This is a handbook for people coming to the g0v Summit from overseas put together by everyone.
- Visa
- Data SIM Card
- Power (Socket)
- Free WiFi
- Tipping
- Communication
- Airport transportation
- Getting Around
- What to buy to bring back home
- Buying Electronics
- Sight Seeing
- Food
- Coffee Culture
- Café
- Cat Cafés
- Currency
- Co-working Spaces
- Souvenirs
- See also
- License
- Credits
This information applies for short-stay visitors only.
Passports eligible for Visa Exemption
Passports eligible for Visa on arrival
If you have valid visa for any of the following countries: US, Canada, Japan, UK, Schengen countries, Australia, New Zealand, use the fast track visa application
Otherwise follow the procedeures below for "All other passports".
-
If you live in China
-
If you are eligible for 自由行, go for that.
-
Otherwise: ask if the conference organizer can send formal business visa invitation. Please allow 2 months lead time.
-
If you live in Hong Kong or other countries, and have residence permit
You are generally eligible for the "Type 3 Chinese Visitor" category. Follow the procedeures below for "All other passports". Please allow 3 weeks lead time.
See here
Facial and fingerprint registartion is required for all foriegn passport holders. The only exception is to be invited by a institution and the host has to apply for your fingerprinting exemption by proving your exceptional academic or professional achievement, according to "執行外來人口入出國（境）辨識個人生物特徵作業要點" 三(三）依國際機場禮遇作業辦法申請國賓禮遇、特別禮遇及一般禮遇 with this form. Please allow two-week lead time.
At Taoyuan (TPE) (Mostly International flights) or Songshan (TSA) airport you can buy Data SIM card from main carriers of Taiwan.
Due to the law, you must have BOTH your passport AND your local ID or international driver license to buy one. 😞
- Passport =>
No SIM card - ID card =>
No SIM card - Passport + ID card => SIM card!
Sign up an account from TPE-Free. Most of the public places (shopping mall, library and Metro stations) have TPE-Free.
And also, you can use iTaiwan. It will be available at some public places like post office or local government.
No need to tip.
Chinese & English, most of people will help you anyway.
English news can be found on Taiwan News, Taipei Times and Focus Taiwan.
Google Maps is your best friend.
EASYCARD
The public transport system runs on a reloadable contactless card called EasyCard (悠遊卡). There are also one to five day unlimited pass (for MRT and Buses), called Taipei pass, and 24hr Taipei Metro Pass (only for MRT). It’s better to buy a EasyCard unless you will plan on making 5+ trips per day then you can buy the Taipei pass at all metro station information. The EasyCard is available at all metro station information counters and convenience stores.
EasyCard credits are refundable (with some fees) so if you still have some credits left, remember to go to the MRT counter to apply for a refund.
-
Taipei MRT should be your first choice.
No eating or drinking is allowed inside the metro station or on the MRT train.
You can flag down a taxi from the street. Starts at NT$70-90, but in some tourist sites away from central Taipei (eg., Jiufen), the price will be a little bit higher.
Uber is also available in Taipei, with the same price as taxi (when without surge pricing), and in most situation are more convenience for foreign users.
Yellow bike sharing service YouBike is available everywhere across Taipei (and near all metro station). It allows commuters to rent from one station and return at another with EasyCard with very cheap price as low as 30 per hour, which is available at all metro station information counters and convenience stores.
Download the App so you can access the stations map and know if there's still empty places to park your Youbike or if the closest station has available Youbike!
Obike is also avalaible in Taipei, but it's almost dead.
Check Taipei#Tourism on Wikipedia for more detailed venues info.
All informations are available on the Guide to Taipei. Hereafter, what some suggestions:
-
Credit: Antonio Tajuelo
-
Treasures that you won't see in Beijing's National Palace Museum.
Credit: Leon Brocard
-
The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and the Liberty Place (自由廣場).
-
Elephant mountain (象山, Xiang-shan)
Here you can see the taipei 101 and whole Taipei city.
Credit: 中岑 范姜
-
Maokong (貓空) & Maokong Gondola
Famous for the taiwanese tea
Credit: Prince Roy
-
Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園)
Credit: 宋炯瑞
-
Ping Hsi Branch Railway Line & Old Town (平溪支線, 平溪老街)
Famous for the Taiwan’s sky lantern festival. You can launching sky lanterns on the railway. Like "Tangled" by Disney.
Credit: Jirka Matousek
-
Jiufen (九份)
The famous Japanese animation producer Hayao Miyazaki used Jiufen as an inspiration in Spirited Away.
Credit: cotaro70s
-
Tamsui Old Town (淡水老街)
-
Beitou Hot Spring (北投溫泉)
Credit: カメラマン
-
Wulai (烏來溫泉)
-
Taipei Underground Shopping Street (台北地下街)
Near Taipei Main Station. Most anime shops located at the middle of the shopping street. (Not to be confused with Zhongshan Underground Shopping Street)
-
Guanghua Market (光華商場)
Electronic Street, but also have some anime shops in Syntrend (三創). Huashan Park (華山文創園區) is also a good place to go.
More information: The 25 Top Taipei, Taiwan Things To Do: What to Do Today, This Weekend or in September.
Taiwan is very famous for night market. There are so many night market in Taipei, for example: Shihlin night market and Ninxia night market. In this night market, you can find many Taiwanese foods. See also 45 Taiwanese foods we can't live without on CNN.
Probaly the most known Taiwan food. If you want to try Ding-Tai-Feng (鼎泰豐) be prepared to queue for 1 hour in lunch and dinner time.
Search Google for stinky tofu challenge
-
林東芳牛肉麵
One of the best places in Taipei. Be prepared to queue
Looks like American hot dog but is broiled sausage wrapped in "rice sausage".
Similar to Japanese oden but is a Taiwan-specialized version. Also called "黑輪" (Oh-Lian)
Two types: Oil-fried and steamed. Steamed is usually only in southern Taiwan.
Unlike American style fried checken, and also unlike Japanese fried checken (kara-age), the Taiwanse fried chicken is flat and as large as your hand, some are even larger than your face.
Shaved Ice Mountain usually served with sweet beans like azuki bean or fruits. Besure to try Mango Shaved Ice which is the most known ice in Taiwan.
Note: Sun is not included in the cake.
Like Jelly but softer. Usually served in cold with lemon. This sweet is probaly only available in Taiwan.
Ongoing list of cafes put together in Wiki. Most café provide free wifi, and power socket is available in some place. Do check "coffee" in Foursquare for (many hundred of) good quality indenpedent cafés.
You can also get cheap (but not so bad) coffee at convenience store at $50~100.
Credit: Ms.Aman
-
Pineapple cake
It's great for afternoon tea. The filling is either pineapple, or more traditionally winter melon (冬瓜) sealed with a buttery crust.
-
Nougat
-
Tea Leaf Pack
-
Sun cake
-
Kavalan Whiskey, available at airport, many retail stores and convenience store.
- Mozilla Community also host a detail info wiki about visiting Taipei
- Wikivoyage: Taipei
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This guide is forked from the Ruby Taiwan Community, which was inspired by Ruby Singapore community, check out their handbook if you visit Singapore.