In short
Put the answer first: there is a free shuttle between the airport and Chaoshan high-speed railway station, ¥0, every 20 minutes from 08:00 to 21:00, boarding outside Exit 8 on the ground floor of the arrivals hall — just follow the free airport bus signs on the arrivals level, and there is nothing to buy. From the airport the first coach leaves at 08:20 and the last at 21:00; from the station end they run 08:00 to 20:30, boarding inside the Yueyun coach terminal on the north square. The airport and the local press publish only the frequency and the hours, never a journey time, so this page quotes no minutes rather than inventing them from a map. Chaoshan station is worth the trip: it is where the Xiamen–Shenzhen and Meizhou–Chaoshan lines meet, so high-speed services toward Xiamen, Shenzhen and Guangzhou all interchange here and your onward choices are far wider than at Shantou station. The second way is the train, and it is quicker: the airport’s own Jieyang Airport station sits against the south side of Terminal 1, two or three minutes on foot, and Chaoshan is 10 km and as little as 9 minutes away — most trains take 11 to 14 — at ¥10–12 in second class, the published full fare being ¥12 with fares floating, running from 07:35 to 22:59 toward Chaoshan. The third is a paid backup: the Chaozhou express line calls at Chaoshan station, ¥22 and about 60 minutes, with departures from the airport from 09:50 and a last scheduled coach at 16:40, plus two flight-dependent runs around 19:00 and 20:00. It costs more than the free bus but finishes later, so anyone landing after 21:00 should look for it. A taxi is the last resort at about 12 km, with third-party travel sites quoting roughly ¥50, which is not an official price. And to be clear about one thing: there is no metro in this region at all — Shantou, Chaozhou and Jieyang have no urban rail — so going by metro is not an option that exists.
- Free shuttle
- Yes, ¥0, airport to Chaoshan station
- Hours of operation
- Daily 08:00–21:00, every 20 minutes
- Boarding at the airport
- Outside Exit 8, ground-floor arrivals hall
- First and last from the airport
- First 08:20, last 21:00
- First and last from the station
- First 08:00, last 20:30
- Boarding at the station
- Inside the Yueyun coach terminal on the north square
- Journey time
- Not published by the airport
- Train alternative
- 10 km, as little as 9 min, ¥10–12 second class
- Train first and last
- 07:35 to 22:59 toward Chaoshan
- Paid coach backup
- Chaozhou express line calls here: ¥22, about 60 min
- Metro
- None — no urban rail in any of the three cities
How to take each option
The free shuttle: outside Exit 8, ¥0
Fare Free (¥0)
- Stay on the ground-floor arrivals level after baggage claim and follow the signs for the free airport bus or the free Chaoshan station bus. Do not go upstairs and do not head for Exit 4, which is the taxi rank.
- Queue at the waiting area outside Exit 8. There is no ticket to buy and no boarding pass to show — just get on. Coaches leave every 20 minutes between 08:00 and 21:00.
- Put big bags in the hold or on a spare seat beside you, keep valuables with you, and listen for the driver’s call as you approach the station.
- You are dropped at the Yueyun coach terminal on the north square of Chaoshan station; walk into the station square and follow the departure signs, changing here to Xiamen–Shenzhen line trains for Xiamen or Shenzhen.
Two cut-offs matter: the last coach leaves the airport at 21:00 and the station at 20:30, so when you have a train to catch do not plan around the hour — take an earlier coach. The airport publishes no journey time for the ride, so this page gives no minutes.
The train: as little as 9 minutes, ¥10–12
Time As little as 9 min, most trains 11–14Fare ¥10–12, fares float
- Follow the railway signs out of the south side of Terminal 1; Jieyang Airport station is right beside the building, two or three minutes on foot.
- Check that day’s Jieyang Airport to Chaoshan departures on 12306 or in the search box — around 26 to 32 a day depending on which timetable you count — and confirm the time and fare.
- Clear security, board as signed, and pay ¥10–12 in second class: the published full fare is ¥12 but fares float, so the 12306 price for your date governs.
- Chaoshan is nine to fourteen minutes away, and you come out inside the high-speed hub you were aiming for; follow the departure signs to change onto the Xiamen–Shenzhen or Meizhou–Chaoshan line.
This is the only rail option still available after the free shuttle closes: the last southbound train leaves at 22:59 and the first at 07:35, figures drawn from third-party timetable mirrors that shift with each timetable change, so verify on 12306. For anything later you will need a cab.
