This page is about Taichung travel and transportation – I will show you how to travel to other destinations around Taiwan by bus, train, and HSR. This topic can be somewhat complicated as there are many stations around the city and most signs are still only in Chinese for buses.
Table of Contents
Basic Info & Orientation
- Taichung TRA train station is located in the old part of town
- Taichung Airport is 15km away, west of the city, in Shalu District
- The High-Speed Rail HSR station is in Wuri, 8km away from Taichung
- Taichung Bus Terminal is next to the TRA station
- There are 3 main bus stations in the city from where most buses leave, but there are also other small bus stops scattered around. I’ll show you all of them here.
Taichung High-Speed Rail (HSR)
The modern and fast high-speed rail (HSR) is the most convenient way to travel from Taichung to other parts of Taiwan along the west coast. Here are the fares and approximate travel duration for various cities:
HSR Fare and Duration from Taichung
Prices are for economy class seat.
- Nangan: 750$ – 70mins
- Taipei: 700$ – 55mins
- Banqiao: 670$ – 50mins
- Taoyuan: 540$ – 37mins
- Hsinchu: 410$ – 30mins
- Miaoli: 410$ – 24mins
- Changhua: 130NT$ – 10mins
- Yunlin: 230$ – 23mins
- Chiayi: 380$ – 37mins
- Tainan: 650$ – 44mins
- Zuoying (Kaohsiung): 790$ – 1 hour
You can get to Taichung’s HSR station by shuttle bus or normal train from the train station downtown. A taxi ride from downtown will cost you around 250NT$.
TRA Train Travel from Taichung
If the HSR is a bit above your budget, you can take the normal train (TRA) to most destinations around the island.
Quite often, if you just show up at the station before your intended time of travel, you’ll be able to get a seat, as many travelers will have canceled and you can get the seat of a “no-show” passenger. Worst-case scenario is that you get a standing ticket with no designated seat, and you keep changing place as people get off the train along the way. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than waiting for hours at the station, or standing.
On weekends, that could be tricky as tons of people travel by train from Taichung, heading both south and north. On weekends and holidays, try to buy train tickets in advance, at the station if possible as booking online is not straightforward.
Train Fare and Duration from Taichung
- Taipei: 375$ – 02h 20m
- Taoyuan: 308$ – 01h 45m
- Hsinchu: 197$ – 01h 05m
- Chiayi: 224$ – 01h 15m
- Tainan: 363$ – 02h 05m
- Kaohsiung: 469$ – 02h 50m
- Hualien: 815$ – 5 hours
- Taitung: 641$ – 06h 30m
Bus Travel from Taichung City
If traveling as cheaply as possible is your thing, then you’ll want to consider taking the bus. Buses are cheap, safe, and somewhat comfortable. Some places in Central Taiwan are only accessible by bus, so that will be your only option.
Bus Stations in Taichung
There are mainly 3 places in Taichung where you can catch long-distance buses:
- Taichung Bus Terminal (next to the train station)
- HSR Station
- Chaoma Bus Station
Chenggong Intersection Bus Stop
There is also a small bus stop / station called Chenggong Intersection, located 3 minute away by foot outside the train station. That is where you can catch bus #50 for the 921 Earthquake Museum. Check it on the map at the bottom of this page.
Taichung Bus Terminal
Just outside Taichung train station is the brand new Taichung Bus Terminal, which operates buses from the Kuo Kuang Hao Bus Company, UBus, and Taichung Bus.
Bus Fares from Taichung to:
- Keelung – 345$
- Taipei – 290$
- Banqiao – 290$
- Tucheng – 290$
- Longtan – 240$
- Taoyuan – 255$
- Nankan – 250$
- Hsinchu – 150$
- Taoyuan Airport – 280$
- Zhongli – 230$
- Jiayi – 190$
- Tainan – 250$
- Kaohsiung – 330$
- Pingtung – 350$
Other destinations can be reached from the Taichung Bus Terminal. Here they are with the fare for adult, one-way ticket:
- Taichung to Zhushan: bus #6188, 150NT$
- Taichung to Beigang: bus #9015, 230NT$
- Taichung to Puli: bus#6899, 110NT$
Taichung to Sun Moon Lake
You can take a bus to Sun Moon Lake from either the HSR station, Taichung Railway Station, or Gancheng Station. You’ll be looking for bus #6670. A one way ticket for adult is about 190NT$. I have a full page describing how to travel from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake.
Taichung to 921 Earthquake Museum
The Earthquake Museum is in Wufeng. You can take a bus at a small bus stop 3-minute away by foot from the train station. Check the map for the exact point. The bus stop is called Taichung Station (Chenggong Intersection). You want to get on bus #50 to reach the 921 Earthquake Museum.
Taichung to Xitou
Xitou is located deep in the mountains of Nantou County. You can catch bus #6883 for Xitou at the HSR station, Taichung Railway Station, or Gancheng Station. One-way fare for adult is 192NT$.
Taichung to Taoyuan International Airport
Bus #1623 from the Ubus Company travels from both Taichung Bus terminal and Chaoma Station. Ticket price for a one-way, adult is 300NT$.