Things to know before you go to Taiwan

From our 22 days in Taiwan

This is what we learned travelling round Taiwan for 22 days in October 2025: entry rules for UK passport holders, getting connected, money, transport, water and the weather.

Entry for UK passport holders

British citizens can visit Taiwan visa-free for up to 90 days, and your passport needs at least six months' validity when you arrive. You must also fill in the Online Arrival Card in the few days before you land. Rules can change, so check the Bureau of Consular Affairs before you book. At Taoyuan Airport, pick up an EasyCard for the MRT, buses and convenience stores; the MRT Airport Express gets you into Taipei quickly.

Getting connected

We set up an eSIM before we flew and the Nomad eSIM worked well for us round the island. If you use our code MARK58QY, you get $5 off your first plan. It's our referral code, so we get a small credit too. If you'd rather have a physical SIM, Chunghwa Telecom sells tourist packages at the airport.

Language

Mandarin is the main language. Signs in the cities and on the trains include English, but you'll find less of it in smaller places, so a translation app like Google Translate helps. Nǐ hǎo (hello) and Xiè xiè (thank you) go a long way.

Money and tipping

The currency is the New Taiwan dollar (TWD); check the current rate before you go. Hotels and bigger shops take cards, but night market stalls and small restaurants mostly want cash. Tipping isn't expected.

Temples and the MRT

At temples, the custom is to enter by the right-hand door and leave by the left, keep your voice down and take off hats and sunglasses. On the MRT, eating and drinking aren't allowed, and priority seats are kept for people who need them.

Transport

We did the whole loop by public transport. The High-Speed Rail (HSR) runs down the west side; we took it from Taichung back to Taipei and it was fast and bang on time. The east coast is on the conventional railway (we took the Puyuma Express to Hualien), Green Island is a ferry from Fugang Harbour near Taitung, and Alishan is a bus ride up with the forest railway for the way down. In the cities, YouBike hire bikes are everywhere.

Night markets

The ones we went to were Dongdamen in Hualien, the Kenting Night Market and Yizhong Street in Taichung, plus the street food stalls of Ximending in Taipei. Take cash in New Taiwan dollars and try the oyster omelettes, black pepper buns and bubble tea.

Water, safety and weather

Taiwan is a very safe country to travel in. Don't drink the tap water straight from the tap: boil or filter it first, as locals do, or use the filtered water dispensers you'll find in many hotels and stations. Typhoon season runs roughly from June to October, and October still brought us bad weather in Hualien and rain on Elephant Mountain. Check the Central Weather Administration forecast as you go and keep a day or two flexible.

Taroko Gorge

We didn't make it to Taroko Gorge: the weather stopped us in Hualien. Parts of the gorge have also been closed since the April 2024 earthquake, and some of the best-known trails, including Shakadang and Swallow Grotto, aren't expected to reopen until around 2031. Check the Taroko National Park site for what's open before you go.

More from our Taiwan trip

Our Taiwan packing list covers what to take for the heat, the rain and the mountains, and Our Trip has the whole route.