, the largest of the Matsu archipelago. Check when you board, though, as I've read that the order of the stops rotates and the first stop (at another Matsu island) was about 06:00. From Nan Gan there is one fast ferry a day to Fuzhou at 2pm (but check as times change). Tickets go on sale from midday in the ticket hall (also has air con, free WiFi and charging points) - to get there just follow the main terminal building round to an entrance on the left. Mine cost 1300 NTD (July 2017). There is apparently an additional ferry to the mainland from Bei Gan 北竿, earlier in the day (10:00-ish) which goes to a different mainland port which is a bit further way from Fuzhou. You can get a fast ferry across on arrival on Nan Gan and may be able to make it - I didn't find out about this option until later. The ferry takes about 1.5 hours and goes to Mawei (马尾), a suburb of Fuzhou. Can be difficult to get taxis from here and it is some 30-40km into town. There are buses which are slow (search using Baidu maps - a Chinese Google maps equivalent). Some kind people let me share their lift. Fuzhou taxi drivers are notorious for wanting to rip you off - it should cost you between 80 and 100 RMB."
Traveller Matt Gauthier reports: "I took the ferry from Fuzhou to Matsu, and then Matsu to Keelung in September 2011. It was a simple process, but there were some quirks. The ferry terminal in Fuzhou is a bit of a lengthy walk from the terminus of the closest bus terminal. It is much faster to go there by taxi - especially when it is hot. Boarding the ferry in Fuzhou was easy - it was 300RMB though, which is not exactly cheap for the short ferry ride. It is pretty much impossible to make the connection to the Taiwanese mainland-bound ferry in time so you will have to spend a night on Matsu. The ferry to the Taiwanese mainland leaves early in the morning, and on alternating days it makes a brief stop in Dong Yi - Taiwan's northernmost island - on the trip. The strange thing about the ferry is that you have to buy a berth (1000NT) unless all the berths are full - they won't even let you buy a seat if there are available berths."
Traveller Kevin Goold reports: "I travelled Fuzhou - Matsu - Keelung. As the timings in this direction necessitate an overnight stay in Matsu, I was a little concerned that there might not be anywhere to stay there. Fortunately there are rooms available upstairs of the building next to 7-11, and there is a hotel just at the end of the port road as you reach the village (5 mins walk). Failing that the tourist info desk in that building was open when we arrived and they can arrange homestays. In terms of getting cash, there are no exchange facilities there. There is an ATM in the same building, but it only accepts Taiwanese cards. The hotel were willing to accept RMB in payment in an emergency however."
Traveller Simon Grove-White reports: "Restrictions on sea travel for foreign nationals were lifted around March 2009. You can now take the Taima ferry from Keelung to Nangan Island in the Matsu group, then a small ferry from here to Mawei near Fuzhou. Worth noting that it's impossible to change Taiwanese dollars in China and there are no cash points near the port so changing money in advance is a must. The last section between Matsu and Mawei is an awesome first view of China - gorgeous coastline giving way to a dystopian nightmare of smokestacks, cranes and unfinished concrete, as you travel up the river. And our captain was so excited at having a pair of foreigners on board that he burst into a spontaneous rendition of Tom Jones. The Taima leaves from the northern terminal of Keelung harbour at 11pm [see timetable above for current times] and takes around 10 hours to reach Nangan Island - this is the second stop after Dongquan. In May 2009 this cost around NT$500 (£10) for a 3rd-class bed alongside the military conscripts. At the time we went it wasn't possible to do the journey the other way but this was set to change as diplomatic relations continue to thaw. There was also talk of a direct ferry between Kaohsiung and Xiamen but I don't think that's materialised yet.
The Macau-Taiwan ferry has been permanently suspended. There are also ferries between the Taiwanese outlying island of Kinmen to Xiamen in southern China (30 minute crossing, as the islands lie just off the Chinese coast), and also from the island of Matsu, although there are now no ferries between mainland Taiwan and Kinmen, over 200 kilometres away.
3. Fast ferry from Pingtan (China) to Taichung (Taiwan)
This is a large fast SeaCat, originally in service in Australia, which now links the Chinese island of Pingtan with the Taiwanese mainland at Taichung at up to 35 knots. Pingtan is 132km by road from the Chinese city of Fuzhou, which is connected by rail to the rest of China. The crossing is 160km and takes about 3 hours. Two classes are provided, VIP seats and Standard seats, and there is a cafe, gift shop, children's play area & lounges. Check-in minimum 90 minutes. The CSF ferry company website is www.csf.com.tw, in Chinese only. For information about the vessel, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HSC_The_Cat.
2024: It's reported this ferry remains suspended post-pandemic, use the Fuzhou route instead.
* Days of operation: She sails every 1-3 days, you can check sailing dates using www.csf.com.tw in Chinese using Google's Chrome browser with built-in translation, manipulating the online booking system to show departure dates for the month that interests you.
Fares: NTD 2,500 ($80) in Standard seat, NTD 6,000 ($193) in VIP seat.
How to buy tickets: You may be able to book journeys starting in Taiwan (but not starting in China) online in Chinese at www.csf.com.tw with help from Google's Chrome browser with built-in translation. Feedback would be appreciated.
Europe to Taiwan by Trans-Siberian Railway
This is (normally) perfectly feasible, and not even hugely expensive. The whole trip will probably take about 14 days, unless you choose to stop off in Moscow, Siberia or China for longer. Update 2024: The war in Ukraine, sanctions on Russia, and China's Covid border closures have rendered this route impractical.
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Travel by train from London to Moscow as shown on the London to Russia page. Journey 2 nights, fare around £200.
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Take the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Beijing, as shown on the Trans-Siberian page. Journey 6 nights, fare from around £555.
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Travel by train from Beijing to Fuzhou by train. A modern 'Z' category sleeper train leaves Beijing West daily at 15:08, arriving Fuzhou at 10:51 the next morning. In the other direction, the train leaves Fuzhou at 16:52, arriving Beijing West at 12:38 next day. Fare around £70 for soft sleeper. See the China page for more information on Chinese train travel.
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Take the ferry from Fuzhou to the Taiwanese Matsu island group, then the next day the ferry from Matsu to Keelung on mainland Taiwan. See below for details of these ferries.
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Travel by train from Keelung to Taipei, see above for train information within Taiwan.
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You can also travel via the new weekly ferry from Xiamen on mainland China direct to the Taiwan mainland at Keelung, see below.
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Naturally, you will need visas for Belarus, Russia, Mongolia (if you take the Trans-Mongolian train), China.
Hotels in Taipei & Taiwan
Backpacker
hostels
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & other tips
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Always take out travel insurance
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com
is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
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Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from buy from Amazon.com.