Taipei Travel Tips: What to Know Before You Go

Practical tips for Taipei

• EasyCard works on MRT, buses, YouBike shared bikes, taxis, 7-Eleven and payment at convenience stores.

• Standing on the RIGHT of escalators is the local rule; leave the left side clear for walkers.

• Tap water is drinkable after boiling; bottled water is cheap (NT$15/500ml) and safer for visitors.

Staying safe and comfortable

Local emergency number: 110.

• Consistently ranked among the safest countries in Asia — solo female travel is easy.

• Typhoons June–October — check CWB before day trips to mountains or coast.

• Emergency 110 (police), 119 (ambulance/fire), 0800-011-765 tourist hotline (24h English).

Visas and entry

Entry policy: visa free, typically up to 90 days. US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia — 90 days visa-free. Thai, Filipino, Bruneian — 60 days. GCC passports need an eVisa. No mainland Chinese visa needed — Taiwan issues its own separately.

Budgeting your trip

Accommodation is the largest controllable cost in Taipei. Compare live rates for your dates and neighbourhood shortlist before locking in flights — the difference between areas is often larger than the difference between travel weeks.