Where ancient temples meet neon night markets
Taiwan uses Traditional Chinese script, so download Google Translate's offline language pack before arrival. Cash is still king at night markets and small eateries, but LINE Pay and EasyCard are rapidly taking over everywhere else.
The most widely used mobile payment app in Taiwan, accepted at convenience stores, restaurants, and retail shops.
The dominant messaging app in Taiwan. Many hotels, tour operators, and businesses only communicate via LINE.
Excellent coverage of Taiwan with reliable public transit directions, business hours, and reviews.
Essential for Traditional Chinese menus, street signs, and shop fronts. Camera-based instant translation is invaluable at night markets.
Reliable mobile internet at better prices than most travel eSIMs, with polished iOS and Android apps and support for making and receiving phone calls.
One of the biggest travel eSIM brands, with a very large destination catalog.
Known for unlimited-data plans in many destinations, at a higher price per gigabyte.
The kiosks are not 24-hour (Chunghwa runs roughly 05:00 to 22:00 at Taoyuan, the others shorter), so a red-eye arrival can find everything shut. Taiwanese tourist SIMs work only within Taiwan and do not roam. Validity on some plans is counted in 24-hour blocks from activation rather than calendar days, so a 5-day plan activated at 6pm runs to 6pm on day five. Carry some NT dollars in cash for the counter.
Largest network and the pick for anyone leaving the cities, heading into the mountains or visiting the outlying islands. Its airport kiosk also keeps the longest hours.
Coverage on par with Chunghwa, and notably asks only for a passport where others may want a second ID.
Strong third network, but its tourist plans at Taoyuan are sold only in the FET shop in Terminal 1 arrivals, and its city stores are the strictest about a second ID.
The essential apps for Taiwan are Uber, Uber Eats, LINE Pay, LINE, Google Maps.
We've curated 8 apps across 6 categories for traveling in Taiwan, including 6 essential apps.
Uber is the top-rated ride hailing app in Taiwan. The most tourist-friendly ride-hailing option in Taiwan, available in Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung with existing account support.
Master the apps, master China
Asia's world city, where East meets West at full speed
Rail-first travel, flexible IC cards, official Shinkansen booking, and disaster alerts
From K-pop streets to ancient palaces, navigate like a local
Where East meets West on the casino floor and in the streets
