Cheap flights from London to Taipei

October is the cheapest month on this route, and the price calendar shows fares for every month from September through August, so you can see how far October undercuts the rest. Taipei's summer is hot, humid and wet, and autumn is the calmer window for walking the city; spring is pleasant too. Lunar New Year is the big one to avoid in Taipei, when flights and hotels fill early and fares climb. In London, the school holidays and the run-up to Christmas push departure fares up. Midweek departures usually price lower than Friday and Sunday, and booking a few months out beats last-minute buying for the summer peak.

Ten carriers sell this route, and all of them are full-service airlines rather than budget operators, so baggage is normally part of the fare, though the allowance changes with the carrier and the fare family. Air China, Shenzhen Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Hainan Airlines and Juneyao Airlines connect through mainland China, Finnair routes through Helsinki, and Royal Brunei through Bandar Seri Begawan. Vietnam Airlines connects in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, while the two Taiwanese carriers, Eva Air and China Airlines, are the ones to check first for a non-stop. Decide whether you want a non-stop or a connection before you compare prices, because the two are different products.

Taiwan Taoyuan International is the gateway for Taipei, and it sits outside the city rather than on its edge, so build in time for the transfer. The airport metro line runs into Taipei Main Station, buses cover the same ground, and taxis wait at the curb for the door-to-door option. Late-night arrivals are the thing to watch: if you land after the trains stop, the metro is out and you are on buses or taxis. Check which terminal your flight uses before you arrange a pickup, and carry some local currency for the bus if you have not sorted a card that works in Taiwan.

Currency

TWD (NT$)

Power sockets

Type A, B · 110 V

Language

Rukai, Taiwanese Hokkien, Amis, Taiwanese Sign Language, Kinmen dialect, Matsu dialect, Truku, Taiwanese Hakka, Sakizaya, Saisiyat, Puyuma, Seediq, Tsou, Kavalan, Saaroa, Atayal, Yami, Paiwan, Standard Taiwanese Mandarin, Kanakanavu, Bunun, Wuqiu dialect

Emergency number

112, 110, 119

Driving side

right

Calling code

+886

Internet domain

.tw

Time zone

UTC+08 (Asia/Taipei)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Check which London airport your fare uses — Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City all serve this route, and crossing the city to another one can undo the saving.
• Confirm whether your ticket is non-stop or connects, and where the stop is, before you compare it with the next fare.
• Read the baggage allowance for every leg, especially when the connecting flight is operated by a partner airline.
• If you book the legs separately, leave a long gap between them, because a missed connection on separate tickets is yours to fix.
• Check Taiwan's entry rules and your passport validity before you pay.
• Compare October with the months either side on the price calendar before you commit.