Thorn Tree travel forum

1

Are you are foreigner and have you used this service? It is my understanding that only foreigners with a Taiwan ARC (Alien Resident Card) can take the ferry, and only from Kinmen to Xiamen. They must also have a China visa already in their passport when they arrive.

In addition, at least a couple months ago you couldn't take the ferry from Xiamen back to Kinmen.

Can you provide a link or something more official?

2

I started a thread about this at Forumosa.com a couple of months ago ( link). It seems it is the case that it is only possible to travel from Kinmen (Taiwan) to China and not in the other direction. If anybody has travelled by this route or lives in Xiamen perhaps they could give an update or report.

Taiwanderful - The Taiwan Guide

3

I cannot recommend that foreigners try this I doubt very seriously that this is intended for anybody other than Taiwan residents to use. I'm sure that this "visa office" in Xiamen has no ability to give visas on the spot to foreign citizens. I have to laugh that you can go from Kinmen to Xiamen but you can't go back from Xiamen. It figures.

4

Ok, stand back everyone, I have some updated information.

Earlier this week, I traveled round trip from Xiamen to Kinmen by ferry. I hold a British passport with a Chinese visa and did not need any kind of Taiwanese visa.

The ferry from Xiamen cost RMB 180, and coming back was Taiwan$750. The ferry took about 90 minutes going and 50 coming back. Ferries run hourly during the day from 8:30am - 5:30pm

No need to book ahead, just show up and buy your ticket; it's all very streamlined and very efficient. Immigration is very quick too.

Everyone is someone else's weirdo

5

Now that it's possible for foreigners to travel freely between Xiamen and Kinmen hassle free, is it also possible to take the boat from Xiamen to Kinmen, and then fly to Taiwan?

If this is possible, would it also be feasible to fly from Taiwan to Kinmen, and then take the ferry to Xiamen. I'm a Brit with a PR China residency permit and multi-entry visa...it seems like there shouldn't be a catch.

Any help would be greatly appreciated on this, cheers,
Pugfather

6

Once in Kinmen, just hop on a domestic flight to Taiwan. No problem.

Everyone is someone else's weirdo

7

I had a double entry visa for China but no visa for Taiwan and a British passport, and was able to get a boat from Xiamen to Kinmen and a flight from there to Taiwan. It is the cheapest way to Taiwan and particularly easy if you want to fly to Taichung, or even Taipei in that you arrive in Song Shan airport in the city, not at the international airport out at Taoyuan an hour from the city.

I also came back that way, but of course you need a double entry visa for China to come back again, as there is no visa office for China in Taiwan. There is a visa office at the port in Kinmen though, so I assume if you don't have a psssport with autimatic Taiwan entry then you might be able to get one on arrival there.

It costs 750NT or 150RMB on the boat from Xiamen to Kinmen, and then 25NT to Jin Cheng (main town on Kinmen) on the bus from the port, which seems to run regularily, at leats I only had to wait for two minutes, and then transfer at the bus station to the airport bus in another 10 minute wait for another 20NT for the bus, it took me about an hour by bus between the port and the airport and on the way back as the last boat left at 5 pm to Xiamen and I needed to rush it took less then 30mins by taxi between the airport and the port. I got to the port at 4.45pm and still got on the last ferry.

From Kinmen by plane it is 1850NT to Taichung airport, or 1950NT by the more expensive Mandarin airways which has wider seats, and only takes 50mins rather than 1 hour. Taipei is about the same price I think.

There is a boat to Kaoshiung too I understand, but I understand this only goes in the summer, and I don't know how much it costs. It also only goes twice a week I think, and it takes about 8 hours. I don't know for sure if this is true, but I asked the tourist information and they 'think' it is possible, but don't know for sure. More information on boats would be good if anyone can find out.

However, even now with direct flights from Taipei to Beijing, it is still cheaper to transfer via Kinmen and Xiamen, as I was quoted 9500NT for a direct flight from Taipei. I got a flight from Xiamen to Jinan, (not far from Beijing), for 700RMB (3500NT). All in I saved money, even with a night in Xiamen. And Xiamen is such a great town, especially the wonderfull Gulanyu, that spending a night there is well worthwhile, although you could easily get from Taichung to Beijing via Kinmen and Xiamen in a day if you were in a rush although you would need to get an early morning flight, there is one at 7am if you really needed to do so, although god knows why anyone would bother.

It takes 1 hour on the ferry, 1 hour in Kinmen, and you almost have no time wasted at airport security as it is all domestic, you only need to arrive 30minutes before your flight at Taichung airport. The ferry tranfer takes a few minutes to get through customs, rather than the two hours recommended at Chang Kai Shek airport in Taiwan. Its really so easy this is definately the best way to get between Taiwan and China. Of course direct flights are easier, but more expensive, and with getting to international flights and to and from CKK airport I reckon you don't save any time if you leave from Taichung. And as I say, Xiamen rocks!

8

There is also a boat from QuanZhou to Kinmen by the way.

9

After touring Quanzhou, I plan to take the ferry boat - from Quanzhou to Kinmen, then onwards to Taipei.
Any details available on Quanzhou boat? Frequency and location?

Should be an interesting alternative to the suddenly-popular Xiamen-Kinmen route.

Did you know - Quanzhou was Marco Polo's favorite Chinese port city.

10

To fly from Kinmen to Taipei (or the other way around), does one just arrive at the airport and pay for the flight right there, or do you need to reserve for a flight in advance? Is there a web site where one can reserve flights between Kinmen and Taipei?

== Outdoor photography ==
e l e m e n t a l p h o t o s . c o m

11

I am hoping to tackle this leg from Xiamen to Taipai in 7 days. Currently in Xiamen. As elementalphotos asked can you book in advanced or pay on the day?

12

Here is a dump for a book on the 26th of March.

Mandarin Airlines
Flight: 1268 Departs: KNH
05:45 PM Arrives: TSA
06:40 PM Economy
Aircraft: 100 | Distance: 205MI

Provider Traveler(s) Price Taxes & Fees Total
Mandarin Airlines 1 $64

(n/a)
$64
Cheaptickets 1 $64

$10.99
$74.99
Orbitz 1 $64

$10.99
$74.99