Flying Melbourne to Taiwan? Flight Times, Direct Routes, Best Layovers and Getting from Taoyuan Airport to Your Hotel
- How long is the flight from Melbourne to Taipei, Taiwan?
- Are there direct flights from Melbourne to Taipei, Taiwan, and which is best?
- Where should you transfer flying from Melbourne to Taipei, Taiwan?
- What time do flights from Melbourne arrive in Taipei?
- How do you get from Taoyuan Airport to Taipei after a Melbourne to Taiwan flight?
- How much does a taxi from Taoyuan Airport cost, and is Uber available in Taiwan?
- Where do you meet your driver at Taoyuan Airport after a Melbourne to Taiwan flight?
- How do you travel from Taipei to Kaohsiung, Taichung or Sun Moon Lake?
- Melbourne to Taiwan: frequently asked questions
There is exactly one nonstop flight from Melbourne to Taiwan, and it lands before the trains start running.
It also lands at a different time depending on the season, which catches out travellers who book months ahead.
This guide covers everything you need to plan the trip around that flight:
- Flight time: how long thewhat t nonstop really takes, and what a connection costs you in hours.
- Who flies it: the only airline operating the nonstop, why Qantas appears as direct, and why China Airlines is not Chinese.
- Where to transfer: eight connecting hubs compared on journey time, Smartraveller advice and Australian passport entry.
- Landing before dawn: why the arrival time shifts twice a year, and what is open at Taoyuan at 5am.
- Getting to your hotel: MRT, bus, taxi and Uber costs, and exactly where your pre booked driver waits.
- Travelling on: Kaohsiung, Taichung and Sun Moon Lake, and where Taiwan's rail network stops.
- FAQ: visas, child seats, waiting time, power adapters and the return trip.
It is written for the traveller stepping off that red eye with luggage and no sleep.
How long is the flight from Melbourne to Taipei, Taiwan?
About 9 hours 25 minutes nonstop.
China Airlines is currently the only airline flying Melbourne to Taiwan without a stop, four times a week.
Add a connection and you are looking at 12 to 14 hours instead.
- Nonstop flight time: about 9h 25m (MEL to TPE)
- Distance: about 7,397km
- Nonstop operator: China Airlines, Tue / Wed / Fri / Sun
- One stop: about 12 to 14 hours total
- Door to door: about 14 to 15 hours nonstop
- Time difference: Taipei is 2 hours behind Melbourne (3 hours during daylight saving)
Nonstop or one stop?
A connection adds roughly 3 to 5 hours to the trip.
| Routing | Airline example | Total time |
| Nonstop | China Airlines | ◎ About 9h 25m |
| Via Hong Kong | Cathay Pacific | About 12h 15m |
| Via Singapore | Singapore Airlines | About 12h 45m to 14h |
| Via KL, Hanoi or Shenzhen | Various | △ Longer, often overnight layovers |
What time does the nonstop land?
Just after 5am.
The nonstop from Melbourne to Taiwan is an overnight flight that lands at dawn.
| Departs Melbourne | Arrives Taoyuan |
| 21:50 | 05:15 next morning |
| 23:20 | 05:30 next morning |
💡tripool advice: you will clear immigration hours before any hotel check in.
Sort out where your luggage goes for that first morning before you fly.
How long is the whole trip, door to door?
Taoyuan Airport is about 40km west of central Taipei, so landing in Taiwan and arriving at your hotel are two different things.
| Stage | Time to allow |
| Melbourne CBD to airport | About 35 minutes |
| Check in and boarding | 2 to 3 hours before departure |
| Flight | About 9h 25m |
| Immigration and baggage | About 45 to 60 minutes |
| Taoyuan to central Taipei | About 35 to 60 minutes |
| Total | About 14 to 15 hours |
On a one stop itinerary, expect 17 to 19 hours door to door.
Is China Airlines a Chinese airline?
No.
China Airlines is Taiwan's flag carrier.
It was founded in Taiwan in 1959 and is headquartered at CAL Park in Taoyuan City, right next to the airport you land at.
