MRT, city bus, YouBike, taxi, Uber or simply walking — Taipei is one of Asia's most navigable cities once you know which tool to reach for. This complete guide covers fares, practical tips and real scenarios so you move with confidence from day one.
Taipei is one of the easiest cities in Asia to navigate independently. The MRT covers every major attraction with clockwork reliability; city buses fill in the gaps for a flat NT$15; YouBike solves the classic last-mile problem; and taxis and Uber are affordable and available around the clock. Walking even rewards you in the most interesting neighbourhoods. One EasyCard ties nearly all of it together.
This guide covers all seven ways to move through Taipei — with real fares, honest comparisons, and six practical scenarios (airport arrival, night market, day trip, late night, neighbourhood exploring, rainy day) so you always know which option to reach for.
MRT fares: NT$20–65 per journey · ~20% off with EasyCard · trains until midnight daily
Bus fares: NT$15 flat (EasyCard) · free transfer within 1 hour from MRT · 24-hour night buses on some routes
Taxi/Uber: NT$70 flag-fall · NT$150–250 for most central journeys · metered, air-conditioned, safe
Before diving into the detail — these three principles will carry you through most situations.
Buy one at Taoyuan Airport on arrival (or any MRT station or 7-Eleven). The NT$100 card gives you ~20% off every MRT fare, flat NT$15 bus rides, YouBike access and convenience store payments. Load NT$500–1,000 immediately. Nearly every transport mode in this guide accepts it.
For any journey over 2 km, the MRT is almost always fastest — check Google Maps first and follow its transit routing. If the nearest station is over 15 minutes' walk from your destination, add a city bus or YouBike for the last mile rather than hailing a taxi.
The MRT runs until roughly midnight. After that, metered taxis and Uber are your options — both are safe, affordable (NT$150–300 for most central journeys) and plentiful. Never accept an unlicensed ride outside night markets. Line app or Uber booking eliminates the language barrier entirely.
From the spotless MRT to the humble city bus — here is what each option costs and when it is the right call.
The Taipei Metro is the fastest, cheapest and most reliable way to cover distance in the city. Six colour-coded lines — Red, Blue, Green, Orange, Brown and Yellow (Circular) — reach every major tourist attraction with trains every 2–5 minutes during peak hours and service until around midnight. Fares are distance-based at NT$20–65 per journey; pay with an EasyCard for ~20% off every trip. To navigate, open Google Maps, tap Directions and select the transit icon — it tells you exactly which line, which direction (look for the end-station name) and where to transfer. No eating or drinking anywhere inside the paid zone; fine is up to NT$7,500 and is enforced. For full detail on lines, interchange stations and EasyCard use, see the complete Taipei MRT guide.
Taipei's city bus network is dense and comprehensive — over 300 routes covering every corner of the city and New Taipei. For tourists, the main value is reaching destinations not near an MRT station: the National Palace Museum shuttle, Shilin Night Market side streets, Beitou hot spring resort areas and residential neighbourhoods. Pay with your EasyCard: NT$15 flat fare (or free within 1 hour of tapping out of the MRT). Cash is NT$15 exact change only — always have coins ready if you don't have an EasyCard. Board at the front, tap your EasyCard on the reader; exit at the rear, tap again. Google Maps transit routing works perfectly for bus routes and will show exactly which stop to board and which to alight. Night buses (marked 'N') run on key routes after the MRT closes.
YouBike 2.0 is Taipei's excellent public bicycle system — over 1,400 docking stations city-wide, with at least one station at or near virtually every MRT exit. It is the ideal solution when your MRT stop is still 15 minutes' walk from your actual destination. To use as a tourist: download the YouBike 2.0 app, register with a phone number, and link your EasyCard. At a docking station, tap your card on the terminal to unlock a bike. First 30 minutes costs NT$10, then NT$10 per additional 30 minutes. Return to any docking station in the city — not just where you started. The bikes are well-maintained, with gears and a front basket. The key caveat: hills. Taipei's terrain is flat in the city core but steep around attractions like Elephant Mountain and Maokong — YouBike is ideal for flat neighbourhood rides, less so for climbing.
