How to Travel Around Taiwan Without a Car
Taiwan is one of the easiest countries in Asia to explore without a car. The island has a well-connected public transport system that links major cities, coastal towns, and mountain areas. Trains, buses, scooters, and bicycles give travelers real options at every step of a trip. Whether you spend a week in Taipei or circle the entire island, you can do it all without renting a vehicle.
This guide breaks down exactly how to get around Taiwan using public transport, local buses, and alternative options. It covers how to reach places beyond train stations, how to plan your days around transport schedules, how to access remote spots, and how to make everyday travel smoother.
How to Reach Places Beyond Train Stations
Taiwan's train network is excellent, but it does not cover every destination. Many beaches, temples, and hiking trailheads sit several kilometers from the nearest station. The good news is that local buses, taxis, scooter rentals, and bicycles fill that gap reliably.
Local buses run from most train stations to nearby attractions. In Hualien, Bus Route 1141 goes from Hualien Station to Taroko Gorge. The journey takes about 40 minutes and costs around NT$100. This bus runs many times a day, so you can plan a morning hike and return in the afternoon without any trouble.
Scooter rentals are available at nearly every train station in smaller towns. In Taitung, dozens of rental shops sit right outside the station exit. A 50cc scooter costs around NT$400 to NT$500 per day. You need an international driving permit that covers motorcycles, but once you have that, a scooter opens up routes that buses do not cover, such as the East Rift Valley cycling path or the roads around Green Island after taking the ferry.
Taxis work well for short trips where no bus runs. In Tainan, many visitors hire a taxi for a half-day to visit Anping Fort, the salt mountains, and the Chimei Museum. A half-day fare usually runs between NT$1,200 and NT$1,800. Some drivers also speak basic English and act as informal guides.
Cycling connects towns along flat coastal routes. The western plain between Changhua and Tainan is especially cycle-friendly. YouBike, Taiwan's public bicycle-sharing system, operates in Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, and several other cities. The rental fee is NT$10 for the first 30 minutes and NT$10 for every extra 30 minutes after the first hour. You can dock and pick up bikes at hundreds of stations using an EasyCard.
How to Build an Itinerary Around Public Transport
Planning a trip around public transport schedules takes a little extra thought, but it also forces you to slow down and experience places more fully. Taiwan rewards this approach.
Start with the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and Taiwan High Speed Rail (HSR) as your backbone. The HSR connects Taipei to Kaohsiung in about 90 minutes. TRA covers the east coast, which the HSR does not reach. Use both together to move efficiently between major cities.
A practical example: A two-week Taiwan loop can work like this. Arrive in Taipei, spend three nights, then take the TRA down the east coast with stops in Hualien and Taitung. From Taitung, take TRA across to Kaohsiung on the south line. Spend two nights in Kaohsiung, then HSR to Tainan for two nights, then HSR to Taichung for two nights, and finally HSR back to Taipei. Every stop on this loop has strong local bus and bike networks.
For food lovers, planning a route around transportation also means timing each stop carefully. A trip to Tainan for lunch is a practical choice, since both TRA and HSR trains stop there and the city center is within walking distance. Travelers who like to look into dining and entertainment options before a trip may come across resources such as 大撈家 online casinos, along with other useful platforms for finding well-regarded places in different cities, which can be especially helpful when time between connections is limited.
Book tickets in advance for popular travel periods. Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, and the summer months from July to September see high demand on the HSR. You can book TRA and HSR tickets up to 28 days ahead on the official websites or at any 7-Eleven using the ibon kiosk. The ibon system also prints your ticket on the spot.
Keep transport apps on your phone. The Taiwan Railways app and the HSR app both work in English and allow direct booking. For local buses, Google Maps covers most routes across Taiwan accurately. The Bus+ app shows real-time arrival times for city and intercity buses and works well for planning same-day travel.
How to Travel to Remote Areas Without a Car
Some of Taiwan's most beautiful places are genuinely off the main transport lines. Alishan, Jiufen, the Penghu Islands, Green Island, and the northern mountain roads all need extra planning. None of them are impossible without a car, but each needs a specific approach.
Alishan sits at 2,200 meters above sea level. The Alishan Forest Railway runs from Chiayi city up to the mountain area. This narrow-gauge train is one of the most scenic rail journeys in Asia. The trip takes about two hours and costs around NT$250 one way. Or, buses operated by Chiayi County Bus run from Chiayi HSR Station and Chiayi TRA Station directly to Alishan. The bus takes about 2.5 hours and costs around NT$230.
Jiufen is one of the most visited day trips from Taipei. Bus 1062 runs from Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station directly to Jiufen Old Street. The journey takes about 70 minutes. Many visitors take TRA to Ruifang Station instead and then catch a local bus or shared taxi up the hill. Both options work well.
Penghu Islands must be reached by ferry or flight. Daily flights from Taipei Songshan Airport take about 40 minutes. The ferry from Budai Port in Chiayi County takes about 100 minutes. Once you are on Penghu, electric scooter rentals are widely available and give you access to the outer islands via the cross-sea bridges.
Green Island is 33 kilometers off the coast of Taitung. Ferries leave from Fugang Harbour near Taitung. The crossing takes about 50 minutes. On Green Island, scooter rentals cost around NT$300 to NT$400 per day and the entire island circuit is only about 20 kilometers, making it very manageable.
Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County has improved transport links in recent years. Direct buses from Taichung HSR Station reach the lake in about 60 minutes. Buses also run from Taichung TRA Station. Around the lake, a scenic bus loops the main road every 30 minutes, and YouBike rental stations sit at several stops along the route.
How to Make Daily Travel Easier
Small habits and tools make a big difference when you travel around Taiwan on public transport.
Get an EasyCard immediately. This rechargeable IC card works on the Taipei MRT, Kaohsiung MRT, buses across the country, YouBike, and even some convenience stores. You can pick one up at any MRT station in Taipei for NT$100 deposit. Top it up at any convenience store. Using EasyCard on buses gives you a 10-kilometer transfer discount, which means you pay less when you transfer between buses within one hour.
Stay near train stations. Choosing accommodation close to a TRA or HSR station saves time and reduces the need for taxis. In Tainan, the area around Tainan TRA Station has a wide range of guesthouses and hotels within a 10-minute walk. In Hualien, the neighborhood directly east of Hualien Station has affordable hostels and easy access to local bus stops.
Use convenience stores as a base of operations. 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Hi-Life stores sit within walking distance of nearly every train station in Taiwan. You can print tickets, buy IC card top-ups, store luggage through luggage delivery services, and grab a meal all in one stop. The T-CAT luggage delivery service lets you send bags from your hotel to the next hotel or to the airport for about NT$150 to NT$200 per bag, which makes moving between cities much lighter.
Learn a few basic phrases in Mandarin. Most bus drivers and station staff outside of Taipei do not speak English. Knowing how to say the name of your destination clearly, or showing the Chinese characters on your phone, speeds things up significantly. Google Translate's camera function handles Chinese characters well and helps when reading bus timetables or menus.
Download offline maps. Cell coverage is strong across most of Taiwan, but in mountain areas and some tunnel routes, the signal drops. Downloading the map for Taiwan in Google Maps or Maps.me before your trip means you can still check directions without data.
Taiwan rewards travelers who plan a little and stay flexible. The transport system covers far more ground than most visitors expect, and local options like buses, scooters, and bikes fill any remaining gaps. You can see the full island on a reasonable budget without ever sitting in a rental car, and often you will see more because of it.
