Gotta be one of the most evergreen comments for road transport in Taiwan.
Or plenty of other countries, really.
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Alright. Youâre looking at Danshui for living. Here is the comprehensive Danshui Guide to weed out misinformation.
Danshui has 60+ bus lines that all spread from the MRT towards Sanzhi and Taipei.
As a whole, they are definitely better than US/Canadian transit for a satellite city (Iâm calling it a satellite city because it still acts like a city despite its amalmagation into New Taipei City) Individual lines are rough and a few places are poorly served. All buses in Danshui take the $1280 Pass.
This is Danshui. On the map you can see the lines for the MRT and LRT.
The LRT is consistent. It splits into two lines in the north. But the combined lines towards Hongshulin are consistent in their timing.
This is Danhai New Town. Itâs a bit of a ride to the MRT. Regardless of if you use the bus or LRT.
This corner here is one of the reasons why itâs slow. In fact, itâs excruciatingly slow because it canât take the corner. Kuomintang engineering.
This area is particularly far from the MRT. This is where they built the new mall and theatre and Danshuiâs only Burger King. This is where some of the cheapest NEW housing is, but is served by fairly poor transit. The Red 51is one of the only buses that serves this area with any regularity. Wait times can be up to one hour. It looks really nice. But I avoid because transportation is my HIGHEST priority. And you indicated you want easy transport and something new ish.
This area here is where a good chunk of buses originate and half of the LRT. Transport is good but itâs still a bit aways from the MRT and will be about 20 minutes. Itâs OK. Not great, just OK.
Down here is where Taipei Wan is, a set of houses with a distinct Asian flair. Theyâre nice on the outside, but the transport is relatively poor 20 min for the Red 38, 30-60 for the 894 and Red 51 and the 857 recently got added which⌠is a plus but you will be walking. Itâs about 10 min to MRT Danshui Station by bus so itâs not worth walking 10 minutes to the LRT and then 20 minutes to HongShulin. The Red 23 passes through here. The Red 23 is one of the few late night buses, but⌠if youâre like me and like a nice drink in Taipei with friends.
This is Danhai. It has a mix of old and new and the transport is fairly good. The LRT will take you to Carrefour and the Red 26/857/757 (757 though is an hour wait). Red 23 will take you to Danjiang University and its cheap places. Will easily take you to the MRT. I like this area. If I had to pick somewhere far from the MRT, itâd be this place. Also Fishermanâs Wharf is nearby and good bicycle infrastructure. The closer to the red that Iâve drawn out, the better the transport.
This is Danshuiâs Old Town Centre.
Mostly old houses but a few newish houses as well. I tried to buy a newish house here and itâs still my goal. Close to the areas in red, are the areas I consider walkable to the MRT. Walking is consistent and you donât need to wait for your feetâŚuntil they fall asleep cause you sit on them. This is basically Danshuiâs bus terminal and contains ALL the buses to go everywhere.
More on that in a bit. Buses to the station outside of the red are quick to get to the MRT. I like this area.
This is Danjiang University. Lots of cheap food. Bus and LRT connections, depending on which side you are on are fairly good. Red 23 rolls through here. Many of the other ones go to MRT Danshui Station in 10 min. Itâs pretty good.
The green line I drew in indicates that that area is a hill and not necessarily accessible to the MRT. There are some staircases but they areâŚtreacherous when wet.
Not practical to walk to the MRT.
This area has a bunch of new houses and is sandwiched between two roads of good transport. The LRT in Yellow and decent buses on the red. Some food. Close to Carrefour and Chuanlian and Old Wellcome.
This area is almost all new housing and since these two roads converge, have really good transport for both towards Sanzhi and Taipei. This is entering recommended territory for your girlfriend too in Taipeiâs City Centre. She in Xinyi or somewhere else?
Hongshulin area. Mostly new houses. Not much food. Great transportation. Close to MRT and bus lines that go everywhere. Little more expensive.
Zhuwei. Has lots of food. Close to Taipeiâs borders. Lots of new and old houses. extremely good transport. Buses like the 947 take the highway to Banciao and the 957 take the highway to almost-Neihu.
These buses can be found at Hongshulin too.
