A hot southern port with wide roads and a short ferry to the sandbar island offshore.
Published: 21 september 2026Senast uppdaterad: 21 september 2026
Most people arrive on the high-speed train at Zuoying in the north of the city and change to the metro, with the line already running since Taipei, so nothing needs doing. Direct flights land at Kaohsiung (KHH), close in and a step from the metro — switch the eSIM on in the cabin for that. Coming down by rail, the route crosses broad plains broken by short tunnels, so the connection holds for nearly the whole ride with brief interruptions.
Kaohsiung is the big southern port, the stop most people make when they take the high-speed line down from Taipei. It feels different from the capital: harder sun, wider roads, a slower pace. Visitors come for the art spaces in the old harbour warehouses, to stage a trip further south to the beaches, or to work with factories in the industrial belt. Coverage across town is thorough, on both the metro and the light rail that loops around the waterfront.
Most people arrive on the high-speed train at Zuoying in the north of the city and change to the metro, with the line already running since Taipei, so nothing needs doing. Direct flights land at Kaohsiung (KHH), close in and a step from the metro — switch the eSIM on in the cabin for that. Coming down by rail, the route crosses broad plains broken by short tunnels, so the connection holds for nearly the whole ride with brief interruptions.
The centre and the metro corridors are even. The converted harbour warehouses are heavy steel and concrete, so inside some of them the line drops even when it is strong on the quay outside. The ferry to the sandbar island is short enough that the signal swings rather than disappears. Around the northern lake with its pagodas and temples the ground is open and easy. In the working port, where containers stack high beside the road, there are scattered dead pockets.
A day here runs about 800MB–1.2GB, below Taipei because the streets are straight and easy to read. What actually spends data is hunting for shade and searching for somewhere to eat, plus the harbour sunset that nearly everyone photographs. Spend an afternoon cycling the waterfront with a route-tracking app open and allow extra for both data and battery — hard sun heats the handset, and a hot phone drains faster than a cool one.
Taiwan plans work country-wide, Kaohsiung included.
12 countries · partner networks
Taiwan, Japan, Hongkong SAR, Kina, Singapore, Sydkorea, Vietnam, Indonesien, Kambodja, Macao SAR, Malaysia, Thailand
Giltighet startar vid första anslutning på resmålet
12 countries · partner networks
Taiwan, Japan, Hongkong SAR, Kina, Singapore, Sydkorea, Vietnam, Indonesien, Kambodja, Macao SAR, Malaysia, Thailand
Giltighet startar vid första anslutning på resmålet
117 countries · partner networks
Taiwan, Japan, Australien, Hongkong SAR, Kina, Singapore, Storbritannien, Sydkorea, USA, Albanien, Argentina, Armenien, Azerbajdzjan, Belgien, Bolivia, Bosnien och Hercegovina, Botswana, Brasilien, Bulgarien, Centralafrikanska republiken, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cypern, Danmark, Ecuador, Egypten, El Salvador, Elfenbenskusten, Estland, Eswatini, Filippinerna, Finland, Frankrike, Förenade Arabemiraten, Gabon, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grekland, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Indien, Indonesien, Irland, Island, Israel, Italien, Jordanien, Kamerun, Kanada, Kazakstan, Kenya, Kirgizistan, Kongo-Brazzaville, Kongo-Kinshasa, Kosovo, Kroatien, Kuwait, Lettland, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Litauen, Luxemburg, Madagaskar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marocko, Mauritius, Mexiko, Moldavien, Montenegro, Nederländerna, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Nordmakedonien, Norge, Nya Zeeland, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Polen, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Rumänien, Saudiarabien, Schweiz, Senegal, Serbien, Seychellerna, Slovakien, Slovenien, Spanien, Sri Lanka, Sverige, Sydafrika, Tanzania, Tchad, Thailand, Tjeckien, Tunisien, Turkiet, Tyskland, Uganda, Ukraina, Ungern, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Zambia, Österrike
Giltighet startar vid första anslutning på resmålet
