Taiwan High Speed Rail (Taiwan Shinkansen) 2026 Lunar New Year Real Experience Review

Thank you for visiting.

I am Kamome, a travel-loving person in my 50s living in Kanagawa Prefecture.

I used the Taiwan High Speed Rail for three days during the 2026 Lunar New Year period. Since there was little information online about real-life congestion, I wanted to write this on my blog in the hope that it would be helpful to everyone.

<About this trip>

I traveled to Tainan to participate in an event. Since airfares for Tainan/Kaohsiung flights were soaring and I also wanted to do some sightseeing in Taipei, I used the Haneda ⇔ Taipei Songshan flights and stayed in Taipei.

I stayed at a hotel near MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, which has direct access to both Songshan Airport and Nangang Station.
↓ For reference, here is the event I attended in Tainan.

<Conclusion (please use this only as a reference)>
・Even during the Lunar New Year period, by boarding from the starting stations (Nangang Station for southbound, Zuoying Station for northbound), two of us were able to sit side-by-side by the window in non-reserved seating all three days.

・However, if you have a specific train in mind, it is recommended to line up at least 20 to 30 minutes in advance. During peak times, it might be better to go even earlier.

・It is difficult to get a seat if you board from an intermediate station. The aisles are also crowded, and there are cases where you might not be able to board your intended train.

・While there are a few people with poor manners who cut in line or move from reserved cars to non-reserved cars when boarding starts, the vast majority of people line up and board with good manners.

・Traveling by high-speed rail is very comfortable and recommended. However, doing it for three consecutive days was somewhat tiring.

<Tickets used>
I wanted to make full use of the high-speed rail this time, so I booked in advance via KKday and used a 3-day pass (February 18–20, 2026).

◆Pros
・Since it is unlimited, there is no need to buy tickets each time. At some stations, there were queues just to buy tickets.
・Since it is unlimited, it is possible to travel from an intermediate station to the starting station to board. (About 10 minutes from Taipei Station to Nangang Station, or Tainan Station to Zuoying Station).
・Reserved seats can also be used if booked. This time, I couldn't use them because the reserved seats for the trains I wanted to take were full.
・It is cost-effective if you ride multiple times (can be purchased for the price of one round trip from Taipei to Kaohsiung/Tainan; 9,973 yen/person via KKday).

◆Cons
・You need to have the pass issued at the counter on the first day. I waited for about 10 minutes, and it took about 5 minutes to issue the ticket.
・Although you can book reserved seats in advance, the online booking method is complicated and difficult to understand. You can hardly get reservations for popular trains.
・You cannot use the automatic ticket gates, so you need to present your passport and the 3-day pass to the staff each time. However, I almost never had to wait.

　↓ You need to present this page and the page in your passport with your face photo

<About Non-reserved Seats on the Taiwan High Speed Rail>
・Out of the 12 cars, about 3 to 5 are non-reserved. For trains with many stops: cars 8-12; for trains with fewer stops: cars 10-12.

↓Cars marked as Non-reserved are for unreserved seating.

<About the 2026 Lunar New Year period (This is amateur knowledge, so please forgive me if I am wrong)>
・This year, it is a 9-day period from February 14 (Sat) to February 22 (Sun).

The following was told to me by a local who speaks Japanese while I was waiting at the Shinkansen ticket counter.
・February 16 corresponds to New Year's Eve in Japan, and February 17 corresponds to New Year's Day.
・The following day, February 18, is the day when married women return to their parents' homes, so the southbound direction from Taipei is crowded. The northbound direction to Taipei from the 19th onwards is crowded.
・During the Lunar New Year period, many shops other than chain stores are closed.

↓Reference) This shop was closed from the 16th to the 19th.

<Day 1: February 18, 2026 (Wed) Taipei ⇔ Taichung Round Trip>
Outbound (southbound): Train departing Nangang Station around 14:00. There were a few people queuing at the doors of each car. I was able to get a seat without any problems. However, it was almost full from Taipei Station.

Inbound (northbound): Train departing Taichung Station around 18:00. Since there was a train originating from Taichung Station once an hour, I boarded about 15 minutes before departure and was able to get a seat. It was almost full by the time it departed.

In Taichung, I visited the original Chun Shui Tang store and other places.

<Day 2: February 19, 2026 (Thu) Taipei ⇔ Tainan/Kaohsiung Round Trip>
Outbound (southbound): 8:40 departure from Nangang Station, a train with fewer stops.
When I started queuing 20 minutes before, there were about 10 people. By the time of boarding, there were about 20 people in the queue. I was able to get a seat without any problems. However, it was full from Taipei Station, and there were people who could not get on.

Inbound (northbound): 17:55 departure from Zuoying Station, a train with fewer stops. I traveled by Shinkansen from Tainan Station to Zuoying Station and boarded there.
When I started queuing 20 minutes before, there were about 15 people. By the time of boarding, there were about 30 people in the queue. I was able to get a seat without any problems. It was almost full at the time of departure from Zuoying Station, but there was no one who could not get on.

↓The scene when the train arrived. The platform is overflowing with people.

↓The train I boarded. It does not stop at Tainan either, so I think the travel time is the shortest. Cars 10-12 are non-reserved.

In Tainan, I visited Anping Old Street, and at Zuoying Station, I visited the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, among other places.

<February 20, 2026 (Thursday) Taipei ⇔ Tainan round trip. For the northbound trip, I traveled from Tainan Station to Zuoying Station to board.>
Outbound (southbound): The train departing Nangang Station at 8:40 AM with fewer stops.
When I started lining up 20 minutes before departure, there were about 5 people. By the time of boarding, there was a line of about 10 people. I was able to get a seat without any issues. However, the train was full from Taipei Station, and there were people who could not board.

↓ Many people got off at Taichung Station, so there were almost no people standing in the aisle.

Return (northbound): The same train with fewer stops departing Zuoying Station at 5:55 PM as on the second day.
When I started lining up an hour before departure, there were about 10 people. By the time of boarding, there was a line of about 40 people. I was able to get a seat without any issues. At the Zuoying Station departure point, the train was full and there were people who could not board.

↓ The scene at the time of departure from Zuoying Station.

Also, on this day, I participated in an event at the Tainan Metropolitan Park. It was hot and the sun was strong, making me feel like I was in a tropical country.

This concludes the blog post 'I tried riding the Taiwan Shinkansen during the Lunar New Year.' I hope this is even a little bit helpful for your travels.