Your girlfriend is going to prefer everything from the road convergence to Zhuwei.
Many of the houses I found for you are near Hongshulin and Zhuwei cause you indicated you wanted good easy transport for you and your girlfriend. I intentionally ignored houses in the new town area up north. If you have questions on houses you find, send it to me and ask what I think.
Buses.
Buses you might want to know. All buses in the Greater Taipei Area use the $1280 pass if they do not have 4 digits.
Below, all these pass through Hongshulin and Zhuwei and mostly pass through MRT Danshui Station
900 series buses take the highway and jump between towns. 947 starts in Danhai New Town but heads to Banciao relatively quickly. Zhuwei to Xinpu in 25-30 min. 957 has a bit of a wait but if you catch it, it goes to Shilin station and Jiannan Road Station. Wanna go even farther easily? Take the 947 to Banciao Flower Market, get off and then take the 910 for another highway ride to Sansiaâs Old Street!
857 goes from Essentially Fishermanâs Wharf to Banciao but is not a 900 series bus so it doesnât take the highway. It is convenient to take to Luzhou and much of Sanchong. There isnât much in Sanchong and many here on the flob deride Sanchong but I like the night market there and they sell Chocolate Covered Peanuts.
880 goes from near Fishermanâs wharf all the way to Shulin South and through Xinzhuang.
756 goes from Danjiang university to Beimen, I like it because I donât have to carry my luggage through the MRT, I get dropped off by the Airport MRT at Beimen. Itâs about the same time to Taipei Main Station as the MRT, sometimes I take it because the MRT is full and the locals are predictable and avoid the busâŚsooooo I enjoy the seats on the 756.
All of these are multi section buses and itâs COMPLETELY FREE on the $1280 pass. 756 is three sections 947 is three sections etcâŚ
860, 861, 862, 863 go north from Danshui Station.
860 and 861 go to Sanzhi.
863 passes through Sanzhi and heads to Jinshan.
862 passes through Sanzhi and Jinshan to its destination. Keelung Main Station.
All of these are ALSO COMPLETELY FREE on the $1280 pass TPass. Even the 862 with its EIGHT sections! On a normal card thatâs 8x$15!
Now youâre saying wait, even in Keelung? Well⌠In Taiwan, buses do overlap based on transportation needs. Some Taipei buses bleed into Keelung and Taoyuan.
TPass now covers Keelung and Taoyuanâs transit systems
In fact the 986 bus is a FREE bus on a $1280 pass to Taoyuan Airport! Solely because itâs on the Taipei system.
Update: The 986 was cancelled. Bloody sucks. I liked that bus. A lot of the airport buses are on life support right now.
Keelungâs blue buses are not on the system. But the 862, 788, 790 that go through Keelung are on the Taipei system cause they bleed through.
Old info.
Tpass now adds Keelungâs buses and TRA.
Same thing in places like Sansia. Some buses there are on the Taoyuan system cause itâs close to Taoyuan. But all of its 900 series highway buses on the Taipei system are A-OK.
Old info, Tpass now adds Taoyuan buses.
All of these are on the system and only one is ineligible. The 1717. All of the other 4 digit buses were relabelled as three digits. The Danshui 757 is one of them. Used to be the 1504.
Hope this helps! @DogmaticStoic
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Epic post! I donât live in Danshui, but you now have me intrigued. 
Guy
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This is my pad!
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Wow this is extremely comprehensive!!! Thanks for all the detail, this will be really really useful.
I was scoping out danhai town tonight to see just how long it takes into Taipei city. The way there was only an hour, but the opposite direction was longer for some reason
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Itâs not as simple to say buses come more often than the LRT or the LRT is faster.
It always depends on what you find and where you choose to live. I can tell you the pitfalls because Iâve done everything. Iâve lived multiple places in Danshui. I bought in Danshui. I studied Danshuiâs zoning cause I wanna develop land. Iâve looked for houses all over Danshui.
I like eating IN Danshui and finding the restaurants here.
The MP staffer I know is from Danshui.
Danshuiâs my pad.
No problem. Ask me about buses.
I know this place inside and out.
