Planning a trip to Taipei
In addition to its offices in the U.S., Australia and Europe, the useful website of the Taiwan Tourist Bureau (TTB) (http://eng.taiwan.net.tw) is packed with information and definitely worth a look before your trip. The TTB has helpful service centers at both terminals of the Taipei Taoyuan airport (daily 7am-11.30pm), and visitor centers are also situated at popular attractions and some MRT stations (see website).
Travel in Taiwan, Discover Taipei and This Month in Taiwan magazines are offered free in most hotels and feature travel stories, reviews and events listings.
Fast Facts
The area code in Taipei is 02 (omit the first zero if calling from overseas), and the city's phone numbers have an eight-digit format.
There are currency-exchange facilities at airports and upscale hotels. The Bank of Taiwan and HSBC can exchange currency and traveler's checks. ATMs accepting international cards are found across the city, including many 7-Eleven and Family Mart outlets.
Taipei's Main Post Office is located at the junction of Zhongxiao West Road and Bo'ai Road. Internet cafes come and go but are typically gaming hotspots; hotel business centers and cafe or lobby Wi-Fi are preferable.
The emergency number for police is tel. 110. For fire and ambulance, call tel. 119.
Getting There
By Plane
The Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (www.taoyuanairport.gov.tw) is served from around the globe by airlines including Continental (www.continental.com), United Air (www.united.com), Cathay Pacific (www.cathaypacific.com), Thai Air (ww.thaiair.com), Air Asia (www.airasia.com), Jetstar (www.jetstar.com), China Airlines (www.china-airlines.com), and national carrier Eva Air (www.evaair.com). The nearest major hub is Hong Kong, but with the opening of direct flights between China and Taiwan, Shanghai and Beijing are also options.
The airport is inconveniently located 30 miles from the city at Taoyuan. The two terminals are joined by a short Skytrain, and both have currency exchange bureaus, ATMs, visitor centers, car rentals and limousine hires, post offices, duty-free shops, snack bars, and Wi-Fi. There are hotels in Taoyuan, including the Fullon Taoyuan (200 Dasing West Rd., Taoyuan; 📞 03/326-5800; www.taoyuan.fullon-hotels.com; superior NT$5,700), but there's little need to stay unless you plan to take the high-speed rail south early the next morning.
Getting into Town from the Airport
By Taxi -- Taxis are the easiest option into town, and a metered ride costs NT$1,000 to NT$1,400 depending on the traffic and your destination.
By Bus -- A variety of bus companies, including Airbus (📞 0800/088-626; www.airbus.com.tw) and Evergreen (📞 03/357-0498; www.evergreen.com.tw), offer services from both terminals into town. Two principal bus lines run through the east and west of the city, stopping at major hotels. Both lines run from 6am to midnight, take 60 to 90 minutes and cost NT$125 and up. Tell the ticket agent your destination and he'll put you on the right bus.
By Boat
A number of cruise-ship companies include Taiwan on their itineraries and stop at Keelung, close to Taipei (www.costacruise.com; www.oceaniacruises.com; www.princess.com).
By Train
Near the city center, the Taipei Main Station is the hub for journeys all over Taiwan and has a visitor center, convenience stores, ATMs and a wealth of eateries on the second floor. The station is also the terminus of the high-speed-rail (HSR) (www.thsrc.com.tw/en), which cuts the journey time to Taiwan's second city, Kaohsiung (Zuoying), to just 90 minutes (NT$1,490 one way). High-speed trains also stop at Taoyuan, a 20-minute taxi or shuttle-bus connection from the airport. HSR advance tickets can be bought online or at the designated window in the station, and trains leave from the basement. Slower regular trains serve the same destinations as does the East Coast Line, which terminates at Taitung (via Taroko and Hualien). See www.railway.gov.tw/en for full listings. Tickets are purchased from the counters beneath the ground-floor departures board.
By Bus
Buses throughout Taiwan are operated by a number of companies that pick up and drop off passengers at stops around the capital. For west-coast destinations, the easiest place to head is the Inter City Bus Terminal, near the train station at the junction of Yanping Road and Civic Boulevard. Of the companies offering buses down the west coast, Aloha (📞 0800/43168; www.aloha168.com.tw) is the premier choice and provides double-width massage chairs with TVs, games console and hostess service (tickets from NT$550 weekdays, NT$715 weekends for the 4-5 hour journey to Kaohsiung). Ubus (📞 0800/241-560; www.ubus.com.tw) is another luxury choice.
Getting Around
In spite of heavy rush-hour traffic, Taipei is an easy destination to get around, providing you follow a few basic rules. By using a mix of MRT (Mass Rapid Transport), taxi, bus, boat and foot, you will see all that the city has to offer and may even find yourself enjoying the journey.
Taipei is set in a cluster of river valleys divided by lush hills, and while older parts of West Taipei have narrow, winding lanes, the new Central and Eastern districts follow a standard grid pattern. Street names are split into compass-points sectors (Zhongshan North and South Road, for example), and longer roads are also divided into sections (Zhongshan North Road, Sec 2). These are crucial to locating an address as street numbers re-set with each new section. Parallel lanes run between the major thoroughfares; these are addressed according to the nearest street number on the road that they lead off (for example, for Lane 205, Zhongxiao East Road, Sec 4, look for 205 Zhongxiao East Road, Sec 4, and the lane will be signed off).
Note: Even though English is increasingly spoken, you should carry a business card or the Chinese characters for your destination -- many of the Chinese names for attractions are entirely different from the English. Free maps and some hotel business cards have lists of top attractions in Chinese. If you're lost you'll find that the Taiwanese are incredibly friendly -- you may be approached with an offer of help before you've even opened your map.
If you'd prefer to have someone else make all the arrangements and help you get the most out of your time, day trips, longer tours and tailor-made journeys are offered by the Taiwan specialists at Grasshopper Adventures (www.grasshopperadvenures.com).
By Taxi -- Taipei's yellow taxis are abundant, and drivers are generally friendly and courteous. Taxis always use the meter, unless you hire one for a day trip (approximately NT$500 per hour; look for the "English" logo, or call friendly, English-speaking John Yao at 📞 0952/438-553). For regular fares, the fixed rate is NT$70 for the first 1.25km (0.8 miles) and then NT$5 per additional 250m (0.15 miles). Between 11pm and 6am there's a supplementary 20% charge.
By MRT -- Taipei's MRT continues to expand, offering fast, cool, clean transport around the city. The major lines are Danshui (red), Xindian (green), Banciao (blue) and Muzha (brown). Services operate on 3- to 8-minute intervals from 6am to midnight and tokens can be purchased from machines or ticket offices at all stations. Ticket prices from Taipei Main Station cost NT$20 to NT$50. If you're staying longer than a week, it's worth buying an EasyCard, which costs NT$500 (including a NT$100 refundable deposit) and can also be used on buses.
By Bus -- Getting around by city bus has become easier, with most buses now featuring English signage on the front of the bus and inside on the route maps. Fares are NT$15 per sector, and the extensive network covers the entire city. Overall, though, taxis and MRT are easier ways to get around, but useful routes are listed where relevant. English route maps can be picked up from MRT stations and visitor centers.
On Foot -- The summer heat and humidity can make walking between attractions a sticky business, but it's highly recommended as a way to explore some of the older districts, notably Datong, Ximending, Beitou and Danshui.
