Airport
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
IATA Code: TPELocation: The airport is situated about 25 miles (40km) southwest of Taipei city centre.
Time: Local time is GMT +8.
Contacts: Tel: +886 (0)3 398 3728.
Transfer between terminals: The Skytrain provides free transport between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and a shuttle bus also connects the two terminals. There are regular buses to Taipei's other international airport, Songshan.
Transfer to the city: Several bus companies provide services to Taipei and other destinations around Taiwan. The journey to Taipei takes about 40 minutes and fares are around NT$ 125. Tickets can be bought at counters in the arrivals section and the bus platforms are located outside the terminals for buses that depart every 15 to 30 minutes. Taxis are available outside Arrivals 24 hours a day, but are more expensive. Taxis are metered; a typical taxi fare to Taipei is around NT$1,100 which includes a 50 percent surcharge on top of the metered fare. Highway tolls will cost extra. (Terminal one taxis Tel: (+03-398-2832) (Terminal two taxis Tel: +03-398-3599). Cars can also be rented from the arrivals hall on the north side (Tel: +03-398-2576). There is a shuttle bus to the high speed rail service which connect travelers to various stations in the city. Note that there is a Visitor's Desk in the Arrivals hall with English speaking assistance; if you have missed your transport connection, they will make telephone calls for you.
Car rental: Car rental service counters are located in the Arrivals lobby of both terminals.
Facilities: There are two banks in the airport with bureaux de change and ATMs, as well as a post office. There is an Internet room, wireless Internet and plenty of public telephones. Information desks are situated in each terminal, and a tourist services desk is located in the arrivals area of Terminal 1. Both terminals are well supplied with Asian and Western food outlets, including bars and restaurants. There is ample duty free shopping and several boutiques stocking a wide range of goods. A business lounge offers VIP service. There are good facilities for the disabled.
Parking:
Departure tax: NT$300 which is usually added to the ticket price.
Website: www.taoyuanairport.gov.tw/english/index.jsp
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Taipei
Taipei, the capital of the island nation of Taiwan, is hot, crowded, chaotic and cosmopolitan, one of the Asian 'tiger' cities that throbs with life day and night. The city skyscrapers reach up from a basin in the north of Taiwan, which is separated from the Chinese mainland by the narrow Formosa Strait. For decades the recognition of the independence of Taiwan has been an issue domestically and internationally, and the dispute is still simmering. Taipei itself has grown from a swampy farming settlement into a modern metropolis in an extraordinarily short time, most of its development having taken place since World War II. The latest engineering feat to grace the city's ever-rising skyline is the soaring Taipei 101 tower (named because of its 101 floors), opened in 2004, which not only serves as an amazing tourist attraction for those with a head for heights, but is also the city's international financial centre. Down on the ground the districts of Taipei swarm with a conglomeration of cultures going about their business in streets choked with unruly traffic. The city is packed with excellent restaurants (it is renowned among gourmets), magnificent hotels, glitzy shopping malls, wonderful museums, temples, spas and peaceful gardens. As the sun goes down the night markets open up, usually packed with tourists and bargain hunters who throng the alleyways in the heavy humid night air, which is fraught with the tantalising aromas of the food stalls. Taipei is also crammed with bars and nightclubs, and its red light district in Zhong Shan is one of the most legendary in Asia. When the city becomes too stifling, visitors can head for the hills to the north west to relax at one of the spas built to utilize the Bei Tou area's hot springs, or take a hike through the Yang Ming Shan National Park.