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I really liked the scenery over in tamsui itâs definitely different than Taipei or the parts of new Taipei Iâve visited. Before, I had only been to the city center, I used to go walk along the night market that follows the river. So I had no idea about all this new development. Last time I was here, the light rail wasnât even open yet.
I think it would be pretty great to be able to take regular trips to keelung. I like how much more clean and modern it feels out there. It feels a bit more like the Taiwan of the future, what Taiwan can look like someday instead of the grime and poorly maintained buildings and random lean-to shacks (the building next door to me is literally abandoned with a collapsed roof and a tiny shack that someone somehow lives in).
Wait, what? Is there another Keelung in Taiwan? One that is clean and modern?
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Sanxia is still better! 
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Is that rickety house-on-stilts on the water close to the MRT and the âGold Coastâ still there?
If i was a lottery winner, Iâd buy it 
that kind of thing is right up my⌠river?
No sorry that was about tamsui not keelung. I actually havenât even been to keelung.
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Wow thank you so much for this! I created an account just because of this thread.
I am planning on moving back to Taiwan permanently in the next 1-3 years and have been eyeing danshui as my future home base (due to cheap rent, great air quality and modern amenities).
My job will be fully remote so travel/transportation is not a concern for me.
I do have a few concerns that I was hoping you can answer for me:
-
Howâs the stray dog population like in danshui? I love dogs and itâs hard for me to see stray dogs
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Is the weather really as windy and cold as portrayed in the Taiwanese forum (ptt)
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It always shows as raining on the weather report on google; however, are the rains really sprinkles and do they start and stop after like 30 minutes?
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Which area would you suggest if I do not need to commute to work M-F?
Thank you so much!!!
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Hey obviously I donât live in tamsui yet. But I scoped out the part where the light rail splits. Itâs extremely modern looking down there. There are running paths next to a river with plenty of green and great views. There are even sideways and dedicated biking paths. Thereâs a giant carrefour accessible by light rail only two stops away. So I think anywhere in that area looks pretty great.
Obviously I donât live there yet so itâs possible there are nicer areas I donât know about. I hear if you go further north you can even get western style houses
Danshui resident for the last 12 yrs âŚ
- Basically non-existing. I sometimes see 1 or 2 in the new area, but for the rest, nothing.
- Not at all. It might get windy in certain months, but that is mostly refreshing. We live without A/C for most of the summer, with open windows, and just use the A/C in the night. Most recent winters are really nothing too bad, mostly without the drizzle any longer than some days. Recall just 2 bad winters, 2022 one of them, but that counted for most of the north.
- No, not at all. Winters might be a bit more wet than let say TP, but spring/summer/autumn are much dryer here. Most of the heavy afternoon thunderstorms donât reach till here, just once in a while.
- See above review. I never commuted, but we still choose to be at walking distance from the MRT (1km). Car to TP is no problem anywhere outside the rush hours, but I still take the MRT at occasions.
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They are rare. They exist but not that often. Just walk around them and pay no attention. Some are not strays, but just independent and have owners.
No. Windy in summer though is a blessing.
In Summer itâs slightly cooler than Taipei due to less density and sea effect.
In Winter itâs slightly warmer.
I commute to Taipei every day. More often than not, I will encounter sunny weather in Danshui, get to Taipei and itâs dark and rainy.
This needs a bit more info, let me know more about what you like and what is important to you for a better answer.
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I miss Tamsui- hongshulin area after living for there 3 years there.
living in the Xizhi District area has its advantages closer to the train it allows you to go to the center of taipei faster, if you want to go to other areas of the country in Nangang you have the high speed train next door, and the Keelung coast and also the entire east coast. Tamsui its worst if you have to commute to downtown Taipei there are too many MRT stops make the journey endless but if you donât have to commute itâs a good place to be
It depends where you are. If youâre close to the MRT, getting to Taipeiâs centre is easy and fairly quick.
Zhuwei in particular is about 25 minutes to Taipei Main.
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but from Xike train station reach taipei main station its fairly more quick lol.
but not worries I miss Tamsui area in Xizhi rain more than in tamsui!! 
It is, but thereâs that 15 minute wait on the trains as well as no support for the $1280 pass as well as difficult access to the MRTâŚespecially if youâre a man of class like me drinking until midnight.
And less of that famous Keelung Rain.