Four days, three cities, five ways to do it

Book trains now

Taiwan observes Restoration Day on Mon 26 Oct this year, so Sat 24 Oct is the start of a three-day weekend. High speed rail seats on Fri and Sat will sell out.

Tickets open 28 days ahead, so you can book all legs today on the THSR website or the T Express app. Pick up at station kiosks with your booking code.

If reserved seats are gone, cars 10–12 are non-reserved. You can still board, but you may have to stand.

The high speed rail line

• Taipei Taipei Main Station, MRT Red/Blue0:00
• Taoyuan Airport MRT A18, ~20 min from TPE~0:20
• Tainan In Shalun, out of town. Shalun train to Tainan Station takes 22 min~1:45
• Zuoying (Kaohsiung) Kaohsiung MRT Red Line R16~1:35*

*Nonstop trains Taipei–Zuoying take about 1 hr 35 min. Trains that stop everywhere take about 2 hr 20 min. Approximate standard fares: Taipei–Tainan NT$1,350, Taipei–Zuoying NT$1,490, Tainan–Zuoying NT$140. Check T Express for exact fares.

Tainan ↔ Kaohsiung

Take the regular TRA train between the two cities. It runs from Tainan Station to Kaohsiung Main Station in 30–60 minutes for about NT$70–110, and you can tap in with an EasyCard.

The high speed rail looks faster, but both of its stations are outside the city centers. The local train goes center to center and usually wins.

Getting around

• Buy an EasyCard (悠遊卡) at the airport or any 7‑Eleven. It works on the MRT in Taipei and Kaohsiung, TRA trains, buses, the Cijin ferry, YouBike, and convenience stores.
• Tainan has no metro. Walk the old center and take a taxi or Uber to Anping and the night markets. A cross-town ride is usually NT$150–250.
• No eating or drinking anywhere inside MRT stations or trains, not even water. Fines are real.

Late-October weather

Taipei: about 20–25°C (68–77°F). The northeast monsoon is starting, so expect drizzle and pack a light layer and umbrella.

Tainan & Kaohsiung: about 23–30°C (73–86°F), mostly dry, with strong sun. The south is at its best this time of year.

Typhoon season is mostly over by late October, but check the Central Weather Administration forecast a few days out.

Money & phone

• Roughly NT$30–32 to US$1. Night markets and small eateries are cash only. 7‑Eleven ATMs take foreign cards.
• Tipping isn't expected. Sit-down restaurants often add a 10% service charge.
• Buy a SIM or eSIM at the Chunghwa Telecom or Taiwan Mobile counters in TPE arrivals. A 5-day unlimited plan costs about NT$300.
• Google Maps transit directions work well in all three cities.

Rough daily spend

Per person, not counting hotels.

• Night-market eating: NT$300–600 a night
• A sit-down meal: NT$300–1,000
• Sights: most temples are free. Forts and museums cost NT$50–300.
• High speed rail for the whole loop: about NT$2,800–3,000

Phrases that help

你好

nǐ hǎo · hello

謝謝

xièxie · thank you

這個

zhège · this one (point at it)

多少錢?

duōshǎo qián · how much?

不要辣

bú yào là · not spicy

內用 / 外帶

nèiyòng / wàidài · eat here / take away

好吃!

hǎochī · delicious!

In Tainan and Kaohsiung many older people speak Taiwanese Hokkien at home, but everyone speaks Mandarin.

Temple manners

• Enter through the right door and leave through the left. The center door is for the gods.
• Don't step on the raised threshold.
• Photos are fine, but no flash at worshippers.
• Shoulders don't need to be covered, but beachwear is out of place.