What are the restrictions on taking bicycles on the train especially in the Taichung area?
How about the MRT in Taibei?
disassemble and bag for Taiwan local trains, only of the Dien Che variety.
can also send complete bikes unaccompanied as freight on the express trains, but that’s only ever been permitted to me the next day after booking (ie, you can’t travel separately on the same train with your bike in the front baggage compartment, though it’s normally empty as a room full of Australian wise men and virgins :loco: :loco: ). cheap, but i do strongly advise you to remove any extraneous bits that may fall off (or get nicked), turn the handlebars, remove the pedals, and finally cover the two sides of the bike with large sheets of cardboard, tied together across the top tube and the seat tube. stops the paint work being rubbed off, and means they can be more easily stood next to something else without falling over. pain in the right royal beehive, that method. and there’s no way I’m letting any of my precious babies out of my sight, thank you very much.
they are supposedly allowed on the HSR, but i think they also prefer them bagged. not sure of any extra cost. please inform.
Taipei Metro (MRT system) allows bikes ON WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS ONLY at specified stations along the red, blue, and green/yellow lines, but not the Brown line (Neihu/Muzha) cost is $100 for bike an rider, fixed price. bike and rider must be clean (no DHillers after a big day out, or just spray clean with a hose first), can ONLY use lifts not stairs or long malls for access, and you must ride in either the very first or very last compartment. Oh, and you will be shot on sight with a bicycle at the taipei main station, so you have to change from Blue to Red lines via Ximen and CKS Hall stations. Pooh.
If you can take off the wheels and bag it, you could even get away with taking it on the MRT without paying that extra 100NT fee.
I’ve taken my bike on the dianche plenty of times around central Taiwan.
You can bring your bagged bike on the HSR without an extra fee, we have done so several times. Very convenient. And here’s a post on my bike blog about bikes on trains: bikingintaiwan.theforgetful.com/ … rains.html
A few things about taking bikes on the MRT. The cost has been reduced to $80NT, folding bikes that can be hand carried in a bag can be brought into MRTs without paying the $80NT fixed price. For more info. check here: english.trtc.com.tw/service.asp? … 7%E9%81%8B
My only gripes about taking my bike in the MRT stations is that the ticket agents take forever to print out the special ticket you need, and that you can only enter through certain gates, usually the ones where there is wheelchair access.