For most people, the bus is the easy choice on a weekday and the train is the safer one at weekends. Yilan sits on the northeast coast, on the other side of the Xueshan range from Taipei, and there are two ways across. Buses and cars take Freeway 5 through the Hsuehshan Tunnel. The railway goes round the coast. There's no airport in Yilan and, for now, no high-speed rail.
BUS From Taipei by bus
The buses are cheap and frequent, and on a clear road they're the quickest way to Jiaoxi (礁溪) and Yilan City. Kamalan Bus (葛瑪蘭客運) leaves from Taipei Bus Station by Taipei Main Station. Outside rush hour, it's about 55 to 65 minutes to Jiaoxi Transfer Station and about 85 to 95 minutes to Yilan Transfer Station, and route 1917 runs direct to Luodong in about 85 minutes. Capital Bus (首都客運) runs from Taipei City Hall Bus Station to Jiaoxi, Yilan and Luodong every 10 to 20 minutes. Kuo-Kuang (國光客運) runs from Yuanshan and Nangang too, but it cancelled dozens of Yilan trips in October 2026 for lack of drivers, so for now we'd take Kamalan or Capital.
The catch is the tunnel. Those times assume clear roads, and Freeway 5 gets congested on weekends and holidays, so allow extra time then. → Buses from Taipei: routes, fares and stops
TRA From Taipei by train
Taiwan Railway trains run from Taipei Main Station (and Songshan and Nangang) along the coast to Toucheng, Jiaoxi, Yilan Station, Luodong Station and Su'ao. On the timetable we checked for November 2026:
- Taipei to Yilan: from 1 hour 8 minutes on the fastest trains, NT$306 one way on a Tze-Chiang class train; slower local trains take 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on the train, for NT$197.
- Taipei to Jiaoxi: from about 1 hour 6 minutes, NT$281.
- Taipei to Luodong: from about 1 hour 16 minutes, NT$332.
The train never sits in tunnel traffic, and that's why we'd take it on a weekend. Just book early: reserved seats on the fast trains sell out on holiday weekends. → Trains: booking, fares and the stations
Good to know: the fastest trains on this line, the Puyuma, Taroko and 3000-series Tze-Chiang, can't be boarded with an EasyCard. You need a ticket for those. Local trains take EasyCard all the way from Taipei. On the other Tze-Chiang trains a card gets you on, but with no seat, and past the first 50 km you pay the full Tze-Chiang fare, so a ticket is the better deal.
BUS From Taoyuan Airport
UBus (統聯客運) runs route 1661 between Taoyuan International Airport and Yilan, so you can skip Taipei altogether. Check its current times and stops with UBus before you fly. Otherwise, go through Taipei: the Airport MRT to Taipei Main Station, then the train, or a bus from the bus station next door. Inside Taipei explains the airport to the city.
TRA From Hualien and the south
Coming up from the south is easy: Yilan is on the main railway between Taipei and Hualien, so every east-coast train passes through. The fastest trains from Hualien reach Luodong in about 56 minutes (NT$288) and Yilan in about 1 hour 4 minutes. From Kaohsiung or Taitung, the trains up the east coast come through Hualien and on to Yilan without a change. Inside Hualien covers the trains on the Hualien side.
CAR Driving: Freeway 5 and the Hsuehshan Tunnel
From Taipei it's about 60 km on Freeway 5 (國道5號), against about 115 km on the old roads over the mountains and round the coast. The Hsuehshan Tunnel (雪山隧道), between Pinglin and Toucheng, is 12.9 km long, the longest road tunnel in Taiwan. Inside, the speed limit is 90 km/h, and there's a minimum of 70 km/h.
Weekend and holiday traffic is heavy, and the Freeway Bureau manages it with measures such as ramp controls. Before you set off, call the highway hotline 1968 or check the Freeway Bureau's site for live traffic. The coast road south of Su'ao to Hualien is the Suhua Highway. → Scooters, bikes and cars
Coming later: the Cabinet approved a high-speed rail extension from Nangang to Yilan in July 2026, with a planned trip of about 28 minutes. It's due to open in 2037.
→ Getting around once you're here · Where to stay · A day trip from Taipei
Sources: Yilan County Government tourism site, getting to Yilan; Kamalan Bus, Yilan line; Capital Bus, intercity routes; Taiwan Railway timetable and e-ticket rules; Liberty Times on route 1661, July 2026; Freeway Bureau, Hsuehshan Tunnel and tunnel FAQ; Focus Taiwan on the high-speed rail extension. Checked November 2026.