The confusion comes from the name: Taiwan's official name is the Republic of China, and the airline took its English name from that back in 1959.
It is a separate company from Air China, which is based in Beijing.
Your nonstop flight from Melbourne to Taiwan goes straight to Taoyuan with no stop in China.
Taiwan's other international carriers are EVA Air and Starlux, both also Taiwanese.
Are there direct flights from Melbourne to Taipei, Taiwan, and which is best?
（source: Melbourne airport's official X）
Yes, but only one.
China Airlines is currently the only airline flying Melbourne to Taipei nonstop, four times a week.
Everything else on this route involves a connection.
- Nonstop operator: China Airlines (CI)
- Days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
- Flight time: about 9h 25m
- Departs Melbourne: 21:50 or 23:20
- Arrives Taoyuan: 05:15 or 05:30 next morning
- Cabins: Economy and Business only, no Premium Economy on this route
- Alliance: SkyTeam
Schedules on this route change seasonally.
Can you book Premium Economy from Melbourne to Taipei?
No.
China Airlines operates this route mainly with the Airbus A350-900, and Premium Economy is not sold on it, so the option will not appear when you book on the official site.
There is one exception worth knowing about.
Aircraft do get swapped, and some substituted planes physically have Premium Economy seats installed.
When that happens the seats are normally released only to high tier members for free selection, or to other passengers as a paid seat choice.
The meals and cabin service still run to Economy standard.
💡tripool advice: if one of those seats comes up, treat it as a paid seat selection rather than a cabin upgrade.
You are buying legroom, not a Premium Economy service.
Is nonstop the best choice?
Not always.
Nonstop saves you roughly 3 to 5 hours, but it runs only four days a week and lands before dawn.
| What matters most to you | Better option | Why |
| Shortest possible trip | ◎ Nonstop | 9h 25m instead of 12h or more |
| Travelling with kids or older parents | ◎ Nonstop | No connection to make, no second boarding |
| Lowest fare | One stop | Connecting fares are usually cheaper |
| Flexible travel dates | One stop | △ Nonstop runs only 4 days a week |
| Landing at a reasonable hour | One stop | △ Nonstop arrives 05:15 |
| Breaking the trip with a stopover | One stop | Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok all work |
Does Qantas fly direct from Melbourne to Taipei?
No.
Some booking sites list Qantas on this route as a direct flight, but the aircraft is operated by China Airlines under a codeshare.
You will be on a China Airlines plane with China Airlines service and baggage rules, whichever airline sold you the ticket.
💡tripool advice: check the small "operated by" line before you pay.
It tells you whose aircraft, seat and baggage allowance you are actually getting.
Which airlines fly Melbourne to Taipei with one stop?
Plenty, and the hub matters more than the airline.
| Airline | Connects via | Total time |
| Cathay Pacific | Hong Kong | About 12h 15m |
| Singapore Airlines | Singapore | About 12h 45m to 14h |
| Malaysia Airlines | Kuala Lumpur | Varies by schedule |
| Vietnam Airlines | Hanoi | Varies by schedule |
| Scoot, AirAsia X | Singapore, Kuala Lumpur | △ Often longest, low cost carriers |
Where should you transfer flying from Melbourne to Taipei, Taiwan?
Singapore or Kuala Lumpur.
Both sit at the lowest Smartraveller advice level, both give Australian passport holders 90 days visa free, and both are easy airports to wait in.
The stopover city is a real decision, not an incidental detail.
It sets your total journey time, your fare, whether you can leave the terminal, and what jurisdiction you are standing in for those hours.
