The fastest way from Taipei to Tainan is the high speed rail (HSR), which takes about 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. The one catch most guides skip: Tainan's HSR station is not in the city. It sits out in Gueiren District, so you then need a free shuttle bus, a 22-minute local train, or a taxi to reach the old town. If you would rather arrive right in the center and do not mind a slower trip, the regular TRA train drops you straight at downtown Tainan Station in about 3.5 hours.
Here is every option, what it really costs in time and money, and where it actually leaves you.
At a glance
| Option | Time | One-way fare | Drops you |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSR (high speed rail) | ~1h25m–1h45m | ~NT$1,350 reserved | Gueiren, outside the city (transfer needed) |
| TRA express (Puyuma / Tze-Chiang) | ~3h10m–4h | ~NT$738 | Downtown Tainan Station |
| Intercity bus | ~4h–4h30m | ~NT$450–500 | Tainan Bus Station, near downtown |
| Drive | ~3h–3h30m | tolls + fuel | Anywhere |
Short version: HSR if your time is worth more than the fare and the transfer. TRA express if you want to step off the train already in the old town. Bus if you are counting every dollar.
By high speed rail (HSR)
The HSR is the obvious choice for speed. Trains leave Taipei Main Station frequently through the day (often every 30 minutes), the ride is smooth, and you are in the Tainan area in well under two hours.
Key facts: - Journey time: about 1h25m on the fastest direct trains, 1h42m on average. - Fare: standard reserved car, one-way, NT$1,350 (NT$1,305 for a non-reserved seat in cars 10 to 12). - Booking: reserve online, on the THSR app, or through booking sites like Klook, which sell discounted HSR tickets for foreign visitors. Worth doing before you travel. - Where it leaves you: THSR Tainan Station, No. 100 Guiren Blvd, Gueiren District. This is the part to plan around.
Getting from the HSR station into the city
This is where visitors lose time if no one warns them. Three ways into the old town:
- Free THSR shuttle bus (what I take). Free when you show your same-day HSR ticket, from the signed shuttle stop outside the station. It runs frequently and its routes cover a good spread of the city. I used to grab a taxi or Uber from here, but the shuttle is usually just as fast and it costs nothing. The one catch: none of the routes stop at Tainan Railway Station itself, and the old-town route (H31) drops you over on the Xiaoximen / Confucius Temple side, so if your hotel is right by the station, take the train below instead.
- Shalun TRA train. The pick if you want to land dead-center or your hotel is by the station. Walk the 2F connecting corridor from the HSR station to TRA Shalun Station, then take the local Shalun-line train to downtown Tainan Station. About 22 minutes, NT$25, EasyCard works, and trains run roughly twice an hour (departures around :00 and :30).
- Taxi or Uber. From the rank by Exit 3, roughly NT$400 to 500 and about 30 minutes to downtown. Worth it with luggage or a group.
By regular train (TRA)
If you are not in a rush, the regular TRA train has one big advantage over the HSR: it goes straight to Tainan Station in the heart of the old city, no transfer required.
Key facts: - Time: about 3h10m on the fastest Puyuma Express, 3.5 to 4 hours on a standard Tze-Chiang Limited Express. Slower Chu-Kuang trains take longer. - Fare: roughly NT$738 reserved on the express. - Frequency: around 26 express trains a day, one or two an hour, mostly between about 6am and 7:30pm. Book ahead for weekends, the express trains sell out faster than the HSR. - Where it leaves you: downtown Tainan Station, walkable to the edge of the old town and many hotels. - Best for: travelers on a budget, anyone who would rather skip the HSR transfer.
Full disclosure: I've never taken the TRA myself. The HSR costs more, but the time it saves feels worth it to me. That said, if you've got time to burn, why not?
By bus
Intercity coaches are the cheapest way south and run frequently from Taipei.
Key facts: - Time: about 4 to 4.5 hours depending on traffic, and traffic can make it unpredictable. - Fare: roughly NT$450 to 500. - Operators: Ubus and Kuo-Kuang (King Bus) both run the route, departing from Taipei Bus Station (right beside Taipei Main Station) and arriving at Tainan Bus Station near downtown. - Comfort: some operators run premium coaches with roomy private seats, and a few even have massage seats. Worth asking for if you're going to be aboard for four hours. - Best for: lowest budget, overnight departures.
By air
There is no practical reason to fly Taipei to Tainan, but visitors ask, so here is the honest answer.
- Tainan has its own airport (TNN), but routes are limited, mostly domestic and a few regional. A Tainan-Taipei (Songshan) hop exists but rarely beats the train once you count airport time.
- Most international visitors instead fly into Kaohsiung (KHH) or Taipei (TPE/TSA) and continue by HSR or TRA.
- From Kaohsiung: take the MRT Red Line to Zuoying (R16) for the HSR one stop to Tainan, or a TRA train north to downtown Tainan Station.
So which should you take?
- What we actually do: HSR, then the free shuttle bus into town. Fast, simple, and the ride from the station costs nothing.
- Want to land dead-center by the station: HSR, then the Shalun train.
- Tightest budget: bus.
- Skip: flying between Taipei and Tainan.