117 countries · partner networks
Taiwan, Japan, Australien, Hongkong SAR, Kina, Singapore, Storbritannien, Sydkorea, USA, Albanien, Argentina, Armenien, Azerbajdzjan, Belgien, Bolivia, Bosnien och Hercegovina, Botswana, Brasilien, Bulgarien, Centralafrikanska republiken, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cypern, Danmark, Ecuador, Egypten, El Salvador, Elfenbenskusten, Estland, Eswatini, Filippinerna, Finland, Frankrike, Förenade Arabemiraten, Gabon, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grekland, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Indien, Indonesien, Irland, Island, Israel, Italien, Jordanien, Kamerun, Kanada, Kazakstan, Kenya, Kirgizistan, Kongo-Brazzaville, Kongo-Kinshasa, Kosovo, Kroatien, Kuwait, Lettland, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Litauen, Luxemburg, Madagaskar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marocko, Mauritius, Mexiko, Moldavien, Montenegro, Nederländerna, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Nordmakedonien, Norge, Nya Zeeland, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Polen, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Rumänien, Saudiarabien, Schweiz, Senegal, Serbien, Seychellerna, Slovakien, Slovenien, Spanien, Sri Lanka, Sverige, Sydafrika, Tanzania, Tchad, Thailand, Tjeckien, Tunisien, Turkiet, Tyskland, Uganda, Ukraina, Ungern, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Zambia, Österrike
Giltighet startar vid första anslutning på resmålet
12 countries · partner networks
Taiwan, Japan, Hongkong SAR, Kina, Singapore, Sydkorea, Vietnam, Indonesien, Kambodja, Macao SAR, Malaysia, Thailand
Giltighet startar vid första anslutning på resmålet
117 countries · partner networks
Taiwan, Japan, Australien, Hongkong SAR, Kina, Singapore, Storbritannien, Sydkorea, USA, Albanien, Argentina, Armenien, Azerbajdzjan, Belgien, Bolivia, Bosnien och Hercegovina, Botswana, Brasilien, Bulgarien, Centralafrikanska republiken, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cypern, Danmark, Ecuador, Egypten, El Salvador, Elfenbenskusten, Estland, Eswatini, Filippinerna, Finland, Frankrike, Förenade Arabemiraten, Gabon, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grekland, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Indien, Indonesien, Irland, Island, Israel, Italien, Jordanien, Kamerun, Kanada, Kazakstan, Kenya, Kirgizistan, Kongo-Brazzaville, Kongo-Kinshasa, Kosovo, Kroatien, Kuwait, Lettland, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Litauen, Luxemburg, Madagaskar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marocko, Mauritius, Mexiko, Moldavien, Montenegro, Nederländerna, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Nordmakedonien, Norge, Nya Zeeland, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Polen, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Rumänien, Saudiarabien, Schweiz, Senegal, Serbien, Seychellerna, Slovakien, Slovenien, Spanien, Sri Lanka, Sverige, Sydafrika, Tanzania, Tchad, Thailand, Tjeckien, Tunisien, Turkiet, Tyskland, Uganda, Ukraina, Ungern, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Zambia, Österrike
Giltighet startar vid första anslutning på resmålet
Heat makes the handset throttle itself to avoid damage, which feels exactly like a slow network even when the signal is fine. Keep it in a bag rather than in your hand under the sun, close navigation when you are not walking, and avoid charging it in direct sunlight, which compounds the problem.
Nothing at all — the same line keeps working, since the whole route sits in one coverage area. Short tunnels cause brief stumbles, so download files before you board if you plan to work; for maps or messaging you will not notice the difference.
Inside industrial estates and big warehouse halls the line is often weaker than it is outside, so download documents and floor plans in advance. If you need a video call during the day, take it from a lobby or near a window rather than deep inside a hall, and leave allowance for sending large files in the evening.
Usually you buy at the pier and the crossing is short, but payment methods and sailing frequency do get adjusted, so read the notice at the terminal or the operator's own page on the day. Carry some cash in case a payment system is down, and if you plan a late return, check the last sailing on the way over.
