How to get from Kaohsiung to Tainan (Bus and Train)

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Last updated on August 7th, 2022 at 01:45 pm

Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan. It’s been 200 year Taiwan’s capital in their history. We will write in this blog post how to get from Kaohsiung to Tainan and also from other destinations like Taichung City and Taipei that they are usually in your Taiwan itinerary.

Tainan is a great place to visit to feel Taiwanese culture especially about food. There are many Tainan tourist spots and the ones we loved it mostly were markets. We enjoyed meeting people and happy to visit Tainan. Read here hotels in Tainan.

Read here Taiwan itinerary and things to know before visiting Taiwan!

Read budget travel in Taiwan and Taiwan tourist spots.

Read here how to get to Lotus Pond, Fo Guang Shan Memorial and how to get from Kaohsiung to Kenting.

Table of Contents

Best time to visit Tainan

Tainan is located in South Taiwan so the weather is really nice. In Kaohsiung and Tainan the weather it’s not so cold in winter like Taipei and Taichung. The best time to visit Tainan is from November to April when the weather is dry and not so hot the temperature.

November to April: The weather is dry and temperature is not so hot. The coldest months are January and February. May to October: The weather is so hot and it’s rainy season. The typhoon season is starting from July to September when is the most rainy season in Taiwan.

Click here to know more about the weather in Tainan!

ATMS AND CASH IN TAIWAN

There are few ATMs in the airport that they don’t charge commission. There are a couple of places to exchange money in the airport. Outside the airport it can be difficult to exchange money in Taiwan. You will be able to do it only in banks. The exchange rate $1 USD= 30 TWD.

Click here to know more about the current exchange rate in Taiwan!

How to get from Kaohsiung to Tainan

Getting Tainan By Plane to Tainan

There is an International Airport in Tainan. There are flights going to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Japan. You can also get to Kaohsiung International airport or Taichung City and going to Tainan. The airport is located only 6 kilometers far from city center. So it can be a great choice getting by plane to Tainan.

How to get from Kaohsiung to Tainan by Bus

If you want to get from Kaohsiung to Tainan by bus it will be a great option. The travel time Kaohsiung to Tainan is 45 minutes and the price is around 100 TWD less than $4 USD. There are a few bus companies that they allow you to pay with the Easy Card.

How to get from Kaohsiung to Tainan by Train

If you want to get from Kaohsiung to Tainan by train. It will be 1 hour by Taiwan Railways. Price is around 120 TWD. If you want to get the High Speed Train will cost you around 250 TWD. And it will take only 20 minutes. Remember High Speed Station will be located outside the city. While Taiwan Railways will be close to city center.

Click here to book your Kaohiung to Tainan train ticket online!

KAOHSIUNG AIRPORT TO TAINAN

If you want to go from Kaohsiung airport to Tainan. You will have to ride the MRT until Kaohsiung main station if you are looking for local train Kaohsiung to Tainan (120 TWD and 40 minutes). Or Zuoying if you want to go from Kaohisung to Tainan in the high speed train (250 TWD and 20 minutes).

There are also Kaohsiung transfers from the airport to Tainan.

How to get from Kaohsiung to Tainan the cheapest way: Hitchhiking

If you want to get from Kaohsiung to Tainan the cheapest way is hitchhiking. Since we were staying with our friend Aking close to the highway we chose this option. It was fun and fast.

We got a ride in less than 5 minutes, we took funny pictures and we got to Tainan city center in less than hour. And we made new friends in Tainan before getting there.

If you want to get from Kaohsiung to Tainan by car will take you only 30 minutes.

Kaohsiung to Tainan Bus or Train?

In our opinion what’s better from Kaohsiung to Tainan bus or local train is almost the same price and time. Plus bus station and train station in Tainan are so close each other.

Click here to book your Kaohiung to Tainan train ticket online!

From Bus and Train Station in Tainan to city center is only 20 minutes walking distance, Buses are running every 30 minutes and they accept payment with the Easy Card.

We did both first we walked from Bus Terminal and later we took a bus going to the Bus Station in Tainan.

Travel Tip: Pay attention that High Speed Rail from Kaohsiung to Tainan is outside city center and it will take a few minutes to get to city center, Maybe it’s not worth it. Make sure you check it out!

