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How to get to Yilan — by Coach
Yilan is only 1 hour away from Taipei thanks to Xueshan Tunnel. It is perfect destination for people who only visit Taiwan for 3–5 days and yet still want to have a taste of real Taiwan cultures and rural vibes outside of Taipei.
There are 2 ways of transportation that connect Yilan with Taipei, coach bus and TRA train.
My personal preference is take the coach from centre Taipei and get off at the city center in Yilan after a short journey through the Xueshan Tunnel.
There are 2 major bus operators that have coaches to Yilan County, Capital Bus, and Kamalan Bus.
- Capital Bus
+: High Frequency/ More Comfort/ IC Cards OK/Fast
-: Only from Taipei City Hall station
Frequency: 10–15 mins
Take the MRT to Taipei City Hall Station and take Exit №2 to the City Hall Bus Station.
Turn left when you are on the ground floor by the escalator and you will see the counter below.
If you want to buy the bus ticket, go to the capital bus counter-red circle in the picture. You can also take the bus with your IC cards like Easy Card or iPass to skip the long queue. (Make sure it’s topped up over NT$280 for the return journey.)
<Ticket prices: Taipei-Jiaoxi NT$ 96 Taipei- Yilan NT$ 131 Taipei-Luodong NT$ 131>
After you purchase the tickets or if you decide to use your IC cards, follow the arrow and go to platform 12-16, depending on which part of Yilan County you are going to.
(Normally it’s 12–13 for Luodong and 14–16 for Jiaoxi and Yilan City. The platforms may change, please make sure before getting in line.)
Wait in line and scan your IC card at the bus or present your ticket to the staff when getting on the bus. Seats are random. No assigned seats
Please note: if you are going to Yilan/ Jiaoxi, you will be in the same line, ask to make sure you are onto the right bus. The staff will call out the destination, so just pay attention.
Once you get on the bus, stay on the bus till the terminal, and you will arrive at the place you want to go- Jiaoxi (№1572), Yilan (№1571), Luodong (№1570) station.
2. Kamalan Bus
+: More stations in Taipei
-: Detour in Taipei city takes lots of time/ less comfort/ Booking required
Frequency: 30 minutes
There are three stations you can take Kamalan Bus. The bus will start from Banqiao Bus Station, and go through Taipei Bus Station and Technology Building Station before it hits the highway.
From Taipei Bus Station:
Taipei Bus Station is located on the intersection of Civic Blvd. and Chengde Rd.. You may take the Y1 and R1 exit from Zhongshan underpass, or take exit 1 from MRT Taipei Main Station. Or you can take the North 3 exit from TRA Taipei Station and cross Civic Blvd.
Passengers who reserve online, please receive your ticket at counter №23 on the ground floor. If you are purchasing tickets on-the-spot, please go to gate 13 at 4F. The boarding gates are №13 and 14 at 4th floor. Seats will be assigned when booking or on the tickets you purchase.
From technology Building Station:
Exit from MRT Technology Building Station and cross Fuxing S. Rd., and you will see Kamalan MRT Technology Building Station on your right hand side. You will need to buy tickets on the counter or book a ticket in advance online. Seats will be assigned when booking or on the tickets you purchase.
If you are coming from Taipei near the Blue Line of MRT, Capital Bus is the better choice since it doesn’t go around in Taipei but directly goes on the highway. It saves tons of your precious time.
(Source: Kamalan Bus- http://www.kamalan.com.tw/route.php)
Return journey we will only talk about starting from Yilan Transfer Station.
🚌 When you are going back from the Yilan Station
Capital Bus :
You need to go to the counter to ask for 1 number ticket/ per person before after you arrive at the station. You can also buy tickets here or use IC card at boarding. No assigned seat numbers. Just take a seat when aboard.
Buy tickets at the Kamalan counter and you will get the tickets with seat numbers on it.
It is mostly pleasant to travel in Taiwan by TRA trains, but local people prefer taking bus than train when it comes to Yilan. It costs less and takes less time to travel by bus.
BTW, one thing to take note of: Traffic can be jammed on weekend mornings. Leave early if you have itineraries to stick to. 😉
Any questions or if you need an English tour guide to take you and explain everything, leave a message or check out the Instagram account: @dowhat_taiwan
