Arriving in Tainan: the Free High Speed Rail Shuttle, the Shalun Line and City Buses

Most visitors reach Tainan on the high-speed rail, whose Tainan station is in Guiren District. THSR’s visitor fares and passes cover the train there, and Taichung and Kaohsiung are the stops either side.

The free H31 shuttle

Tainan City’s H31 bus runs from High Speed Rail Tainan Station via Tainan Airport to the Tainan City Government at Yonghua. Since 15 June 2022 it has been free for high-speed rail passengers, who show their ticket stub. Other riders pay NT$18 a segment.

• Times: from the high-speed rail station from 06:35 to midnight, on the schedule in effect from 12 February 2026.
• Journey: most trips take 50 to 60 minutes.
• Operator: Hancheng Bus, 0800-889-116.

The Shalun line

A walkway on the 2nd floor of the high-speed rail station leads to the TRA’s Shalun station, where the short Shalun line runs to Tainan station in the city centre. Shalun station is open from 05:23 to 23:46. TRA’s fare search did not load for us, so check the fare in its app.

City buses

Tainan’s transport bureau says you pay in cash, with no change given, or with EasyCard, iPASS or icash 2.0, tapping both on and off. Its pages do not list bank cards. For 2026, the first 8 km on trunk and branch routes are free, and a transfer within two hours to another city bus or to Taiwan Railways gets NT$9 off. A city bus day pass costs NT$500 and a 4-hour pass NT$300.

Bus routes and times are easiest to follow on a phone. Saily, set up before you fly, has you online at the station. If Taiwan is one stop on a longer trip, add each country to the same Saily profile.

From Tainan Airport

Tainan Airport lists the H31, route 105 and others. Its page gives no fares, so check with the driver.

Emergency numbers

Taiwan’s National Police Agency lists 110 for police, and the National Fire Agency 119 for fire and ambulance and 112 from any mobile phone. The Tourism Administration’s 24-hour toll-free travel hotline is 0800-011-765.