Hi I’m Adam. I just arrived in Taipei a month ago and am starting to get the hang of this unique and fun capital of Taiwan. Taiwan is fascinating with modern buildings next to traditional temples. I came to Taiwan to teach English and arrived a couple of weeks before starting to chill and eat. Of course there is so much more to do in Taiwan besides just eating and I am just starting to explore it. From the night markets to Taipei 101 and even some hiking within subway distance of the city. Over my first few blogs I’ll be sharing how to get from the airport to the city center, getting comfortable with the currency and the public transportation around Taipei. Once you are settled it is a lot easier to then explore and see some of the amazing things Taipei and Taiwan has to offer.
Arriving in Taipei
At Taoyuan International airport
When you arrive on an international flight in Taipei you will be flying into Taoyuan International Airport. I landed at around 9 pm and was exhausted after around a 14 hour flight. Follow the signs to baggage claim and you will see two currency exchange booths and a phone company booth. Luckily all signs are in Mandarin, English and Japanese. I would go to the second currency exchange counter right next to baggage claim because there is less of a line. I would definitely exchange a bit of money at the airport because you always need cash in Taiwan or you are going to spend a lot more money since places that take cards are more expensive. You also need cash to buy a metrocard called an easy card in Taiwan. My next article will be about Taiwanese currency but as a quick overview 32 ntd is 1 usd. I have been told the money exchange at the airport is the best exchange rate. I have been in Taiwan for almost two months and still don’t have a Taiwanese cell phone number. Honestly I’m just a bit lazy. There is free wifi all over the city. You also can use data roaming but it gets expensive quickly. In Taipei City there are multiple companies selling Taiwanese sim cards as long as your phone is unlocked. After getting your baggage and exchanging money you are ready to leave the airport and go to your accommodation.
Getting from Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei City
Taoyuan is another city just outside of Taipei and is the fifth largest city in Taiwan.There are a few ways to get from Taoyuan to the center of Taipei but the two easiest options are taxi and train. A taxi to central Taipei will cost around 1300 ntd the benefit is that it will drop you off directly at your hotel or airbnb. It is easy and I understand the appeal. I personally hate taking taxis as it’s expensive and luckily public transportation in Taipei is amazing. There is an airport express train from the airport mrt station directly to Taipei Main Station. At Taipei Main Station you can find the red line and blue line. I will have another post about the public transportation in Taipei City. There is a bundle of a card with 100 dollars on it and the ride to Taipei main for 200 ntd. It is an absolute steal as the card costs 100 ntd by itself so you effectively get the airport ride for free. Normally it costs 160 ntd for the train to Taipei main. Another benefit of buying the bundle is it is one of the few ways to buy an easy card with a credit card. Usually you need cash to refill your card or you can pay per ride. At Taipei Main you can either take the mrt or oder a cheaper taxi from there. If you want to save money but don’t want the hassle of dragging a suitcase through a station or through the streets I would recommend this third option.
Welcome to Taipei City
Welcome to Taipei City. You have made it to the land of convenience stores and food stalls everywhere. It is a massive city with mountains surrounding it but the public transportation makes everything really expensive. Get excited for your first meal and in my next post I’ll help you figure out how to pay for it.
Go Forward:
Taiwanese Currency the new taiwanese dollar