- Fastest: Hong Kong, from about 12h 15m
- Best balance: Singapore, about 12h 45m to 14h
- Cheapest: Kuala Lumpur
- Most overnight layovers: Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi, Manila
- Needs a second look: Hong Kong and China
Comparing the one stop points from Melbourne to Taiwan
| Connecting point | Typical total journey | Smartraveller advice level | Australian passport entry | Worth leaving the airport? |
| Singapore (SIN) | About 12h 45m to 14h | ◎ Exercise normal safety precautions | Visa free, 90 days (SG Arrival Card required) |
Yes, and Changi itself fills a long layover |
| Kuala Lumpur (KUL) | Varies, often 16 hours and up | ◎ Exercise normal safety precautions overall | Visa free, 90 days (MDAC required) |
Yes, KL Sentral is about 30 min by train |
| Bangkok (BKK) | Varies widely | △ Exercise a high degree of caution overall | Visa free, 60 days (TDAC required within 3 days of arrival) |
Yes, the Airport Rail Link reaches the city in about 30 min |
| Manila (MNL) | Varies widely | △ Exercise a high degree of caution overall | Visa free, 30 days (eTravel registration required) |
Only on a long layover, as traffic is unpredictable |
| Hanoi (HAN) | Varies widely | ◎ Exercise normal safety precautions overall | E-Visa required to enter | Possible, but the airport transfer eats the time |
| Bandar Seri Begawan (BWN) | About 11h to 12h flying, plus layover | ◎ Exercise normal safety precautions | △ Visa required, including for transit | Only if you have arranged a visa first |
| Hong Kong (HKG) | From about 12h 15m | × Exercise a high degree of caution | Visa free, 90 days | See the note below before you decide |
| Xiamen (XMN), Shanghai (PVG) | Varies widely | × Exercise a high degree of caution in China overall | Visa free, 30 days (current policy runs to 31 Dec 2026) |
See the note below before you decide |
※ Advice levels and visa rules change.
Check smartraveller.gov.au and the relevant immigration authority before you book.
Why Hong Kong and China need a second look
Because some of the risk attaches to transiting itself.
For Hong Kong, the Australian Government notes that authorities can request access to personal electronic devices and passwords from anyone in Hong Kong, including people transiting through the airport.
It also notes that vapes and heated tobacco products are illegal to possess in public places there, including inside the airport in transit.
For China, the advice notes a risk of arbitrary detention, exit bans, and broadly defined national security laws.
Those risks apply while you are airside, which is what makes them different from the ones behind the Philippines rating.
The Philippines sits at the same overall advice level, but the higher warnings there apply to Mindanao rather than to a layover at Manila.
None of this is a judgement about any of these places as destinations.
It is simply that a stopover you have no particular reason to make is the easiest kind of exposure to avoid.
Thailand works the same way.
The do not travel zones sit within 10km of the Cambodian border, and the reconsider advice covers Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.
Neither applies to a layover at Suvarnabhumi.
Brunei is the opposite case: a low advice level, but the only hub here where Australians need a visa arranged before they fly.
Brunei enforces strict laws on alcohol, drugs and conduct, and those apply to transit passengers too.
Our ranking for an Australian traveller heading to Taiwan
| Rank | Connecting point | Why it sits here |
| 1 | Singapore | ◎ Lowest advice level, generous visa free entry, and an airport built to absorb a long wait |
| 2 | Kuala Lumpur | ◎ Consistently the lowest fares on this route, easy city access, same low advice level |
| 3 | Bangkok | Frequent flights and a good airport, and the higher advice level reflects border provinces rather than a layover |
| 4 | Brunei | △ Low advice level and a short total journey, but you need a visa before you fly |
| 5 | Manila | Often a daytime departure, though the airport is the least comfortable of these |
| 6 | Hong Kong | △ Genuinely the fastest connection and an excellent airport, but the device and transit warnings apply |
| 7 | Xiamen, Shanghai | × Little time or fare advantage, and the visa free policy expires 31 Dec 2026 |
※ Fares move constantly.
The ranking weights official safety advice ahead of a small saving in time or money.
The pattern is clear once you lay it out.
The cheapest connection is also one of the two with the lowest advice levels, which is an unusually easy trade to make.
The catch with Kuala Lumpur is duration, since those fares are the ones that stretch to 16 hours or beyond.
💡tripool's advice: if your layover runs past about six hours and you hold an Australian passport, both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur let you clear immigration and go into the city.