How to get to Tainan from Taichung City by Train

If you get to Tainan from Taichung City by train. There are two ways High Speed Train and Taiwan Railways. The high speed train takes half of the time and it costs more expensive than Taiwan Railways. High Speed train stations are usually outside the city while Taiwan Railways is close to city center. The train from Taichung City to Tainan: Taiwan Railways will take around 2 hours and it costs 350 TWD. For high speed train expect to pay around 800 TWD and one journey from Taichung City to Tainan. Make sure that you book your tickets at least two weeks in advance. Otherwise maybe you will run out of space.

Click here to book your ticket in advance!

How to get to Tainan from Taichung City by Bus

If you want to get to Tainan by bus from Taichung City. The price is around 250 TWD. And it takes 2 hours and a half to get there. The bus stations like Taiwan Railways are usually located close to city center. Base in our experience no need to book the bus ticket in advance.

Read here how to get to Taichung City!

How to get to Tainan from Taipei by Bus

If you want to get to Tainan from Taipei by bus. Prices are around 450-600 TWD for 4-5 hours journey. The bus stations are close to city center.

How to get to Tainan from Taipei by Train

If you want to get to Tainan from Taipei by train. The high speed train can costs around 1400 TWD for 1 hour 45 minutes. Taiwan Railways will cost you around 600 TWD for 4 hours journey. As we mentioned before Taiwan Railways station are usually close to city center. And High Speed station are usually outside city center.

Click here to book your ticket in advance!

How to get to Tainan City Center from High Speed Train Station

If you want to get to Tainan City center from High Speed Train Station. There are a few ways. There is a free shuttle going to city center. You can go by train for 25 TWD. If you prefer comfort you can go by taxi around 400 TWD.

If you want to get to Tainan city center from Bus Station and Taiwan Railways to city center is only 2 kilometers distance. It can be around 100 TWD by taxi. And you can get by bus 20 TWD. You can use Easy Card for getting around Tainan by bus as we did in our trip. If you want to get around by bus in Tainan bus frequency is around 30 minutes. So be ready to wait for it!

Travel Tip: Click here to know prices and schedule to book your bus/boat tickets online in Taiwan with 12Go Asia.

BUYING EASY CARD

We have to say that for us was the best way to travel around Kaohsiung since you just put load and you can use in MRT, buses and even going to places like Fo Guang Shang Memorial which is outside the center. You can also use it in Taipei. Plus you can use for buying in 7 Eleven and convenience stores in the country. So i’s pretty convenient.

You can purchase in convenience stores in Kaohsiung. Also available in the airport you will pay 100 TWD which is $3 USD non refundable. It’s comfortable and every time that you use your Easy Card you get 15% discounts in your MRT and bus trips. You can recharge in convenience stores or in MRT Stations. You can use that money to buy in convenience stores in Taiwan. It’s great since there are Family Mart 7 Eleven all over Kaohsiung and Taiwan.

Click here to get unlimited MRT Pass!

Where to Stay in Tainan

Silks Place

We stayed at Silks Place in Tainan. We enjoyed a local atmosphere learning about the tea. Trying local food which was delicious. Also we enjoyed Robbin’s Steak Teppanyaki where we enjoyed dinner with our own private chef. The food was delicious great meat, salad and delicious desserts.

We also enjoyed the Glasshouse where you can listen to music live and try the 36 stratagems shots which was so much fun. We invited our friend Eden to join us trying to finish all of them ha! You have to choose a paper with the name and look for it on the table. Different flavors combined with whisky, vodka and cheers!

For breakfasts you can enjoy Western or Chinese breakfast. We liked it more the Chinese breakfast. The location was great just a few steps from city center. And only two kilometers far from Bus and Train Station.

Click here to check prices and availability!

For accommodation, you can find accommodation prices starting from $20-30 USD depending on how much you want to stretch your budget. Until luxury hotels in Tainan that can cost $100-300 USD for a room if you wish more comfort when visiting Tainan. Click here to get the best deals via Booking and Agoda.

Click here to get a discount booking activities with Klook in Tainan!

Travel Tip: Click here to know prices and schedule to book your bus/boat tickets online in Taiwan with 12Go Asia.

Hope it’s useful this travel guide how to get from Kaohsiung to Tainan by train, bus and car. Which one would you choose? Let us know in the comments below,

You can also try AirBnB in Tainan with prices starting from $20 USD. Click here to get $30 USD off your first booking with AirBnB!

Feel free to use our links with discounts for Booking, Agoda, Airbnb and Klook. Using our links you will help us to continue with the maintenance of the website and it will not cost you anything. Thanks for the love guys.

Happy Travels!