Practical

Getting around Tainan

How to pay for rides, which pass is worth it, and the small rules that trip visitors up. Every tip links to where it comes from.

Paying for rides

Tainan has no metro. Buses and the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle accept EasyCard, iPASS and icash. (taiwantrip.com.tw, udn.com)
The same cards work on Taiwan Railway trains, including the Shalun Line from the high-speed rail station. Tap in at the gate and tap out at your destination. (i-pass.com.tw, phys.ncts.ntu.edu.tw)
If you pay cash on a bus, bring exact change. Drivers do not give change. (taiwantrip.com.tw 2)
You can top up an iPASS at 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life and OK Mart. (i-pass.com.tw)

Tap your card when you get on and again when you get off. (udn.com, twtainan.net)
Phone payment apps such as EasyWallet, iPASS MONEY and icash Pay work on all Greater Tainan buses. You scan once when you board and once when you get off. (udn.com)
Plan bus trips with the city's 2384 website, which has an English option and shows live bus locations. (twtainan.net, 2384.tainan.gov.tw)

Route 98 (Fucheng–Taijiang) is the most useful route for visitors. It starts at Tainan Railway Station and passes the Confucius Temple, Hayashi Department Store, Chihkan Tower and Anping. It then continues to Eternal Golden Castle, Sicao and Qigu Salt Mountain. (taiwantrip.com.tw 2)
Route 98 costs NT$18 per fare section, and a ride out to the far end costs two sections. Pay by card, by phone app or with exact cash. (taiwantrip.com.tw)
Route 98 runs only a handful of times a day, roughly once an hour from late morning. Check the timetable before you plan around it. (taiwantrip.com.tw)
Route 111 links central Tainan with Kaohsiung International Airport for NT$300. Booking a seat ahead is advised. (taiwantrip.com.tw)
The other Tainan shuttle routes serve rural areas, such as Guanziling, Dongshan coffee country and Hutoupi. Several run on weekends and holidays only. (taiwantrip.com.tw, twtainan.net)

Tainan's high-speed rail station is outside the city centre. To reach downtown, follow the 2nd-floor walkway to Taiwan Railway's Shalun station and take the Shalun Line to Tainan station. (en.thsrc.com.tw, twtainan.net)
Shalun Line trains do not run every few minutes, so check the timetable posted at the station. (en.thsrc.com.tw)
Shuttle bus H31 runs from platform 1 to the Tainan City Government. On the way it stops at the Chimei Museum and Koxinga Shrine. (en.thsrc.com.tw 2)
The high-speed rail shuttle buses are free if you show your high-speed rail ticket, so keep it after you arrive. (en.thsrc.com.tw 2)

Tainan has YouBike 2.0. Registered members pay NT$10 per 30 minutes for the first 4 hours, and the price per 30 minutes rises after that. (en.youbike.com.tw)
Without registering, you can pay for a single rental by credit card. You get no discount, and a NT$3,000 deposit is held on the card. (en.youbike.com.tw, money101.com.tw)

Uber works in Tainan, and you can book a regular taxi through the Uber app. Pickups may take longer than in big cities. (uber.com)
Taxis wait at the railway and high-speed rail stations and outside department stores. Downtown, you can flag one down at the curb. (twtainan.net 2)
Licensed taxis are yellow and use a meter that starts at NT$85. Fares are 20% higher from 11 pm to 6 am. (twtainan.net, kingautos.net, roo.cash)
Most taxis take cash only. Few drivers speak English, so have your destination written in Chinese. (twtainan.net 2)

Fares and rules change. Check the operator's site before you rely on a price or a last train. Last checked October 2026.