Accessible routes on public companies guarantee anybody can get round in Taipei. If you happen to get caught, you’ll don’t have any concern discovering assist from enthusiastic locals. In need of having somebody to point out you round, Taipei’s easy-to-navigate and uber-efficient public transport system is the subsequent smartest thing, twin lingual and air conditioned all through.
How you can discover Taipei
East to west, from Xiangshan to Ximen, Taipei metropolis middle might be traversed in round 40 minutes by bike, bus or MRT (subway). New Taipei Metropolis is broader nonetheless, with Tamsui to Xindian navigable in round 1 hour half-hour by MRT. A automotive or scooter will get you to your vacation spot faster however solely when avoiding rush hours (early morning and early night).
Is public transport in Taipei good?
A powerful sure from me. Not solely is Taipei public transport inexpensive, clear and handy, however additionally it is very punctual. You could possibly set your watch to the practice and bus schedule and all data might be discovered on Google Maps, commonly up to date with correct timetables and switch data for journey planning.
Passes for public transit in Taipei
You’ll see lots of promoting for the limitless Enjoyable Cross, however except you’re planning on doing the entire massive points of interest (together with the Nationwide Palace Museum and Taipei 101), then an EasyCard will suffice, chopping common ticket costs for bus and metro companies by 10 to 30%, plus reductions for a number of use in someday.
An EasyCard might be purchased for 100NTD plus top-up quantity in any metro station or at any 7-Eleven comfort retailer round city. You may as well use EasyCard instead of a rail ticket on TRA (Taiwan Railway Administration) companies.
Three selections for airport switch: low cost, cheaper and reasonable
The most cost effective approach to get from Taoyuan Worldwide Airport into Taipei Metropolis middle is to take the 1819 Kuo Kuang bus service to Taipei Fundamental Station, paying on the sales space contained in the bus terminal (135NTD; $4.60USD). The glossy new Airport MRT line is doubly fast however solely barely dearer (at 160NTD; $5.50) taking simply 35 minutes (in comparison with one hour by bus).
These prepared to splurge $30 to $40 after their long-haul flight can take a taxi from Taoyuan Worldwide Airport into Taipei Metropolis middle inside an hour.
Most worldwide flights arrive at Taoyuan Worldwide Airport. These searching for Taipei Airport ought to look into Songshan Airport which is quite nearer to town middle however largely serving home and regional airways.
For accessible routes, select Taipei’s subway
The Taipei Metro (aka MRT) is a complete subway system linking the entire of Taipei and New Taipei Metropolis. There are accessible routes and elevators in all stations and glorious services for the disabled throughout the Taipei Metro map.
When the scorching temperatures exterior threaten to overwhelm you, the 131 Taipei Metro stations supply respite, kitted out with bogs, snack shops and even underground malls between a handful of stations.
How to slot in on the Taipei subway
Bear in mind that ingesting, consuming and chewing gum are all banned on the Taipei Metro. Touring throughout rush hour is finest prevented the place attainable (7-9AM and 5-7PM weekdays) and it’s best to stand on the right-hand aspect of the escalators when not strolling.
To slot in seamlessly, chorus from loud conversations and keep away from sitting in the dead of night blue precedence seats (for aged, pregnant or passengers with disabilities) except you want them.
Board the bus for metropolis views
There’s a scarcity of sightseeing bus excursions within the metropolis however Taipei’s public buses are the subsequent smartest thing. Most bus stops function digital screens that record the timings of upcoming buses, in English and Mandarin.
Tip for boarding Taipei’s buses
When taking the bus anyplace in Taipei, the same old course of is to swipe your EasyCard as soon as upon boarding and once more when alighting, or put the right change (often 15NTD) within the silver field up entrance if you board.
Get your strolling footwear on
You gained’t get thus far so quick, however, however, strolling Taipei is a free and unassuming delight, providing lantern-lit alleyways and tiny temples at each flip.
If planning on doing a lot of strolling, be sure to defend your pores and skin from sturdy UV rays (even on cloudy days) and drink a lot of water to keep away from dehydration, significantly in the summertime months from June to August.
Respect the moped insanity
Mix the scooter streams of Vietnam with the driving laws of Japan and you could be near envisioning the chaotic good of Taipei’s site visitors system.
At lengthy vary, Taipei has the principles of the highway perfected; a grid system with a lot of one-way roads and pedestrian crossings in full impact, site visitors lights timed to make peak site visitors circulate as easy as attainable.
At shut vary, nevertheless, Taipei site visitors will not be with out its surprises. Pink-light-running vehicles will fly within the face of your Proper of Method and complete households balanced precariously on one scooter might around the curb at any second, full with a Shiba Inu pet, with its tongue out, on the helm.
Pay attention to these hazards when strolling in Taipei or in any other case be courageous and hire a scooter your self (utilizing WeMo in the event you learn Chinese language, SKRT in the event you don’t).
Why biking is my favourite approach to journey in Taipei
Much like a scooter however with out the carbon footprint, biking is my favourite approach to navigate Taipei. Newcomers to town are welcomed to hop on a YouBike and discover without cost (not less than for the primary half-hour, 10NTD each half-hour thereafter) touring as far south as Yingge Ceramics Village and as far north as Tamsui alongside the Taipei Riverside Bikeway.
Designated cycle paths run sporadically by town – each on and off the highway – with docking stations nearly all the time out there exterior MRT stations, and everywhere in the metropolis.
You will note locals biking on the sidewalk to keep away from the site visitors fumes, but it surely’s not beneficial to hitch them. As an alternative, get pleasure from a detour alongside the river, a protracted stretch made for pedestrians and cyclists, connecting high places equivalent to Dadaocheng Pier (Pier 5), Ximen, Gongguan, and Xindian.
Tip for renting a YouBike in Taipei
If you wish to hire a YouBike, you’ll must both register your EasyCard with an area cellphone quantity for verification and an ID quantity for insurance coverage functions on the kiosk beside most docking stations. You may as well use a bank card instead of an EasyCard in the event you don’t maintain an area SIM.
There are at the moment two YouBike techniques in operation in Taipei, YouBike 1.0 and YouBike 2.0. You possibly can solely dock your YouBike on the corresponding dock.
Take a day journey by rail
Heading out of Taipei for the day is simple and inexpensive with the Taiwan Railway. Use the TRA to go to Keeling, Yilan or Jiufen (transferring at Ruifang for the shuttle bus) for low costs. See our record of day journeys from Taipei for choices.
Locations equivalent to Hualian and Taichung are additionally made accessible on the TRA system however for west coast locations additional afield (equivalent to Tainan and Kending), you could need to splash out on the Excessive-Velocity Rail (HSR) to get there sooner.
For locations the place the Taiwan Railway service doesn’t enterprise, the bus might be your subsequent most suitable choice. Get the bus to Yangmingshan from Shilin or to Wulai from Xindian, utilizing your EasyCard the entire means. Taxi pooling is one other approach to journey in the event you’d favor to not wait in a queue. Merely wave on the taxi scouts hanging out round key bus terminals equivalent to Xindian.
