For most trips, start with the high speed rail. From HSR Hsinchu Station in Zhubei, Taipei Main Station is 31 to 36 minutes away and Taoyuan HSR Station, where you change for the airport, just 10 to 12. The bus and the train cost less, and the airport bus runs through the night, but both depend on where in Hsinchu you start. If you live near Hsinchu TRA or Guangfu Road, they may suit you better.
Hsinchu to Taoyuan International Airport
| Option | How | Cost (one way) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSR + Airport MRT | HSR Hsinchu to Taoyuan HSR (10 to 12 min), then the Airport MRT commuter train from A18 to Terminal 2 (A13) or Terminal 1 (A12) | NT$130 (HSR reserved) + NT$35 (MRT) | Zhubei and the HSR area; daytime flights |
| 1250 airport bus | Hsinchu Bus Station and Guangfu Road straight to Terminals 2 and 1 on Freeway 1 | Check with the operator | The city centre and Guangfu Road; night and early flights |
| CAR Taxi, Uber or your own car | Freeway 1 | Varies | Early flights, families with luggage |
The HSR and Airport MRT
Take a northbound HSR to Taoyuan (桃園), one stop. At Taoyuan HSR Station follow the signs for the Airport MRT, station A18 (高鐵桃園站). Only commuter trains (普通車) stop at A18; the express trains don't, so take the commuter train toward Taipei, which reaches Terminal 2 (A13) and then Terminal 1 (A12). The MRT fare from A18 to either terminal is NT$35, and you can tap an EasyCard or iPASS. Check which terminal your airline uses before you go.
The 1250 airport bus
Route 1250, run by Rihao Bus (日豪客運), goes from Hsinchu Bus Station (新竹轉運站), beside Hsinchu TRA, via Gongyuan, the Second Police Precinct, MacKay Memorial Hospital, NTHU and NYCU on Guangfu Road, then straight up Freeway 1 to Terminal 2 and Terminal 1. There are 18 departures a day each way, every day, including through the night: from Hsinchu at 00:00, 02:00, 04:00 and 05:00, then most hours from 07:00 to 23:00; from Terminal 1 at 01:00, 03:00 and 05:00, then most hours from 06:30 to 22:30 (Highway Bureau timetable, November 2026). It doesn't stop in Zhubei, so from the HSR side, the HSR and Airport MRT is simpler.
Good to know: the Taoyuan-Hsinchu TPASS (NT$799) and the Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli TPASS (NT$1,200) include Airport MRT stations A7 to A22, which covers A18 and both terminals. The NT$288 Hsinchu-only plan doesn't.
Hsinchu to Taipei
| Option | From | Time | Fare (one way) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSR | HSR Hsinchu (Zhubei) | 31 to 36 min to Taipei Main | NT$290 reserved, NT$280 non-reserved |
| TRA Tze-Chiang | Hsinchu TRA | 54 to 88 min | NT$253 |
| TRA local train | Hsinchu TRA | 97 to 122 min (local express 80 to 89) | NT$163 |
| BUS 1822, 2011, 1728 | Hsinchu Bus Station, Guangfu Road | Depends on freeway traffic | Check with the operator |
HSR and TRA figures are from the operators' timetables for Tuesday, November 10, 2026. The HSR also continues to Nangang (42 to 48 minutes, NT$330) and stops at Banqiao (23 to 27 minutes, NT$260). A 30-day HSR commuter pass between Hsinchu and Taipei was NT$8,230. The details are in trains in Hsinchu and on the HSR page.
BUS Buses to Taipei
All three main routes start at Hsinchu Bus Station and pick up along Guangfu Road by NTHU and NYCU:
- 1822, Kuo-Kuang (國光客運): to Taipei Bus Station, by Taipei Main Station. Around a dozen trips a day each way.
- 2011, Haotai (豪泰客運): to Taipei Bus Station, with extra trips at weekends.
- 1728, Asia-Link (亞聯客運): via Freeway 3 and Longtan to eastern and southern Taipei (Dapinglin, Jingmei, Gongguan, NTU, and Ren'ai and Dunhua Roads). It also stops at the Science Park's Life Center. The timetable varies a lot by day of the week.
- 1820, Kuo-Kuang: Zhudong to Taipei via Guanxi and Longtan, useful from the county side.
Buses are cheaper than the HSR but share the freeway with everyone else. Friday evenings southbound, Sunday evenings northbound and the start and end of long weekends are when they slow down most. Timetables are on the Highway Bureau's intercity bus site.
CAR Driving
National Freeway 1 and National Freeway 3 both run from Hsinchu to Taipei. As a rough guide, allow about an hour from Zhubei to central Taipei with clear roads, and much longer at rush hour or at the start and end of a holiday. To Taoyuan Airport, allow roughly 40 minutes to an hour from Zhubei outside rush hour. These are our estimates, not measured times: check a navigation app before you leave, and leave a big margin for a flight.
Which to choose
- Living in Zhubei near the HSR: HSR for Taipei, HSR plus Airport MRT for daytime flights.
- Living in the city centre or East District: the 1250 bus for flights, especially early or late ones; the TRA or the 1822 and 2011 buses for Taipei if you aren't in a hurry.
- Commuting to Taipei every day: look at the HSR 30-day pass, and read Hsinchu or Taipei before deciding where to live.
- Visiting for work: fly in, take the MRT and HSR to Hsinchu, and see a work trip to Hsinchu.
→ The HSR station · A work trip to Hsinchu · Where to stay
Sources: THSR, timetable and fare search (November 10, 2026); THSR, commuter pass; Taoyuan Metro, tickets and fare table and A18 Taoyuan HSR Station; Taiwan Railway, timetable and fares (Hsinchu to Taipei, November 10, 2026); Highway Bureau intercity bus timetables (1250, 1728, 1820, 1822, 2011); Hsinchu County bus information (stops); iPASS, TPASS plans; Uber, Hsinchu. Driving times are our estimates. Checked November 2026.