15 Essential travel tips for Taiwan trip

Would you like to receive the best Taiwan tips travel? Then you have come to the right place! Travelling to Taiwan is an enjoyment for the senses because the traveller is surprised by the mixture of tradition and modernity that the country offers. Its people are very friendly and are always receptive to help tourists.

However, if you have never been to this Asian country, I recommend that you read this post to discover, for example, how to travel in Taiwan. If what you are looking for is not in this article, be sure to visit the “Services” section of this website to find everything about the visa. Just look for the country on the list to get complete and up-to-date information on visa policies.

Taiwan language travel tips

Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China, is an island country located in the Far East of Asia. Its neighbours are China, Japan and the Philippines.

That said, Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language on the island, and Taiwanese also has a large number of speakers. Regarding writing, the traditional version is used (similar to Hong Kong and Macao).

If you speak at least basic English, you will not have much problem, in general, there is a good command of this language (especially in the north). In case your native language is not English, practically in all cities, there are tourist areas with information in all languages.

Still, is it necessary to speak Chinese to travel to Taiwan? Not exactly, young people can speak English, but outside the big cities, communication is much more complicated, so some basic Chinese phrases will help you a lot. For example, many taxi drivers do not speak English. However, outside the capital, many prefer to speak in Taiwanese, although they can communicate perfectly in Mandarin. The traffic signs are all written in Chinese and with the Roman alphabet.

So, some helpful Taiwan language travel tips that you can learn to communicate are:

• 多少錢？= Duōshǎo qián?/How much does it cost?.
• 你好 = Nǐ hǎo, hello.
• 謝謝 = Xièxie, thank you.
• 不客氣 = Bù kèqì, you're welcome.
• 對不起 = duìbùqǐ, sorry.
• 再見 = zàijiàn, bye although they also usually say 拜拜 bàibài, bye bye.
• 火車 = Huǒchē, train.
• 火車站 = Huǒchē zhàn, train station.
• To go to buy tickets, you have to go to 售票 口 (Shòupiào kǒu, sales stand) or 售票 機 (shòupiào jī, sales machine). Although this last one only sells tickets for the same day you buy it. If you want to buy in advance, you have to ask for 預售 (Yù shòu). If it is one way it will be 單程 票 (Dānchéng piào) and if it is round trip it will be 來回 票 (Láihuí piào).
• 座位 (zuò wèi) - seat
• 付 現 (fù jiàn) - in cash
• 刷卡 (shān kǎ) - with card

How to travel in Taiwan?

In general, public transport is efficient, in several cities, there are bus and bicycle systems (although you will need an Easycard and local SIM). On the subway, there are only in Taipei and Kaohsiung; there are also private services such as Uber or O-bike.

Regarding travel tips for Taiwan for long-distance trips, you can find buses, trains (standard and bullet type). Travelling by road is cheaper, while the bullet train is the fastest option. If you buy your bus or train tickets in advance online, you can get good discounts.

The cost of the Taxi or Uber are similar, public transport is preferable (short distances: bicycle, long distances: metro or bus).

How to move around from the 3 major airports in Taiwan?

Two of these three airports are located in Taipei (台北). You will most likely land at this point first, so let’s start there.

Assuming that your first destination will be Taipei, I will tell you the most convenient ways to get there. Still, it is very important that you check your plane ticket before boarding to arrive prepared.

• How to get move from Taoyuan Airport (桃園 國際 機場)

It is the most modern airport, and it is located on the shores of the city of Taoyuan (桃園) and most of the international flights land here. There is nothing interesting around, so I recommend heading to your destination as soon as you can.

In Taoyuan there are two terminals, in both, you will find a bus station. This is the most convenient option regarding quality-price, also the most diverse in terms of destinations, and they offer to reach different points of the capital and other relevant cities.

Also, the option of the subway to Taipei or Taoyuan is convenient, the station is located in terminal 1. The cost is higher than the bus but a little less complicated to transport. One of the best Taiwan travel tips is taking it if you are in a rush to get to your destination or don’t want to deal with the language.

The last option is the bullet train, which has a considerably high cost compared to the others. It is really not worth paying this if you only go to Taipei. Instead, if you decide to travel to another city on the west coast and want to save time, go ahead.

• How to move from Songshan Airport (松山 機場)

Being the first airport in Taipei normally flights from Mainland China, South Korea, Japan and some nationals land here.

Its location is near the centre; therefore, moving from this point is easy. If you are going to stay in the capital, take the metro; there is a station (brown line) inside.

IMPORTANT FACT: If you go to another city, you could take a bus from the same airport, or you could go to the central station (blue and red line) by metro.

• How to move around from Kaohsiung Airport (高雄 國際 機場)

It is the furthest international airport to the south of the island and is located in the city of Kaohsiung. Being an excellent destination to finish or start your itinerary. Nearby you will find metro, train and bus stations, and all are accessible in a matter of price.

EXTRA FACT: There are usually striking discounts on flights departing from this point, so I suggest you take a look before buying your tickets.

Now, if you are looking for the simplest and most comfortable option to go from the airports to your hotel and vice versa, you can hire a private transfer service. So another great Taiwan tips travel is very worth it if you are travelling with several people or with a lot of luggage.

Payment option tips

The tips travel Taiwan use card or cash will be of great help because many travellers do not know which the best option is. I must say that you will not be able to exchange cash anywhere. On Formosa Island the official currency is the Taiwan dollar (TWD), which can only be exchanged at airports, banks or in an exchange house, but they may charge you high commissions. It is also possible to withdraw cash from some ATMs.

The change is approximately USD 1 = TWD 38. Taiwan is a cheap country to travel to when compared to Japan, but considerably more expensive than Thailand, Malaysia or Vietnam. If we compare it with China, in certain aspects, it is cheaper, especially in transport since the distances are much shorter and in entrances to attractions, but in others such as food, it is a little more expensive.

Okay, according to the tips travel to Taiwan use card or cash, I must say that the use of cards is increasingly limited. Even several stores no longer accept it; since the e-wallet, method has a higher preference. The simplest way is cash, which is accepted in all businesses.

You can also pay with an electronic wallet called Easycard, and it also has great acceptance.

EXTRA DATA: You can use your cards through apps or web pages to pay for services such as accommodation or tickets, although sometimes it will be cheaper to pay with cash.

Taiwan travel safety tips

Be very careful with some natural phenomena in Taiwan. Typhoons or hurricanes season covers the months of June to October. A typhoon is capable of ruining your itinerary since it can last up to 3 days. One of the best Taiwan travel safety tips is to stay inside your hotel to avoid exposing yourself to any danger.

Taiwan is located under a tectonic plate, so the probability of an earthquake is permanent. Historically there have only been 2 high impact earthquakes.

The government implements very efficient relief and prevention measures, so the probability of a catastrophe is low.

Taiwan is a safe country

If you are worried about the security in the country, then do not worry because the islanders have big respect towards tourists. You will see that many cities have security cameras everywhere, and even some taxies have them.

The only travel tips for Taiwan about safety is to be careful with the motorbikes, and they drive very fast.

As for thefts, they really are very, very strange. You will see many women travelling alone, even in big cities and at night.

According to the Taiwanese, the places most conducive to pickpocketing are the most popular night markets, where at times it is difficult to walk, but in any case, their concept of insecurity is very different from that of the West.

I hope I’ve helped you with these Taiwan travel tips, just apply common sense, and everything will be fine.