Allow three hours for the return leg and check your baggage is tagged through to Taipei first.
One last point, whichever route you pick
A connection means two chances for a delay.
A missed second leg on a route with only four nonstops a week is not a problem that resolves quickly.
Check that both flights sit on one booking reference before you pay.
If the site calls it a self transfer, the second airline owes you nothing when the first one runs late.
What time do flights from Melbourne arrive in Taipei?
Before dawn, and the exact time changes twice a year.
The nonstop from Melbourne to Taiwan is an overnight flight that lands at Taoyuan while Taipei is still dark.
Unlike the Brisbane route, the Melbourne arrival time shifts by a full hour when Australian daylight saving starts and ends.
- Taiwan time zone: UTC+8, with no daylight saving
- Melbourne on standard time: 2 hours ahead of Taipei
- Melbourne on daylight saving: 3 hours ahead of Taipei
- Scheduled arrival: around 05:30 on standard time, roughly an hour earlier during daylight saving
- Typical actual arrival: earlier again
Why the arrival time moves twice a year
Taiwan does not observe daylight saving, and Victoria does.
So the gap between the two cities changes while the departure time on your ticket stays the same.
The flight leaves Melbourne late at night either way, but it lands in Taipei an hour earlier during the Australian summer.
| Period | Melbourne time | Gap to Taipei | Scheduled Taipei arrival |
| First Sunday in April to first Sunday in October | AEST, standard time | 2 hours | Around 05:30 |
| First Sunday in October to first Sunday in April | AEDT, daylight saving | 3 hours | △ About an hour earlier, further from the first train |
The few weeks each year when the usual answer is wrong
The two changeovers do not happen on the same day.
Victorian daylight saving starts on the first Sunday in October and ends on the first Sunday in April.
Airline seasonal timetables change on the last Sunday in October and the last Sunday in March.
That leaves a gap of about three weeks each October, and a shorter one in late March, when the clock gap has moved but the timetable has not.
If you are travelling in those windows, read the arrival time off your own booking rather than off any guide, including this one.
💡tripool advice: if you book months ahead, check your arrival time again once the airline publishes the season you are actually flying in.
Booking a pickup against the wrong season is the most common mistake on this route.
Melbourne flights usually land early
Early, not late.
In a sample of Melbourne arrivals from our own tracking, against a scheduled 05:30 landing the aircraft touched down at 04:47, 04:53, 05:03, 05:04 and 05:18.
Four of those five were ahead of schedule.
Favourable winds and air traffic sequencing put Australian flights into Taoyuan 10 to 40 minutes early fairly often.
The planning assumption that holds in any season is that you will reach the arrivals hall before the trains start.
What that means for your first morning
You land, clear the airport, and find the Airport MRT is not running yet.
Allow 45 to 60 minutes from touchdown to standing in the arrivals hall.
The first Airport MRT from Terminal 2 to Taipei Main Station leaves at 05:55, so a Melbourne arrival usually beats it.
| At Taoyuan before 6am | Status |
| Airport MRT | × First train 05:55 from Terminal 2 |
| Kuo-Kuang 1819 bus | ◎ Runs 24 hours |
| Rank taxis | ◎ Available around the clock |
| Pre-booked transfer | ◎ Driver meets your flight |
| Convenience stores, currency exchange, SIM counters | ◎ Generally open overnight |
| Most shops and restaurants | △ Closed until later in the morning |
For a pre dawn arrival, book your pickup 30 minutes after your scheduled landing time, or a full hour during Lunar New Year, Christmas and Easter when immigration queues are longer.
We have covered the rest in detail elsewhere rather than repeat it here.
- For how the four transport options compare at 5am, and what to do between 6am and hotel check in, see our Sydney to Taiwan guide
- For the full first train timetable and how pickup timing works with flight tracking, see our Brisbane to Taipei guide
- For the Taiwan Arrival Card, automated immigration gates and money, see our Australia to Taiwan travel guide
You can book a Taoyuan Airport transfer before you leave Melbourne.
