Fast Facts

Business Hours The following are general open hours; specific establishments may vary. Businesses: Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm Most banks and other outlets offer 24-hour access to automated teller machines (ATMs). Department stores: Daily 11am to 9:30pm. Shops: Daily 10/11am to 9/10pm. Convenience stores: Many are open 24 hours a day.

Electricity Like North America, Taiwan uses 110 volts AC (60 cycles). compared to 220-240 volts AC (50 cycles) Travelers from most of Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia.

Emergencies Call tel. 119 for emergencies, fire, or ambulance. Call tel. 110 for police.

How to Make International Calls Public phones in Taiwan are divided primarily into two types, coin and card. Coin phones accept coins in denominations of NT$1, NT$5, and NT10. For local calls, NT$1 buys 1 minute of phone time. Phone cards are divided into magnetic-strip-stored value cards and IC-stored value cards, and can be used all over Taiwan. Magnetic strip cards sell for NT$100 each, and IC cards are available in NT$200 and NT$300 versions. The cards are sold in railway stations, bus stations, and convenience stores. When making local calls it is not necessary to dial the area code; when making long-distance calls, however, the area code of the party being called must be dialed in first and then the number itself dialed. International calls can be made from private cellphones, public IDD phones, or hotel IDD phones. International calls are charged in units of 6 seconds.

To make international calls from Taiwan: 1. Dial Taiwan's international access code, 002?2. Dial the country code of the country being called (1 for the U.S., for example, 86 for mainland China)?3. Dial in the area code of the called party (leaving out the long-distance recognition digit, "0."?4. Dial in the number of the called party. For operator-assisted international calls, dial tel. 100. For international information, call this toll-free number: tel. 0800080100.

Reverse charges or credit-card calls: Dial 008 and the communication number for the country being called, as follows:?Australia (tel. 008-061-0061); Canada (tel.?008-012-0012);?England (tel. 008-044-0044); and the?U.S. (AT&T) (tel. 008-010-2880).

Directory assistance: For English-language directory assistance, dial tel. 106. For local directory assistance, dial tel. 104. For long-distance directory assistance, dial tel. 105.

Cellphones/mobiles: Cellphone coverage is relatively good in Taiwan, which has both GSM 900/1800 and 3G networks; roaming is possible with cellphones connected to these networks.

Internet Access In 2006, Taipei became the world's first large-scale wireless city, with Wi-Fi (wireless Internet) access reaching up to 90 percent of its public spaces. It was the goal of Mayor Dr. Ying-jeou Ma to transform Taipei into a cybercity of the 21st century, and today the network, initiated by the Taipei city government and built by a private company, already includes more than 3,300 wireless "access points" that cover half the city's 106 square miles. The devices use Wi-Fi to let Taipei's 2.6 million residents surf the Internet or send e-mails from their living rooms or a park bench. Access to the citywide network is available to residents for a fee, from $4 to $12, but most hotels offer Wi-Fi to guests for free or at a nominal charge.

If you aren't bringing your laptop or PDA with you, you can stay connected in your hotel (many hotels have computer rooms or business centers with fully loaded and fully wired facilities). If you want to get out and about, you can go online at one of the city's Internet cafes, many of which provide computer stations with fully loaded software and Wi-Fi.

Liquor Laws The drinking culture is Taiwan is built around social events and workplace colleagues fraternizing after work in pubs, lounge bars, dance clubs, wine bars, and KTVs, karaoke-style singalong bars. Favorite drinks are Taiwan Beer (on ice) and Kaoliang, a very strong distilled grain liquor (often drunk straight up). The traditional Taiwanese drinking culture is not one of overindulging -- getting blind drunk is considered a sign of immaturity. But with the advent of all-you-can-drink nightclubs and bars, this may be changing in big-city Taipei. You can buy beer, wine, and hard liquor in specialty shops, 24-hour convenience stores (like 7-Eleven), wine shops, among other venues. The legal drinking age in Taiwan is 18.

Mail Taiwan Post ((tel. 886/2-2392-1310; toll-free customer service line: tel. 0800/700-365; www.post.gov.tw) has 23 large offices through the country, which supervises some 1,300 smaller post offices. The main post office in Taipei is located at No. 114, Jhongsiao W. Rd., in the Jhongjheng District.

At press time, international postage rates were NT$9 for a postcard and NT$14 for a letter up to 20g. An aerogramme costs NT $12 to send to the U.S.

Newspapers & Magazines The daily newspapers the Taipei Times and the Taiwan News are both available in English. Lifestyle is a free bilingual entertainment and events magazine.

Police Call tel. 110.

Safety The overall violent crime rate in Taiwan remains relatively low. The U.S. State Department recommends that travelers avoid business establishments such as massage parlors, illegal "barbershops," and illegal "nightclubs" -- many of these establishments are run by criminals and are located in high-crime areas. (In contrast to their counterparts, legal barbershops prominently display the usual grooming services. Illegal nightclubs have no advertisement and are publicized by word of mouth only.) Beware of pickpockets in crowded places like Taipei's popular and energetic "night markets," outdoor markets where vendors sell a variety of wares, both traditional and new, and offer delicious food and drinks. Otherwise, the streets are generally safe and violent crime is a rarity. Still, as in any city, you should take the usual common-sense precautions: Avoid deserted areas, especially at night, and don't venture into public parks at night unless a concert or other similar event is attracting crowds. Keep your money and valuables in a safe place, and always lock your hotel door.

Public transportation, including the buses and the subway, is generally safe in Taiwan, but women should exercise caution when traveling alone in taxis late at night. In several parts of Taiwan, incidents of purse snatching by thieves on motorcycles have been reported.

Smoking Taipei recently passed a tough smoking ban that prohibited smoking in all indoor public spaces, including restaurants, bars, and work spaces. Exceptions include pubs that open after 9pm and outdoor spaces at dining facilities. However, the ban is not expected to take effect until late in 2008.

Taxes Taiwan has a value added tax/sales tax of 5%. Many hotels tack on a 10% service charge in addition to the 5% value-added tax to room rates and meals.

Time Zone Taipei is on Taiwan Standard Time (GMT +8), which makes it 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (and thus London), and 13 hours ahead of New York.

Tipping Tipping is not customary in Taiwan. The one exception is tipping the bellboy when you check into a hotel. Most restaurants tack on a 10% service charge to the bill.

Water It's recommended that visitors to Taipei stick to bottled water or water that has been boiled and filtered.