20–30 minutes on the MRT links TSA to Taipei Main
Figure on about 20–30 minutes from Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA) to Taipei Main Station by regular Taipei Metro, then another 35–40 minutes on the Taoyuan Airport MRT to TPE. This combo makes sense if you’re chaining flights or trains in one day and need TSA now but Taoyuan or HSR later.
From TSA Terminal 1, walk 5–7 minutes indoors to Songshan Airport Station on the Wenhu Line (Brown Line), then ride 5 stops (about 13 minutes) to Zhongxiao Fuxing and transfer to the Bannan Line (Blue Line) for 3 stops (about 6 minutes) to Taipei Main Station. Standard MRT fare for this leg runs around NT$35–45 per person with an EasyCard.
At Taipei Main Station, follow purple “Taoyuan Airport MRT” signs for a 5–10 minute walk through the underground passages, including a couple of long escalators. The Taoyuan Airport MRT runs roughly every 15 minutes off-peak, with Express trains marked A1–A3–A12–A13 and All-Stop trains hitting every station; Express is about 35 minutes to Terminal 1 (A12) and 38 minutes to Terminal 2 (A13).
Taoyuan Airport MRT fares from A1 Taipei Main to the airport run around NT$150, and you can tap in with EasyCard, iPASS, or buy a single-journey token at the machines. First train from A1 usually leaves around 06:00, last train close to 23:30, so if your TSA arrival is after 22:30, double-check the evening timetable and have a backup plan.
This whole TSA → Taipei Main → Taoyuan MRT chain typically costs about NT$200 one-way and takes 60–75 minutes station to station, versus roughly 40–60 minutes by taxi direct in light traffic. Where the rail route wins is predictability during rush hour and the easy transfer to Taiwan High Speed Rail or conventional trains upstairs at Taipei Main.
If you’re holding a later HSR ticket from Taipei to Taichung, Tainan, or Zuoying, budget a 20-minute buffer between stepping off the Taoyuan Airport MRT at A1 and boarding your HSR; the HSR concourse sits one level above the Metro and you’ll want time for ticket checks, escalators, and a quick restroom stop before your platform call.
One tip: grab an EasyCard at TSA’s Metro vending machines or counters before you leave the airport; a single reloadable card covers the Brown Line, Blue Line, and Taoyuan Airport MRT, which saves you from queueing at token machines during every transfer.