💡tripool's advice: Download the tripool app and sign up with the referral code tripoolblog.
You'll get three coupons worth NT$300 in total (about A$15).
How do you get from Taoyuan Airport to Taipei after a Melbourne to Taiwan flight?
Four ways, and the pre dawn landing rules one of them out.
Taoyuan Airport sits about 40km west of central Taipei, so arriving in Taiwan and arriving at your hotel are two different things.
The Airport MRT is the cheapest and fastest option, at NT$160 and about 38 minutes to Taipei Main Station, but it is not running when a Melbourne flight lands.
- Airport MRT: NT$160, about 38 min express, from 05:55
- Kuo-Kuang 1819 bus: about NT$135, about 55 to 80 min, 24 hours
- Rank taxi: metered with a night surcharge, about 40 to 60 min
- Pre-booked transfer: fare fixed at booking, about 40 to 60 min, door to door
For the full comparison with 2026 prices, luggage tips and day tour routes, see our Taoyuan Airport to Taipei transport guide.
The real question is airport to your hotel
Every option above ends somewhere that is probably not your accommodation.
The Airport MRT terminates at Taipei Main Station, and the bus drops at set stops.
So the journey time you read online is rarely the journey time to your bed.
| Where you are staying | Still to go | With luggage |
| Taipei Main Station area | Walk | ◎ Easy |
| Ximending, Zhongshan | One MRT stop, about 5 min | ◎ Manageable |
| Da'an, Zhongxiao | About 10 min on the MRT | Fine with a carry on |
| Xinyi, Taipei 101 | About 15 min on the MRT | △ Two sets of stairs or lifts |
| Shilin, Beitou | About 20 to 30 min on the MRT | △ A long second leg after a 9 hour flight |
※ Times are approximate and exclude the walk at each end.
A pre booked transfer is the only option on the list that ends at your door.
Where to read more
- For how private transfers are priced by vehicle size and group, see our airport transfer guide
- Travelling as a group of five or more, see our 9 seater van guide for luggage space
- Travelling with a wheelchair user or limited mobility, see our accessible charter van guide
You can book a Taoyuan Airport transfer before you leave Melbourne.
How much does a taxi from Taoyuan Airport cost, and is Uber available in Taiwan?
About NT$1,000 to NT$1,500, and yes, Uber works.
A metered taxi from Taoyuan Airport to central Taipei runs roughly NT$1,000 to NT$1,500 including freeway tolls, depending on which district you are staying in.
Uber operates in Taiwan as Uber Taxi, dispatching licensed local taxi drivers rather than private cars, and it works at Taoyuan Airport.
For travellers arriving from Melbourne to Taiwan, both are available around the clock, which matters because your flight lands before dawn.
- Metered taxi: about NT$1,000 to NT$1,500 to central Taipei
- Uber: similar, priced against the regulated meter
- Both: available 24 hours at the airport
- Night surcharge: applies between 23:00 and 06:00
- No shared rides: Taiwan has no UberPool tier
Why do published taxi fares disagree?
Because the meter depends on your destination, and the night surcharge is reported inconsistently.
Published guides currently quote the airport run anywhere from NT$1,000 to NT$1,600.
On the late night surcharge, sources disagree more sharply still, ranging from a small flat addition to a percentage of the fare.
Treat any single figure you read online, including ours, as a guide rather than a quote.
| Factor | Effect |
| Your district | Xinyi or Beitou costs more than Taipei Main Station |
| Freeway tolls | Included in the metered fare |
| Arriving 23:00 to 06:00 | △ A night surcharge applies |
| Traffic | The meter runs while you sit in it |
| Lunar New Year | △ An additional holiday surcharge applies |
Does Uber work the way it does in Australia?
Not quite.
Uber in Taiwan dispatches licensed taxi drivers, so it is closer to Uber Taxi at home than to UberX.
You can pay with an Australian credit card, and the app handles the destination, which removes the language barrier at the rank.
What it does not remove is the uncertainty, because you are requesting a car after you land rather than having one assigned.
