Useful Apps: Your Digital Transport Toolkit

Several apps transform Taiwan’s transport from confusing to navigable. Download these before arriving or upon landing.

Google Maps: Essential for overall navigation. In Taiwan, Google Maps shows real-time metro, bus, and train schedules with reasonable accuracy. It suggests multi-modal routes combining walking, bikes (also YouBikes), buses, metros, trains, and HSR.

Taiwan Bus Plus（台灣公車通）or Bus Tracker Taiwan（台灣等公車）: Both bus apps show real-time locations of buses on routes you’re tracking. They covers most urban and intercity buses, railway, and public bikes across Taiwan, providing arrival predictions more accurate than Google Maps. The interface has English.

T-Express: The official HSR app allows searching schedules, booking tickets, and storing digital tickets on your phone. It requires registration with email and credit card. In-app purchases use secure payment. You can book group tickets and select specific seats.

台鐵e訂通 (TRA E-Booking): Taiwan Railways’ official app handles TRA train bookings. Less polished than T-Express, it nonetheless provides the most reliable access to TRA tickets. The app requires registration and accepts international credit cards.