NT$140–160 gets you from TPE straight into Xinyi
CitiAir Bus 1960 runs from T1 and T2 at Taoyuan Airport to the Taipei 101 / World Trade Center / Xinyi hotel belt in roughly 60–80 minutes. Fares sit around US$4–5 (about NT$140–160) one way, and the bus uses the freeway before looping through key hotel stops like the Grand Hyatt Taipei and properties around Taipei City Hall.
Buses usually roll every 20–30 minutes from early morning through late evening, so you rarely stare at the timetable for long. Compared with CitiAir 1819 to Taipei Main, riders on r/taiwantravel say 1960 is the go-to for W Hotel and Taipei 101 stays because it drops closer to hotel doors instead of a giant train hub.
The route slows once it hits Xinyi, and that is where the 60–80 minute range comes from; traffic plus the stop order matter. One Reddit user mentioned sitting through several hotel stops before reaching their own, so if your hotel is near the end of the loop, build an extra 15–20 minutes into any tight evening plans.
Payment usually works with EasyCard on the validator by the front door, but several travellers still report carrying NT$200 in coins or small bills in case the machine is offline. Compared with the Airport MRT’s newer rolling stock, some riders describe 1960 interiors as a bit worn and mention strong air-conditioning, so keep a light jacket in the top of your bag.
On the city side, 1960 stops around Taipei 101, Taipei World Trade Center, and Xinyi hotels, but signage can be patchy; multiple Reddit posts complain that the pole signs are not always clearly marked “1960.” Regulars staying at the Grand Hyatt or W often keep a photo of the exact stop location on their phones to avoid wandering Xinyi streets with luggage before an early-morning flight.
What the frequent visitors do: in peak rush-hour traffic, some skip 1960 entirely and pair the Airport MRT to Taipei Main with a short Taipei Metro ride to Taipei 101 / World Trade Center, trading the single-seat bus ride for reliability. One last tip: at TPE, confirm “1960 Xinyi” on the side LED display before boarding so you do not end up on another CitiAir route like 1819 by mistake.