Taiwan
Cash, a physical EasyCard and a few well-chosen apps cover most trips
Taiwan is easy to navigate with Google Maps, but live bus estimates are better checked in Bus+.
The essentials
What to know before you go to Taiwan
Carry New Taiwan dollars because night markets, small restaurants and some lodging still require cash, and buy a physical EasyCard or iPASS for buses and wider transit use. No Taiwanese payment app is essential for a short visit. Since July 1, 2026, Taipei Metro accepts international contactless cards and Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay at every gate, but this does not extend to all buses or every metro elsewhere. Use Traditional Chinese for saved addresses and show the written destination to taxi drivers.
Uber is the simplest ride app for an overseas account, while local taxi apps may require a Taiwanese phone number. For rail, distinguish Taiwan Railway from High Speed Rail because similarly named stations can be in different places. Enable official weather and disaster alerts during typhoon and earthquake season.
Ride Hailing
UberEssential
The most visitor-friendly on-demand ride app, with multilingual booking and coverage across many populated parts of Taiwan.
Tripool
An English-language prebooked private transfer service for airports, long distances and hard-to-reach destinations.
Bolt
A licensed-taxi booking alternative currently serving Keelung, Taipei and Taoyuan.
55688 Taiwan Taxi
A large local taxi fleet with broad national dispatch, an English interface and cash payment.
yoxi
A Taiwanese taxi-dispatch app with English support and cash or linked-card payment.
Food Delivery
Messaging
LINE
Taiwan's dominant messaging app, commonly used by hotels, guides, restaurants and local service accounts.
Navigation
Google MapsEssential
The best all-purpose map for places, walking, rail and metro routing, with Traditional Chinese addresses and offline areas.
Transit
Bus+Essential
An English-capable nationwide bus tracker with stops, live estimates, public bikes and metro maps.
Taipei Metro Go
Taipei Metro's official multilingual app for exits, first and last trains, live operations and crowding.
YouBike
The official bike-share app for station availability and single-use credit-card rentals across participating cities.
Language
Google TranslateEssential
The most useful tool for Traditional Chinese text, camera, photo, speech and downloaded offline translation.
Intercity Transport
Taiwan Railway e-bookingEssential
The official conventional-rail app for English timetables, reservations, payment, live running information and mobile tickets.
T ExpressEssential
Taiwan High Speed Rail's official English-capable app for west-coast booking and QR mobile tickets.
Restaurants
EZTABLE
An optional English-language booking app focused on selected hotel restaurants, buffets and dining deals.
Utilities
Taiwan WeatherEssential
The official English-capable weather app for local forecasts, radar, air quality, earthquakes, typhoons and warning notifications.
Readiness TW e-APP
The National Fire Agency's multilingual preparedness app with alerts, emergency information and offline map tools.
Also covered
Internet in Taiwan
Mobile internet eSIM Best option when traveling
Guac
RecommendedReliable mobile internet at better prices than most travel eSIMs, with polished iOS and Android apps and support for making and receiving phone calls.
Airalo
One of the biggest travel eSIM brands, with a very large destination catalog.
Holafly
Known for unlimited-data plans in many destinations, at a higher price per gigabyte.
Buying a local SIM card ID registration required
- A passport is required and the SIM is registered to it; the minimum age is 20. On paper a second ID (driving licence, entry permit, national ID or similar) has also been required since 2023. Airport counters often accept just the passport, but city stores can be stricter, so bring a driving licence as well.
- Taiwan's tourist SIMs are unusually generous: unlimited-data plans run roughly NT$300 to 1,000 for 3 to 30 days, with about NT$500 (roughly $15) typical for unlimited data over 5 to 7 days on Chunghwa. Several plans also bundle carrier WiFi hotspot access for the SIM's validity.
- Taoyuan airport is the main and recommended point of sale, with kiosks for all the majors in the arrival halls of both terminals, and some booths even before immigration. Counters also operate at Songshan, Kaohsiung and Taichung airports. In the cities: carrier shops in malls and metro stations, plus 7-Eleven and FamilyMart for Taiwan Mobile and GT.
- None, and possibly negative: the tourist-only unlimited plans are sold at the airport kiosks at or slightly below city prices, which reverses the usual advice. Buy at the airport.
- A travel eSIM is generally cheaper than buying locally unless you specifically want unlimited data, which, given Taiwan's unlimited tourist plans, many travelers do.
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.
Local carriers
Chunghwa Telecom
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.
Taiwan Mobile
Coverage on par with Chunghwa, and notably asks only for a passport where others may want a second ID.
FarEasTone
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.
Frequently asked questions
What are the must-have apps for traveling in Taiwan?
The essential apps for Taiwan are Uber, Uber Eats, Google Maps, Bus+, Google Translate.
How many travel apps does Taiwan have?
We've curated 18 apps across 10 categories for traveling in Taiwan, including 8 essential apps.
What is the best ride hailing app in Taiwan?
Uber. The most visitor-friendly on-demand ride app, with multilingual booking and coverage across many populated parts of Taiwan.
Keep exploring
Also traveling in East Asia?
China
Set up payments, maps and transport before entering mainland China
Hong Kong
Use Octopus to pay, Citymapper to travel, and MyObservatory for official weather warnings
Japan
Rail-first travel, flexible IC cards, official Shinkansen booking, and disaster alerts
South Korea
Use Naver Map, visitor-ready taxi and dining apps, and a separate transit balance
Macau
Official bus tracking, metered taxis and typhoon alerts for Macau