I’m going home in July. I’m trying to find what is the most convenient way to get from Chiayi city to TPE airport. I will have 3 1/2 luggages with me and a backpack. Any advice?
HSR to airport MRT. Then MRT to airport.
Or with all those bags, direct taxi/Uber.
A third option: taxi to Chiayi HSR Station; haul all those bags onto the HSR and travel to Taoyuan HRS Station; then taxi to TPE. Would this save money compared to a direct taxi? I’m not sure. But it may allow you to time things more precisely.
Guy
TPE here means Taoyuan?
TPE is the airport code for Taoyuan Airport, in contrast to TSA for Songshan. Don’t mix them up! 
Guy
Can you fly domestically to Taoyuan?
I suspect that ship stopped sailing soon after the HSR system arrived on the scene . . .
UPDATE: Here’s what google says:
As of May 2022, there are no flights flying from Chiayi to Taipei Taiwan Taoyuan.
And today, here’s what’s going on today at Chiayi Airport:
Arrivals Show all arrivals
| TIME | FLIGHT | FROM | AIRLINE | AIRCRAFT | STATUS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:20 PM | B78662 | Penghu (MZG) | UNI Air | AT7 | Scheduled | |
| 2:20 PM | B78662 | Penghu (MZG) | UNI Air | AT7 | Scheduled | |
| 3:45 PM | B78902 | Kinmen (KNH) | UNI Air | AT7 | Scheduled | |
| * All times are in local timezone |
Departures Show all departures
| TIME | FLIGHT | TO | AIRLINE | AIRCRAFT | STATUS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 PM | B78661 | Penghu (MZG) | UNI Air | AT7 | Estimated dep. 3:00 PM | |
| 3:00 PM | B78661 | Penghu (MZG) | UNI Air | AT7 | Estimated dep. 3:00 PM | |
| 4:25 PM | B78901 | Kinmen (KNH) | UNI Air | AT7 | Scheduled |
Guy
Would you do that with 3.5 pieces of luggage and a backpack?
Me, I’m not sure . . .
Guy
A typical route would be taxi to HSR, Taoyuan transfer to MRT to airport. Leave yourself plenty of time to manage 4 bags along. Taxi from Taoyuan to airport might be easier if you are alone.
Invite a friend to help and then send them home on HSR or TRA train to central Chiayi.
I like this!
Guy
The stupidest thing was making this HSR have stations in the middle of nowhere.
Hsinchu station not actually in Hsinchu anyone?
That is a topic for a separate thread!
It’s too late to relocate the station in time for @Jeanconstantine 's departure.
Guy
Whew, dodged a bullet as @Jeanconstantine is not going to Hsinchu. 
Guy
Cheapest and two buses , transfer in Taichung to direct Airport bus goes to bus gates at airport, also from city centre. Downside maybe slower (sometimes faster as less transfers) and check schedules though less trouble with lots of baggage as trains need load and eject luggage quickly.
https://www.taiwanbus.tw/eBUSPage/Query/QueryResult.aspx?rno=18700&rn=1654152902350
Taxi, uber, or friend with a car. Can’t get more convenient. Can be faster, and cheaper
Yeah until you get stuck on Zhongshan Gao around Yunlin somewhere, and again around Hsinchu somewhere . . . That’s the potential downside of taking a car the whole way. It might be fine, or it might not.
Guy
Slower, but more convenient. Easy to sit in a car and argue with strangers on the Internet while someone else drives, easier than lugging bags around