Traveling from Taichung to Kaohsiung is super simple these days. Follow this simple guide to see how to get to Kaohsiung from the “middle city” Taichung. Let’s go!
Taichung to Kaohsiung by HSR (High Speed Rail)
My favorite way to travel to Kaohsiung from Taichung is by HSR, or High-Speed train. I do this journey every month for work, so I’m very familiar with the whole trip.
First, you want to get to the HSR station in Taichung. From there, you get a ticket to Zuoying, as there is no HSR station named “Kaohsiung“. Zuoying is the southernmost HSR station in Taiwan.
Travel Time: 1 hour
Price for a one-way for Taichung to Zuoying:
- Standard Economy: 900NT$
- Business Class: 1390NT$
Taichung to Kaohsiung by Normal Train (TRA)
Tze-qiang trains from the TRA take about 2 hours and 40 minutes to reach Kaohsiung, and cost 455NT$ for a one-way ticket. The Puyama Express has two trains a day and it cuts travel time by 30 minutes, making you arrive in Kaohsiung in exactly 1 hour and 56 minutes! Price for one-way Puyama Express train from Taichung to Kaohsiung is 469NT$.
The best advice I can give you if you’re going to take the train to Kaohsiung is to reserve your ticket in advance for weekend travel and holidays.
Check train schedule and book ticket online here.
Taichung to Kaohsiung by Bus
Buses for Kaohsiung leave Taichung Bus Terminal regularly. That station is next to the train station in the old part of Taichung. The UBus Company buses leave every 40 to 60 minute between 5:30am and 21:30 during the week, and all the way to 22:30 on weekend. Kuo-Kuang Bus Company also has buses to Kaohsiung (bus #1872). Price for a one-way ticket is 350NT$.
Important Note! The Ubus Company does not have departures for Kaohsiung from Chaoma Bus Station.
Check Kuo-Kuang Bus Company website to see schedules.
Taichung to Kaohsiung by Car
Driving to Kaohsiung is pretty straightforward. From Taichung, take either Freeway #1 or #3. Freeway 1 is usually slower, but gets you in the middle of the city. Freeway 3 is faster, but it’s a bit east outside the city, so you need to eventually connect to Freeway #10 to reach northern Kaohsiung and Zuoying, or Expressway #88 to reach South Kaohsiung and the airport in Xiaogang.
Taichung to Kaohsiung by Scooter / Motorcycle
There’s two options available to you if you’re planning to ride your scooter or motorcycle to Kaohsiung. The first option is to take expressway #61, along the coast, all the way to Tainan, then switch to provincial road #17. The other option is to ride mountain road #3, which is the most scenic, but takes much longer.