Taipei taxis are metered, air-conditioned, clean and honest — overcharging tourists is genuinely rare, especially with meters running. The flag-fall is NT$70 for the first 1.25 km, then NT$5 per additional 250 m (or per 80 seconds of waiting time). Most journeys in central Taipei run NT$150–250. Night surcharges apply after 23:00 and before 06:00 (+20%). Taxis are yellow; hail from the roadside or call via the Taiwan Taxi app or LINE Taxi. If you have a destination written in Chinese characters (or a Google Maps pin to show the driver), there is no language barrier whatsoever. Receipts are available on request. Avoid unlicensed touts outside Shilin, Raohe and other night markets — always use metered yellow cabs or app-booked rides.
Uber operates freely in Taipei and is a solid alternative to taxis, particularly for visitors who prefer upfront fare estimates and in-app payment. Request via the standard Uber app — drivers are typically in a regular private car (not a yellow taxi). Pricing is broadly similar to metered taxis for most journeys, though surge pricing during rain, rush hour and late-night weekend hours can push fares noticeably higher. The biggest practical advantages over taxis: no language barrier (destination entered in English in the app), no need for cash, driver accountability via the rating system, and the ability to share your ride with companions. Availability is excellent in central Taipei and the main tourist corridors; slightly thinner in outer districts late at night. Grab is not widely used in Taiwan — Uber is the dominant app-based option.
Taipei rewards walkers. The city core is flat, the pavements are wide and shade is available along most major roads. Several districts are best experienced entirely on foot: Ximending — a compact pedestrian shopping and entertainment zone where everything is within 10 minutes on foot; Zhongshan — café-lined Chifeng Street and tree-canopied galleries; Da'an — neighbourhood streets between Yongkang Park and Shida Night Market; Xinyi — connected walkways between Taipei 101, ATT 4 FUN, Breeze Nanshan and the Eslite 24-hour bookstore. Walking distances on Google Maps tend to feel shorter than they look — Taipei blocks are relatively compact, and street-level detail (food stalls, temple gateways, hidden lanes) rewards those who move slowly. Comfortable shoes are essential; pavements can be uneven in older districts like Wanhua.
Two rail networks operate from Taipei for longer journeys. The Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR / 高鐵) connects Taipei to Kaohsiung in under 2 hours (NT$1,490 standard; discounts for advance booking via the THSR app). Trains depart from Taipei Main Station (also Nangang Station). The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA / 台鐵) is the older regional network — slower but cheaper and with stops at smaller towns. Most relevant to tourists: TRA from Ruifang Station to Jiufen and Shifen (the classic northeast coast day trip), and the Pingxi Branch Line. Buy THSR tickets via the official app or website in advance for discounts; TRA tickets from staffed windows or machines at the station. Neither accepts EasyCard — separate tickets required. For the Taoyuan Airport MRT, see the airport transfer guide.
Stop guessing. Here is the right answer for the six most common transport decisions in Taipei.
Best option: Airport MRT Express (NT$160, 35 min to Taipei Main Station). Buy an EasyCard at the Airport MRT counter before boarding — it covers your NT$160 fare immediately, then switches to the in-city 20% discount for every subsequent journey. The Express train runs every 15–30 minutes; the Commuter train is slower but stops at more stations. Taxis and Uber cost NT$1,000–1,400 and take 40–75 minutes depending on traffic — only worth it for large groups with heavy luggage or if arriving very late at night after the MRT has stopped.