For how Uber, Taiwan Taxi, Bolt and tripool compare, including downloading and paying as a foreign visitor, see our Taiwan taxi app guide.
Metered, hailed, or fixed before you fly?
The three options differ less in price than in when you find out the price.
| Rank taxi | Uber | Pre-booked transfer | |
| You know the fare | On arrival | Before you accept | ◎ When you book |
| Car guaranteed | ◎ Yes, queue | △ Depends on drivers nearby | ◎ Assigned in advance |
| Child seats | × Not carried | × Not carried | ◎ Request when booking |
| Needs a working phone on landing | ◎ No | △ Yes | ◎ No |
The child seat row catches out families, because Taiwanese law requires a safety seat for children under four and rank taxis cannot produce one on the spot.
💡tripool advice: a pre booked fare is not automatically cheaper than the meter.
What you are buying is knowing the number before you fly, and a car that is already yours at 5am.
Where to read more
- For an honest comparison of tripool against Uber, taxis, Klook and KKday, including the criticism, see our tripool review
- For current private car rates by vehicle type and duration, see the Taiwan private car price list
- For the full airport to city comparison, see our Taoyuan Airport to Taipei transport guide
Check your own fare with the simulator and book a Taoyuan Airport transfer before you leave Melbourne.
💡tripool's advice: Download the tripool app and sign up with the referral code tripoolblog.
You'll get three coupons worth NT$300 in total (about A$15).
Where do you meet your driver at Taoyuan Airport after a Melbourne to Taiwan flight?
At Exit 23 in the arrivals hall.
Your driver waits at Exit 23, about a five minute walk from the customs doors.
The driver is assigned before you fly rather than hailed on arrival, so there is nothing to arrange after a nine hour flight.
- Meeting point: Exit 23, arrivals hall
- Walk from customs: about 5 minutes
- Driver details: sent the night before your ride
- Name board greeting: available as an optional add on
- Contact: message your driver in the tripool app, which translates between English and Mandarin
The China Airlines nonstop from Melbourne lands at Terminal 2.
Connecting flights can land at either terminal, so check your final leg rather than your first.
How long will the driver wait?
Ninety minutes, if you enter your flight number.
Entering the flight number lets the system track your arrival, which is why the free waiting time is three times longer.
| Booking | Free waiting |
| Airport pickup with flight number | ◎ 90 minutes after landing |
| Airport pickup without flight number | △ 30 minutes from your booked time |
| Any other transfer | 30 minutes |
Beyond the free period, overtime is charged at NT$300 per 30 minutes, with any part block rounded up, paid directly to the driver.
If you exceed the free waiting time and cannot be reached, the booking is treated as a no show and is not refunded.
💡tripool advice: enter your flight number even if you are certain of your landing time.
It costs nothing and turns 30 minutes of cover into 90.
What if you land early?
Melbourne flights usually do, so this is worth knowing before you book.
Delays are handled automatically once your flight number is entered.
Early arrivals are different, because your pickup stays at the time you booked.
Contact support to ask whether your driver can come earlier, and message the driver through the app to say where you are.
Drivers usually have other bookings, so they may not be able to move much in either direction.
💡tripool advice: on a pre dawn arrival, book your pickup 30 minutes after your scheduled landing time.
Immigration and baggage are quiet at 5am, so you reach the hall sooner than you would at mid morning.
What the fare includes before you pay
Everything, including the late night rate.
Rides between 22:00 and 06:59 carry a late night rate, which covers every Melbourne nonstop arrival.
That rate is already in the quote you see when you book, so there is nothing added once you are in the car.
- Enter your flight number, passenger count, total luggage and any child seat when booking
- Child seats are NT$300 each and are required by Taiwanese law for children under four
- Free cancellation applies until 06:00 Taiwan time the day before your ride
- Bookings are accepted up to 2 hours before pickup
- Keep your phone reachable, so sort an eSIM before you leave Melbourne or a SIM at the airport
Book a Taoyuan Airport transfer before you leave Melbourne.
💡tripool's advice: Download the tripool app and sign up with the referral code tripoolblog.
