Information about transportation to Kaohsiung City in Southern Taiwan
On this page, I explain in details how you can travel to Kaohsiung City from Taipei, Taoyuan Airport, and other parts of Taiwan. The three main public transportation to Kaohsiung are the normal train (TRA), high-speed train (HSR), and public buses.
High Speed Train (HSR)
The fastest way to travel to Kaohsiung from Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, or Tainan is by High Speed Rail. The HSR station for Kaohsiung city is called Zuoying Station and it is located in the northern part of the city. See the fares and time travel for each city:
Taipei; 1490NT$; 2h
Taoyuan; 1330NT$; 1h 40min
Hsinchu; 1200NT$; 2h 30min
Taichung; 790NT$; 1h
Travel to Kaohsiung by normal train (TRA)
If you are too far from an HSR station or if the high-speed train is too expensive for you, you might want to consider riding the normal train (TRA). The normal train is much slower than the HSR trains, but they are still more comfortable than buses in my opinion.
Consider making a reservation on a seat in advance if you want to travel to or from Kaohsiung on weekends or during holidays as many Taiwanese are on the move during these periods.
Kaohsiung train station is in the old part of the city. Traveling between Kaohsiung Train Station and Zuoying HSR Station is simple: both these points are connected by the Kaohsiung subway (MRT). It takes about 10 minutes to travel between the two stations.
Travel to Kaohsiung by public buses
Bus stations and offices to buy tickets are located around the train station in the older part of the city. It is possible to take buses to all destinations around Taiwan.
The company that covers the most Taiwanese destinations is Kuo Kuang Hao Bus Company and its station is just next to the train station. To get there, turn left as you exit the train station. Here are fares and travel time to or from the following cities by bus:
Kenting: About NT$150; 2 hours
Taidong (Taitung): NT$443; 4 hours
Taichung: NT$300; 3h,10min
Taoyuan: NT$500; 4h,5min
Taipei: NT$530; 5 hours
From Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
Two options exist to travel to Kaohsiung from Taoyuan Airport: take the bus or ride the HSR. Buses leave from both terminals and cost NT$420. The bus ride is long – about 5 hours. If you opt for the comfort and speed of the high-speed train, know that the HSR station in Taoyuan is not at the airport. You first need to take a shuttle bus to get there.