PRE-TRIP GUIDE

Blog credits to: GOING AWESOME PLACES

Taiwan currency is the New Taiwan Dollar ($NT). TWD is also another symbol that is used.

• Mental math for North Americans:  To convert things quickly in your head, cut one zero and we divided by 3.  This brings it closer to USD.  For CAD, you just “add a little”.
• Quick reference print outs:  Oanda’s fxCheatSheet is pretty handy.
• App: For iOS users, I recommend the free app xCurrency.

Taiwan goes through a full four seasons however they are less pronounced and they lean towards the humid subtropical climate. It’s all personal preference but the best time to go would be either in late spring (April to May) or autumn (November) for a great blend of comfortable temperatures and smaller crowds. Also keep in mind that temperatures will vary depending on where you are in the country which means it’ll be much warmer in the south vs. Taipei vs. in the mountains.

• Spring (March – May): Very mild and pleasant where only long sleeve is required [Average 15ºC to 27ºC]
• Summer (June – September): Very hot and humid with chances of rain as well.  Keep in mind that this is typhoon season as well [Average 24ºC to 31ºC]
• Autumn (October – November): Begins to cool down but is still very comfortable [Average 18ºC to 30ºC]
• Winter (December – February): Jacket season where it can get foggy due to northeasterly winds from Siberia [Average 13ºC to 19ºC]

Flights to Taiwan will vary drastically depending on where you’re flying from. If you’re coming from Asia, there are a number of low cost carriers to choose from including AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, and Scoot. For the rest of the world, the two big national airlines to look out for are China Airlines (SkyTeam) and EVA Air (Star Alliance).

The primary international airport is Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) and for most international travellers, that is where you will want to land. What you may not realize though is that there are alternative airports that you can use to jump to different parts of the country or directly fly into. The two other international airports can be found at Kaohsiung (KHH) and Taichung (RMQ). Another popular airport that you might want to try to search if you’re coming from other parts of Asia is Taipei Songshan Airport in Taipei (TSA).

I had the opportunity to fly EVA Air both direct from Vancouver and Toronto and had a fabulous experience with them. Including a quirky interpretive dance safety video, pre-boarding complimentary tea, some of the best food I’ve had on the plane, and great service.

There are so many choices for hotels in Taiwan that range from budget to mid-range and luxury. In Taipei, you’ll find the big international brands but across the country, don’t be afraid to book local branded properties. In this 12 day itinerary, you’ll see that we’ve chosen reasonably priced 4 star properties that all managed to impress.

Unless you’re travelling to one of the smaller islands of Taiwan (i.e. Penghu or Xiao Liu Qiu), your best bet is to take advantage of the excellent land transportation options that are available.

The best way to cover large distances along the west coast of the island is the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR/HSR) which is equivalent to Japan’s bullet train. At a top speed of 300 km/h, you can get from Taipei to Kaohsiung in just over 1.5 hours. In cities and towns that aren’t covered by THSR/HSR, there are traditional trains covered by the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA).

In the big cities such as Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Taichung, you have an extensive and efficient subway network which is also called the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system.

There are always buses to fall back on. In the cities, I’d recommend using them only if you know the route and schedule. That being said, if you’re going to be doing places like Alishan, Kenting, and Taitung, you’re going to need to familiarize yourself with what’s called the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle. These are buses created in coordination with the tourism bureau to make it easier for travellers to get to popular sightseeing destinations. They’re typically more conveniently marked with English which makes things easier.

Taxis are easy to hail in the big cities and if not you can always get your hotel to call one for you. Expect this to be your most expensive mode of transportation.

Scooters are often the preferred way of getting around in places like Kenting not to mention the most fun. Roads aren’t crazy hectic like in Thailand so it’s quite safe. What you need to know though is that they require local motorcycle licenses to drive motorized scooters. Electric scooters are much easier to rent as long as you’ve done it before. If you haven’t, they might reject you or you’ll be required to do a small lesson like we did. If you continue reading the itinerary portion of this guide, you’ll learn why you really need one to get around.

Car rentals are another way to get around that often doesn’t get much attention. Make sure you book in advance and do your research in advanced as English will be at a minimum when engaging with car rental companies and driving directions. Make sure you have your international drivers license.

Lastly, I’d like to mention private drivers as this is another popular way to see the country. These are typically taxi drivers that have their own side business. I never had a chance to book one but did run across a cabbie that told us about his services and read about quite a number of them on TripAdvisor forums. The beauty of this is that you can create your own itinerary and do it in the comfort of a private vehicle, skipping complicated commutes, and saving time as well. It may be hard to find English-speaking drivers but I’m sure they’re out there. This is best used for day trips such as up to Yehliu Geopark, Danshui, Jiufen, etc.

Tips:

• What’s confusing in Taiwan is that there are multiple types of contactless cards (EasyCard, icash 2.0, and iPass).  I’m not going to pretend to be able to explain differences between them but the one that you want to get is EasyCard as it’s the most widely accepted around the country for most local transit (MRT and buses) and stores.  You can buy them at MRT stations but convenient stores like 7-11 and Family Mart sell them too.  Warning:  7-11 will try to sell you on their icash cards but make sure you get EasyCard (don’t make the same mistake that I made).  The beauty of the EasyCard is that all credit can be refunded at MRT stations whereas it is not easy/impossible with the other cards.
• In Taipei, there is also something called the Taipei Pass that you can consider where you can get unlimited rides for the number of days that you purchase.  Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it as the EasyCard is just more hassle free and keeps things flexible.
• Uber isn’t a thing yet and you’ll find that most cabs don’t take rechargeable cards nor credit cards so expect to pay cash.
• While Google is pretty good at providing schedules and directions for public transportation especially in Taipei, I’d recommend getting a local to help you when possible especially when it comes to buses.

There are a number of visa regulations that depend on your nationality. For most of you, the good news here is that you will most likely be visa exempt or you’ll be able to purchase a visa on arrival, eVisa, or an Online Travel Authorization Certificate. Your best is to get most up-to-date information on visas for Taiwan.