How do I get to Taipei?

Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), 40 km west of Taipei, handles nearly all international traffic. You'll walk off the jetway into Terminal 1 or 2, both cooled to near-frigid air conditioning that hits like a wall after a long-haul cabin. The duty-free corridors at TPE smell faintly of oolong from the tea vendors. Songshan Airport (TSA), 5 km east of Taipei Main Station, runs select routes to Tokyo Haneda, Seoul Gimpo, and Shanghai Hongqiao on ANA, Japan Airlines, and EVA Air. If your itinerary connects through Haneda, landing at TSA puts you 10 minutes by taxi from Zhongshan District hotels.

From the US west coast, EVA Air and China Airlines fly nonstop from LAX and SFO in about 12.5 hours at $800-1,200 round-trip. EVA's 777-300ER from LAX might be the most comfortable economy seat on the Pacific. From JFK, both airlines run nonstops at about 15.5 hours for $900-1,400. Delta codeshares through Seoul Incheon or Tokyo Narita sometimes drop to $750, but you'll add 4-6 hours. From London, Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong and Emirates via Dubai both run about 15-16 hours at £550-850. EVA Air also routes through Bangkok from Heathrow for £500-750. Budget travelers from Europe might check Scoot via Singapore, where fares can dip to £400 in shoulder season.

From Tokyo Narita or Haneda, Peach Aviation and Tigerair Taiwan fly the 3.5-hour hop for $100-180 round-trip. Seoul Incheon to TPE is 2.5 hours on Korean Air, Asiana, or budget carriers T'way and Jin Air at $150-280. The cheapest booking window tends to be late February through April and again in October through mid-November, between typhoon season and the holiday rush. Avoid the Chinese New Year window, usually late January to mid-February, and the December 20 through January 5 stretch, when fares from all source markets rise 40-60%. Land between June and September and the tarmac heat will fog your glasses the second you step outside the terminal.

The Taoyuan Airport MRT runs from both TPE terminals to Taipei Main Station every 15 minutes. Express trains take 35 minutes and cost NT$160 (about $5). You step out at Taipei Main into the underground mall corridors, where summer humidity seeps through the exits and the smell of scallion pancakes drifts from the food court vendors. Kuo-Kuang bus 1819 runs 24 hours to Taipei Main for NT$145 and takes 50-60 minutes depending on highway traffic. A metered taxi to Zhongxiao Dunhua or Xinyi runs NT$1,100-1,300 ($35-40), about 45 minutes. Skip the private car services hawked in the arrivals hall. The MRT is faster and a tenth of the price.