NT$ fare beats taxis if you’re solo: CitiAir Bus at TSA
CitiAir Bus Service runs airport coaches linking Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA) with city districts at a fraction of the roughly NT$300–NT$400 you’d pay for a metered taxi into central Taipei. Buses pick up outside Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 arrivals, so you stay landside and walk straight out after customs and baggage claim.
Most CitiAir coaches at TSA operate roughly from early morning around 06:00 until late evening close to 22:00, which matches the bulk of domestic and short-haul regional flights. You buy tickets at the airport bus counters or directly from the driver with cash in New Taiwan dollars; expect a one-way fare that usually lands in the low NT$100s depending on route and distance into town.
From TSA to central Taipei, CitiAir coaches typically take 20–40 minutes depending on traffic along routes feeding into MRT hubs like Taipei Main Station and major hotels. Coaches use standard highway buses with individual seats and luggage storage underneath, so large checked bags go in the hold and only small backpacks stay with you on board.
Service frequency on CitiAir routes is usually in the 15–30 minute range during daytime peaks, stretching longer late at night or during the midday lull. Skipped departures can happen around major holidays like Lunar New Year or typhoon days, so check the day’s timetable at the ticket counter rather than assuming the printed 10–15 minute headways always hold.
If your flight uses Terminal 1 at TSA, follow the airport “Bus” icons down one level from arrivals to the curbside bays; Terminal 2 passengers walk about 3–5 minutes to the same line of stops. Look for coaches marked with the CitiAir brand and a route number on the front LED display before boarding, as several other regional bus companies share the same physical bays.
Step-by-step: how to use CitiAir Bus at Taipei Songshan
- 1. After landing at TSA Terminal 1 or 2, clear immigration and collect bags; this usually takes 10–25 minutes for regional flights.
- 2. Follow the blue “Bus/Taxi” signs down one level to the ground transport hall directly under arrivals.
- 3. Stop at the bus information or ticket counter next to the exit doors and ask for the next CitiAir departure to your district or to Taipei Main Station; have NT$100–NT$300 ready in cash.
- 4. Walk to the posted bay number printed on your ticket (for example, Bay 3 or Bay 5) and queue on the marked line on the pavement.
- 5. When the CitiAir coach pulls in, confirm the route number on the LED sign with the driver, load big suitcases into the side luggage hold, then board and take any open seat.
- 6. Keep the small paper ticket the staff or driver hands you; you may need to show it again when you get off at your stop in Taipei.
- 7. Once you arrive at your stop, wait until bags are unloaded from the hold, then double-check you have all items before stepping away from the bus bay.
One last tip: keep a 30–40 minute buffer before check-in closes, since Taipei traffic on Zhongxiao East Road and surrounding arterials can turn a 20-minute CitiAir ride back to TSA into a 45-minute slog at rush hour.