Best option: MRT to the closest station, then walk. Shilin Night Market — MRT Red Line to Jiantan Station (exit 1, 5-min walk). Raohe Night Market — MRT Green Line to Songshan Station (exit 5, 3-min walk). Ningxia Night Market — MRT Red/Green Line to Shuanglian Station, 8-min walk. For Tonghua (Linjiang) — MRT Red Line to Xinyi Anhe, 7-min walk. The walk from the station is part of the experience — street food starts before you reach the market. Getting home after midnight: taxi or Uber; budget NT$200–350 back to the city centre.
Best option: TRA train from Taipei Main Station or Songshan to Ruifang (for Jiufen) or Shifen (Pingxi Line). From Ruifang Station, take bus 788 or 825 up to Jiufen Old Street — about 25 minutes, NT$25. For Shifen, transfer at Ruifang to the Pingxi Branch Line (trains run every 30–60 min; NT$52 from Taipei). EasyCard is accepted on TRA regional trains — a genuine convenience. Consider combining both in one day: Shifen lanterns in the morning (arrive early), then taxi to Jiufen for the afternoon and sunset. See the full Jiufen and Shifen day trip guide for the complete itinerary.
Best option: metered taxi or Uber. The MRT stops at approximately midnight (last trains vary by line — be at a platform by 23:30 to be safe). After that, night buses (routes prefixed 'N') run on key corridors every 30–60 minutes but are slow and infrequent. For most tourists, a taxi or Uber is the practical choice: NT$200–400 from Shilin or Raohe back to central Taipei, NT$150–250 between city-centre districts. Always use metered yellow taxis or app-booked Uber — never accept a tout's offer outside a night market, regardless of the quoted price.
Best option: walk, with YouBike for longer stretches. Taipei's most interesting neighbourhoods — Zhongshan's café lane, Da'an's residential streets, Yongkang Park, the lanes around Longshan Temple in Wanhua — are best absorbed at walking pace. If your feet tire, grab a YouBike from the nearest docking station (every NT$10 gets you 30 minutes). A typical neighbourhood morning: MRT to the district, 2–3 hours on foot, YouBike to the next café cluster, back to MRT. This combination is faster than any other transport option for slow-travel days and costs under NT$50 total.
Best option: MRT as much as possible, taxi or Uber for the final stretch. Taipei rain can be intense and arrive with little warning — a lightweight rain jacket and a pocket umbrella are essential kit. On rainy days, stick to the MRT network: the underground stations, covered walkways between exits and the mall connections at Taipei City Hall and Taipei Main Station mean you can reach many destinations almost entirely under cover. When you do need to go above ground, budget for a taxi or Uber rather than a YouBike (wet roads, slippery pavements). Bus stops have shelters on most major roads. Taxis are harder to hail in heavy rain — book via app.
Attractions, day trips, food guides, itineraries and neighbourhood hotel picks — the full picture for first-time visitors.
Every line explained, EasyCard step-by-step, key interchange stations, etiquette rules, unlimited passes and end-of-trip refunds.
Open MRT Guide →Visas, currency, SIM cards, tipping, electricity and a full pre-departure checklist. Everything to know before you land.
Open Practical Info →The 10 best things to do in Taipei — Taipei 101, the National Palace Museum, Longshan Temple, Jiufen and more — all reachable by MRT.
See Top Attractions →A complete hour-by-hour plan for 3 days in Taipei — with MRT directions for every leg, budget breakdown and tips for first-timers.
Open Itinerary →Six Taipei neighbourhoods compared — Ximending, Zhongshan, Xinyi, Da'an and more — with hotel picks at every budget and MRT access ratings.
Neighbourhood Guide →Eight Taipei night markets compared — Shilin, Raohe, Ningxia and more — with MRT directions, must-eat dishes and practical tips.
Night Markets Guide →Read our honest comparison of self-drive vs private driver — including the IDP legality question that most blogs gloss over.
The truth about IDP legality, why a Thai license alone is illegal in Taiwan, and why "private driver" is often the most honest pick.
Read the comparison →The complete Taipei hub covers day-by-day itineraries, neighbourhood hotel picks, the best night markets and every attraction worth your time — all in one place.