2021年11月30日 星期二

Taiwan 101: Airports


For all intents and purposes there are only two international airports in Taiwan: the Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei, and the Kaohsiung International Airport in Kaohsiung.  Most international travelers arrive and depart from Taoyuan Airport.

During my time in Taiwan I've been through a lot of airports in North America and Asia, and I'd have to say that the Taoyuan Airport isn't bad.  It's much better than other airports in neighboring countries.  In my opinion the best, shiniest, most modern airport is the Hong Kong International Airport, and while the Taoyuan Airport isn't that good it still ranks near the top of my list.

The Kaohsiung Airport?  I've never been inside of it.  I can remember driving my father-in-law to the departures area once, but I've never had any reason to go into that place.  Flights have always been more convenient from Taoyuan, even though I live much closer to Kaohsiung.  

I always had the impression that the Kaohsiung Airport was for the "foreign workers," from places like the Philippines and Indonesia, or maybe for Taiwanese businessmen shuttling back and forth between Taiwan and China.  I've had a couple expat friends "return home" from there, but it's never worked for me.


Both the Taoyuan and Kaohsiung airports are serviced by mass rapid transit (MRT) systems.  From the Taoyuan Airport you can ride the newer Airport MRT, also called the Taoyuan Airport MRT, to Taipei Main Station.  From the Kaohsiung Airport you can ride the KMRT (Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit) to central Kaohsiung.  A taxi from Kaohsiung Airport to downtown Kaohsiung is manageable; a taxi from Taoyuan Airport to Taipei Main Station would be expensive.  There are of course also buses, but I've learned from personal experience that taking the bus can be problematic if you're arriving (or departing) at an unusual time.  I've never tried to rent a car near either airport.

In case you're interested, you can click here to see the arrivals for Taoyuan and here to see the departures.  Likewise you can click here for both arrivals and departures to and from Kaohsiung International Airport.  Thanks to COVID you'll see many cancelled flights at both airports.

There's a map of domestic airports here.  As you can see from the map (sorry about the Chinese, no English version available), there are airports in Taipei, Taichung, Jiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Hengchun (Kenting), Taitung, Hualien and the outlying islands.  Some of these airports also list international flights, but I'm not sure if these flights are for cargo, Taiwanese businessmen working in China, or both.

Be aware that getting to some of the domestic airports can be a serious pain in the ass.  Some of them are located in truly inconvenient locations, and getting from those airports to places with hotels can be a hassle.  Domestic air travel in Taiwan also isn't cheap, and if you're a foreigner there can be problems regarding ARCs, passports, credit cards and who knows what else.  The staff in domestic airports don't deal with a lot of international travelers.

If you're visiting Taiwan for the first time don't worry, the international airports will take good care of you.  I've never had a problem coming into Taiwan, and the airline and airport staff always seems very professional.  Just be sure you fill out your forms correctly, have your passport ready, and you should be on your way out of the airport - and on your way to quarantine - in no time.  


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