Tainan has its own Taiwan High Speed Rail station, though it's inconveniently located in the suburbs north of the city at Shalun — a ten-minute shuttle train from the main Tainan city station. High-speed trains from Taipei take about 90 minutes; from Kaohsiung, under 20 minutes. The HSR station connects to the regular TRA (Taiwan Railways) network via the shuttle, and the TRA Tainan station is in the city centre, close to the historic core.
Tainan does not have its own major commercial airport. Kaohsiung International Airport, about 45 km south, is the nearest international hub and handles most international traffic to the region. From Kaohsiung, TRA trains to Tainan run frequently and take 30–40 minutes. Domestic flights operate to Tainan Airport from Taipei Songshan, but the high-speed rail makes this largely redundant for most travellers.
Intercity buses connect Tainan to most major cities on the island and are usually cheaper than the train if not always faster.