Paid backup: the Chaozhou line calls at Chaoshan station
Time About 60 minFare ¥22
- Buy your ticket at the Airport Express counter inside Gate 6 and say you are getting off at Chaoshan high-speed station; the enquiry line is 0663-3828788.
- Follow the airport bus pick-up signs to the ground floor and make sure you board the Chaozhou-bound coach.
- Get off at Chaoshan station on the way rather than riding to the Chaozhou terminus. Departures from the airport start at 09:50 with a last scheduled coach at 16:40, plus flight-dependent runs around 19:00 and 20:00.
It costs ¥22 more than the free bus but finishes later, so if you land after 21:00 and miss the last train this is the only public transport left at a predictable price. The times come from the operator’s timetable published on 11 March 2026, so a phone check before you travel is sensible.
Late-night and early-morning arrivals
After 21:00 the free shuttle is gone, and the order becomes this: the last train at 22:59, a figure from third-party timetable mirrors that moves with each change and must be checked on 12306, is the final piece of public transport; later still there is only the roughly 20:00 Chaozhou express coach, which depends on arriving flights and may not run every day, plus taxis and ride-hailing. A taxi covers about 12 km and third-party travel sites quote roughly ¥50, which is not an official price, with Jieyang cabs adding 30% from 22:00 to 07:00 and Shantou and Chaozhou cabs 20% from 23:00 to 06:00. One warning: Jieyang had only 57 cruising taxis in operation in the second half of 2024, so waiting at the rank in the small hours can be slow, and an app or a hotel pickup is the safer bet.
Questions travellers ask
Is there really a free bus to Chaoshan station?
Yes, at ¥0, running airport to Chaoshan station every 20 minutes from 08:00 to 21:00, with the first coach from the airport at 08:20 and the last at 21:00, and from the station end 08:00 to 20:30. Guangdong Airport Authority’s tender notice puts the service contract through 31 May 2027, and aviation press in October 2026 still reported more than 76 runs a day.
Where exactly do I board the free shuttle?
Outside Exit 8 of the ground-floor arrivals hall, following the free airport bus signs, and there is no ticket to buy. Do not confuse it with Exit 4, which is taxis, or Gate 6, which is the express coach counter and ride-hailing. At the station end you board inside the Yueyun coach terminal on the north square.
How long does the free shuttle take, and how often does it run?
The frequency is official: every 20 minutes. The journey time has never been published — the airport and the local press give only the frequency and the hours — so this page quotes no minutes rather than filling in a map estimate.
What if I land after 21:00?
Take the train: Jieyang Airport station to Chaoshan is 10 km in as little as 9 minutes at ¥10–12, with the last southbound service at 22:59, subject to timetable changes and worth confirming on 12306. Later than that it is a taxi or ride-hailing, with third-party sites quoting around ¥50, not an official price.
How much is the train to Chaoshan station?
¥10–12 in second class: the published full fare is ¥12 but fares float, and one aggregator shows fares from about ¥10, so the 12306 price on your date governs. The distance is 10 km and the fastest train takes 9 minutes.
Are Chaoshan station and Shantou station the same place?
No. Chaoshan station sits in Chaozhou and is the junction where the Xiamen–Shenzhen and Meizhou–Chaoshan lines meet, so it is where you change for Xiamen or Shenzhen; Shantou station is inside Shantou city, closer to the centre but with fewer services. From the airport, Chaoshan is 10 km and 9 minutes at best while Shantou is 39 km and 35–47 minutes.
How much is a taxi to Chaoshan station?
No official reference fare is published. What you can check is the tariff: a Jieyang cab starts at ¥8 for 2 km then charges ¥2.2 per km, adds 50% beyond 20 km and 30% between 22:00 and 07:00. Third-party travel sites give a reference range of around 12 km and ¥50, which is not an official price.
How much time should I allow if I have a train to catch?
The free shuttle runs every 20 minutes with no published journey time, so budget twenty minutes waiting, half an hour riding and half an hour for security: only count on trains departing at least 90 minutes after you land. In a hurry take the nine-minute train or a taxi instead.
Can I get there by metro?
No. None of Shantou, Chaozhou or Jieyang has urban rail, and the Shantou transport bureau has said plainly that the city does not yet qualify to apply for a metro or light-rail project. Getting to Chaoshan station means the free shuttle, the train, the express coach or a taxi.
Is the shuttle free in the station-to-airport direction too?
Yes, it is free in both directions. At the station end you board inside the Yueyun coach terminal on the north square, where coaches run from 08:00 to 20:30, again every 20 minutes. For an early flight, confirm the next morning’s first departure the day before.