Hope you have read the last episode－How to Take Taiwan Railway Train 2020?. After railways, we are moving on to the introductions of traveling through highways with public transportation.
While TRA can cover all around the island, some destinations can only be accessible through highways. Therefore, you may consider having a road trip by bus. And if you are a tourist with little money, this article may get you some ideas to stay in your budget.
Buckle up! Let’s hit the road.
| Taiwan High-Speed Rail | Taiwan Railway Train | Highway Intercity Bus | |
| Number of Stations/Routines | 12 Stations | 223 Stations | 629 Routines |
| Coverage | Western Taiwan From Taipei Nangang to Kaohsiung Zuoying | All around the island Central Mountain Range and offshore islands are not included | All around the island. Including part of the Central Mountain Range. |
| Taipei to Kaohsiung | 96~120 mins | 4.5~7 hr | 4.5~7hr |
| Tourists | For tourists with limited time | For tourists with limited time but less budget | For long-stay tourists with low budget/ For tourists who need Late-night transportation |
| Price | Expensive | Cheap | Cheapest |
| Price–Performance Patio | Spend money to save your time | Balance your time and money | Spend time to save money. |
Where to buy Intercity Buses Tickets?
Online booking & convenience Store: You can purchase the tickets through the website then print them out in convenience stores. Also, you can book the tickets through the kiosks in the convenience store then have your tickets printed out by the cashier.
In the station: You can purchase the tickets through the machines (big stations only). Of course, you can go to the ticket booth to have a live person to help you with the process.
Price
Compare the price of the routine from Taipei to Kaohsiung among the four biggest companies:
| Kuo-Kuang | U-Bus | Ho-Hsin (3排) | Ho-Hsin (2排) | Aloha (3排) | Aloha (2排) | |
| Regular Price | 590 | 590 | 590 | 730 | 590 | 730 |
| Discount Price | 535 | 535 | 540 | 630 | 535 | 640 |
| Round tickets | 1120 | 1120 | 1180 | 1260 | 1120 | 1280 |
Compare the price of the routine from Taipei to Taichung among the four biggest companies
| Kuo-Kuang | U-Bus | Ho-Hsin (3排) | Ho-Hsin (2排) | Aloha (3排) | Aloha (2排) | |
| Regular Price | 300 | 300 | 265 | 330 | 312 | 385 |
| Discount Price | 270 | 270 | 245 | 300 | 260 | 300 |
| Round tickets | 570 | 570 | 530 | 660 | 624 | 770 |
Note: Most of the discount ticket prices are applied for the buses departing from Monday afternoon to Friday morning. (National holidays are not included) To get more information, you can see the official announcements of different companies.
Which Routine Should I Take?
To find the best routine for yourself, you can check out the Highway Bus Information System.
The Routines to Tourist Attractions
Have no idea where to go? You may be interested in these lines:
Beihua Line－Taipei to Hualien
Beihua buses start running in January 2020. Now people can travel from Taipei to Hualien within 3.5 hours. The bus itself is a new design as well. The minimal design provides passengers with better a visual environment－the white color of the furnishment can easily be immersed into the green and blue outside the window.
The designers discard the concept of curtains; instead, they install the translucent blinds to block the heat from the sunlight and keep the beautiful scenery.
Beihua line is operated by Capital-bus, U-bus, and Tpebus. Passengers can choose to depart from either Nanggang West Station to take 1663/1071 or Banchiao Station to take 1580. All the buses stop at Suiao, Xincheng Train Station, and Hualien Station.
Tips for going to Taroko: You can get off the bus at Hualien or Xincheng Station and take 1133(LINK), which can take you to Taroko, Eternal Spring Shrine, Swallow Grotto, Lushi, Tianxiang.
Read more: 【Hualien Travel Guide】Collections of the most beautiful Roads in Taiwan I: Hit the road to Taroko
1833－Taipei to Sun Moon Lake
1833 can take you directly from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake in around 4 hours. But there are only 4~6 buses departing daily. So it’s better to check the time table before you set out.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
| 07:00 | V | V | V | V | V | V | V |
| 07:30 | V | ||||||
| 08:00 | V | V | V | V | V | V | V |
| 10:00 | V | V | V | V | V | V | V |
| 13:20 | V | ||||||
| 14:00 | V | V | V | V | V | V | V |
| Regular Price:470NTD, Round Trip Ticket:900NTD |
The other way to get to Sun Moon Lake is to transfer at Taichung Station to take 6670. The fee of a round trip is 360NTD. Check the time table here.
1833－Taipei to Alishan
It takes about 6 hours to go from Taipei to Alishan. So it’s probably not a good idea for elders and people to have motion sickness. But this line offers people a good opportunity to catch the sunrise. The bus departs at 20:45 on Friday and Saturday from Taipei Bus Station during summertime (March to October). During wintertime (November to February), the departure is 21:45. The regular price is 690NTD, and the round trip tickets cost 1330NTD.
1652－Taipei to Lukang
The duration of 1652 is about 3 hours and 30minutes. You can take the first bus to Lukang then start exploring the traditional Taiwanese culture and digging in the delicacies. After your stomach is filled fully with food and your legs are sore, you can take the bus at night and call it a day.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
| 08:20 | V | V | V | V | V | V | V |
| 10:20 | V | V | V | V | V | V | V |
| 12:20 | V | V | V | V | V | V | V |
| 12:25 | V | V | V | ||||
| 14:20 | V | V | V | V | V | V | V |
| 14:25 | V | V | V | ||||
| 16:20 | V | V | V | V | V | V | V |
| 16:25 | V | V | V | ||||
| 18:20 | V | V | V | V | V | V | V |
| 18:25 | V | V | V | ||||
| 20:20 | V | V | V | V | V | V | V |
| 20:25 | V | V | V | ||||
| 21:20 | V | V | V | ||||
| Regular Price:350NTD, Round Trip Ticket:700NTD |
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