You'll get three coupons worth NT$300 in total (about A$15).
How do you travel from Taipei to Kaohsiung, Taichung or Sun Moon Lake?
High speed rail for all three, but the last leg is what decides your day.
Most travellers arriving from Melbourne to Taiwan assume the HSR drops them at their destination.
It drops them at a station, and how far that station sits from where they are actually going varies enormously.
- Taipei to Taichung: about 50 minutes by HSR
- Taipei to Kaohsiung: about 2 hours by HSR
- Taipei to Sun Moon Lake: about 2.5 to 3 hours in total, and no railway reaches it
- The easy one: Kaohsiung, because the metro is at the HSR station
- The one to plan: Sun Moon Lake
How hard is the last leg?
This is the part timetables do not show you.
| Destination | HSR station | Still to go | Difficulty |
| Kaohsiung | Zuoying | Kaohsiung Metro at the station | ◎ Easy |
| Taichung city | Wuri, outside the city | Local train or taxi into the centre | Manageable |
| Sun Moon Lake | Taichung, in Wuri | About 90 minutes by bus or car | △ A second journey in its own right |
Kaohsiung is the one that works exactly as you would expect, because the metro station sits inside the HSR station.
Why Sun Moon Lake takes planning
Because Nantou County has no railway line and no airport.
Sun Moon Lake sits in Nantou, so every route in runs through Taichung first.
There is no train to the lake, and there never has been.
| From | How | Time |
| HSR Taichung station | Nantou Bus or Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, route 6670 | About 90 minutes |
| Taichung TRA station | Same bus route | About 2 hours |
| HSR Taichung station | Private car | About 80 minutes, door to door |
The buses leave from the basement terminal at the HSR station and are timed around train arrivals, which makes the connection easier than it sounds.
The catch is the return, because the last bus back leaves earlier than most visitors expect.
💡tripool advice: a day trip to Sun Moon Lake from Taipei is about 5 to 6 hours of travelling for a few hours at the lake.
Staying a night turns it into a far better trip than any transport choice can.
When a car earns its place
On the last leg, not the long one.
The HSR is faster than any car for the distance between cities, so there is no case for driving Taipei to Kaohsiung.
The case appears where the rail network stops.
- HSR station to a lake, a mountain or a farm that no line reaches
- Days combining several stops in Nantou or central Taiwan
- Travelling with luggage between an HSR station and accommodation
- Returning after the last bus
A charter is a driver and vehicle for the hours you book. It does not include a guide or itinerary planning, so decide your stops in advance.
Where to read more
- For attractions, cycling routes and arriving with luggage, see our Sun Moon Lake travel guide
- For the aboriginal culture village beside the lake, and how HSR, bus and private car compare, see our Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village guide
- For Taichung's best known sunset spot, see our Gaomei Wetlands transport guide
- For 30 or more Kaohsiung attractions with day trip routes, see our Kaohsiung travel guide, and for its best known temple complex, our Lotus Pond guide
- Heading further south for sunrise, see our Alishan transport guide
- For how HSR, TRA, metro and charter compare across Taiwan, see our Sydney to Taiwan guide
For charter options, see charters from Taichung.
Melbourne to Taiwan: frequently asked questions
How long is the flight from Melbourne to Taiwan?
The nonstop takes about 9 hours 25 minutes, covering roughly 7,397km from Melbourne to Taoyuan.
Connecting itineraries generally run 12 to 14 hours in total.
Counting check in, immigration and the transfer into Taipei, allow 14 to 15 hours door to door.
Which airlines fly direct from Melbourne to Taipei?
Only China Airlines.
It operates four nonstop services a week, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Some booking sites list Qantas as a direct option, but that is a codeshare flown by China Airlines aircraft.
Is China Airlines a Chinese airline?
No, it is Taiwan's flag carrier.
The company was founded in Taiwan in 1959 and is headquartered in Taoyuan City, beside the airport you land at.
It is a separate company from Beijing based Air China, and your nonstop flight makes no stop in mainland China.
