Taipei

By taxi
By taxi

Taxis are the most flexible way to get around, and are extremely numerous. They are expensive in comparison to mass transit, but are cheap when compared to taxis in the rest of the world. Most taxi drivers cannot speak English, and it will be necessary for non-Chinese speakers to have their destination written down in Chinese. Taxis are metered, with higher rates for night an additional NT$20 over the meter. Tipping is neither necessary nor expected.

Since 2012, all passengers are required to buckle their seatbelt. Women and/or children traveling at night are advised to use one of the reputable taxi companies. The toll free taxi hotline is 0800-055850 maintained by Department of Transportation.

Taiwanese taxi drivers tend to be more honest than in many other countries. They are notorious for their strong opinions on politics. A large majority of them support Taiwan independence as they spend all day listening to talk radio. They will probably be unable to share any of this with you if you do not speak Chinese. Avoid any potential political discussion.

It is not advisable for lone women at night to hail a random taxi from the street - it is best to have the number of one of the bigger taxi companies and to call for a cab. Taking a taxi at night in Taipei is more dangerous than walking.

By Metro

Taipei City has a very clean, efficient and safe Mass Rapid Transit system (http://www.trtc.com.tw/e/) known most commonly as the MRT, but also called Metro Taipei 台北捷運. Muzha line, which connects to Taipei Zoo, is a driverless elevated system. The last trains depart at midnight. Fares are between NT$20 and NT$65 for one-way trips around town. Stations and trains are clearly identified in English, so even for those who cannot read Chinese, the MRT system is very accessible. All stops are announced in four languages: Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka and English. Most stations have information booth/ticket offices close to the ticket vending machines. There is no eating or drinking while in the stations or on the trains. Trains generally run from 6AM to midnight, with convenient bus connections outside the stations.

Women and/or children traveling at night can benefit from the Safe Zones - sections of platforms that are under heavy surveillance - located in some of the subway lines. Stations and trains including the monorail are wheelchair-friendly, but note that when there are multiple exits from a single station, usually only one of these is equipped with a lift.

In addition to single journey tickets, the Taipei MRT also sells value-added cards/smartcards called EasyCard 悠遊卡. These cards hold amounts up to NT$5,000, and one only needs to "touch" sensor them past the barrier monitor to gain entry and exit. Value added cards can be purchased at station ticket offices or at vending machines. One great advantage of using the EasyCard is that there is a 20% discount on all MRT rides, and if you transfer from the MRT to an ordinary city bus, or vice versa, within an hour, the bus ride is only NT$7. The discount is automatically calculated when you leave the MRT station. Student cards with even deeper discounts are also available for purchase, but only upon request at a desk and a student ID. The EasyCard can be recharged at convenience stores and subway stations. In addition to the subway and buses, some parking lots also offer an option to pay with the EasyCard. To purchase a new EasyCard you will need to pay NT$500 including a deposit of NT$100 and NT$400 usable credit. It is also possible to buy day cards just for the metro system for NT$200 refundable deposit of NT$50and for NT$180 you can buy a card that works on both the metro and buses. Alternatively, the Taipei Pass costs NT$250 no deposit and covers travel on the metro and Maokong Gondola for one day. These are very convenient and if you are doing more than 6 or 8 journeys in a day, will also cover their cost Prices at Feb 2012. For more information, see their website (http://www.easycard.com.t...). In recent times, major convenience stores such as 7-11, as well as various other retail outlets have begun to accept the card as payment.

Often times limited-edition cards are issued by the transit authority depicting artworks, famous characters, landscapes, etc. These are quite collectible and are perfect souvenirs for your trip. Remember single-journey tokens are recycled when you exit the stations, so if you want to keep a particular one you should purchase an extra.

Address System

The Taipei address system is very logical and user-friendly. The hub of the city is the corner of the east-west running Zhongxiao 忠孝 and north-south running Zhongshan 中山 Rds, however while the north/south divide is made at Zhongxiao here, further east it is made instead at Bade 八德 Rd, something which confuses even people who have lived in Taipei for years. All major roads are identified by their direction in relation to these roads. For example, all sections of the north-south running Fuxing 復興 Rd north of Bade are called Fuxing North Rd 復興北路. Likewise, those sections to the south are called Fuxing South Rd 復興南路. Those that cross Zhongshan road are similarly identified as either east or west. Section 段; duàn numbers begin at 'one' near the two defining roads and increase at intersections of major highways. For example, Ren'ai 仁愛 Rd which has only an east location and therefore does not have a direction suffix, Section 1 will be close to Zhongshan South Rd. The section number will increase as one moves further away from Zhongshan Rd. So, for example, when Ren'ai Rd reaches Dunhua South Rd 敦化南路 far in the east of the city, a typical address could be: 7F, 166 Ren'ai Rd, Section 4. The house and lane numbers begin at zero every section. Lanes 巷; xiàng lead off roads 路; lù and streets 街; jiē, while alleys 弄; nòng branch off lanes.

By car
By car

Renting a car is not only unnecessary, but not recommended in Taipei unless you are planning to head out of the city. Traffic tends to be frantic, and parking spaces are expensive and difficult to find. Most of the main tourist destinations are reachable by public transport, and you should use that as your main mode of travel.

Map
Taipei City Government's Online Map
(http://addr.taipei.gov.tw...)
By bus
By bus

Taipei City has a very efficient bus service (http://www.e-bus.taipei.g...), and because all buses display information destination and the names of stops in English, the system is very accessible to non-Chinese speaking visitors. Payment can be made by cash NT$15 or EasyCard see "metro" listing for each section that the bus passes through. For local buses all local buses have a number, but long distance buses do not the maximum will be two sections with a total cost of NT$30. The confusion, however, arises by not knowing where the section boundaries are located and the fact that there is often a buffer zone to prevent people who get on one stop before the boundary from overpayment.

When to pay Above the driver, there is an electronic red sign. If the Chinese character for "up" 上 is lit, then you pay when you get on. If the same sign is lit when you get off, you do not need to pay again. However, if the sign is displaying the Chinese character for "down" 下 when you are getting off, then you will need to pay a second time. Finally, if the character for "down" is lit up when you get on, then you need to pay only when you get off. Until you get the hang of the system, just let the locals go first and follow their action. It's really not as complicated as it sounds, and bus drivers won't let you forget a second payment if you owe one!

Besides, if you are transferring from the transit system to a bus within one hour, there is a discounted bus fare.