Can you book premium economy from Melbourne to Taipei?
No.
The route is flown mainly by the Airbus A350, and premium economy is not sold on it, so the option will not appear when you book.
Economy and business are the two cabins available.
Where is the best place to transfer on a one stop flight?
Singapore or Kuala Lumpur for most Australian travellers.
Both sit at the lowest Smartraveller advice level and give Australian passport holders 90 days visa free.
Hong Kong offers the fastest connection, but Smartraveller advises a high degree of caution there, including for passengers transiting through the airport.
What time do Melbourne flights land in Taipei?
Before dawn, and the time shifts twice a year.
Taiwan does not observe daylight saving and Victoria does, so the scheduled arrival is around 05:30 on standard time and roughly an hour earlier during the Australian summer.
The flight also lands ahead of schedule more often than not.
What is the time difference between Melbourne and Taiwan?
Two hours on standard time, three during daylight saving.
Taiwan runs on UTC+8 all year.
Melbourne is ahead, so you gain those hours flying out and lose them coming home.
Do Australians need a visa for Taiwan?
No.
Australian passport holders receive visa exempt entry for stays of up to 90 days, provided the passport is valid for at least six months and you hold a return or onward ticket.
You must submit the Taiwan Arrival Card online before you fly, which is free. Confirm current requirements before travelling, and see our Australia to Taiwan travel guide for the detail.
How far is Taoyuan Airport from Taipei?
About 40km west of the city centre.
The Airport MRT reaches Taipei Main Station in about 38 minutes on an express service, and a car takes 40 to 60 minutes depending on traffic.
Can you get into Taipei after a pre dawn landing?
Yes, but not by train.
The first Airport MRT from Terminal 2 leaves at 05:55, so a Melbourne arrival usually beats it.
The Kuo-Kuang 1819 bus runs 24 hours, and taxis and pre booked cars are available around the clock.
How much is a taxi from Taoyuan Airport to Taipei?
Roughly NT$1,000 to NT$1,500 including freeway tolls.
The exact fare depends on which district you are staying in, and a night surcharge applies between 23:00 and 06:00.
Is Uber available in Taiwan?
Yes, and it works at Taoyuan Airport.
Uber operates in Taiwan as Uber Taxi, dispatching licensed local taxi drivers rather than private cars, and it is priced against the regulated meter.
There is no shared ride tier. See our Taiwan taxi app guide for how it compares with local apps.
Where do you meet a pre booked driver at Taoyuan Airport?
At Exit 23 in the arrivals hall.
The walk from the customs doors takes about five minutes, and your driver is assigned before you fly rather than hailed on arrival.
How long will the driver wait if the flight is late?
Ninety minutes after landing, if you entered your flight number when booking.
Without a flight number, the free waiting time is 30 minutes from your booked pickup time.
Beyond that, overtime is NT$300 per 30 minutes, paid directly to the driver.
Does a late night arrival cost more?
A late night rate applies between 22:00 and 06:59, which covers every Melbourne nonstop arrival.
It is included in the quote you see when you book, so nothing is added once you are in the car.
Are child seats available?
Yes, at NT$300 per seat, requested when you book.
Taiwanese law requires a child safety seat for children under four.
Rank taxis at Taoyuan do not carry them and cannot arrange one on the spot, which catches out families arriving at 5am.
Do you need a power adapter for Taiwan?
Yes, and a voltage check too.
Taiwan uses 110 volts with flat two pin sockets, while Australia runs 240 volts with angled three pin plugs.
Phone and laptop chargers usually handle both voltages, but hair dryers and styling tools often do not. See our Taiwan plug and voltage guide.
How do you book the return trip to the airport?
Separately, because transfers are one way.
Book both legs while you are planning the trip, since the return is easily forgotten once you are on holiday.
Free cancellation applies until 06:00 Taiwan time the day before your ride, and bookings are accepted up to two hours before pickup.
💡tripool's advice: Download the tripool app and sign up with the referral code tripoolblog.
You'll get three coupons worth NT$300 in total (about A$15).
