I’ve driven in Taiwan 3 times, and the last time was 11 years ago in 2012. The biggest difference that I felt last week, was that drivers in Taipei are so much more compliant now. A decade ago you will have drivers squeezing you, cutting you from the left turn only lane, and if you’re a pedestrian, you have to be careful while crossing the road (even when the green man is on) because cars will simply cut in between you.
Not in 2023. While motorcycles were still zipping all over me (it feels a little like Bali, also just like in 2012 Taiwan), cars are so much more well behaved now. When I signal, people actually do give way. Weirdly, I feel that driving in Taiwan is relatively slow. In Singapore, we drive much faster on regular roads.
I decide to rewrite on experiences on driving in foreign lands, because I used to have a blog that wrote about how to drive to Thailand from Singapore, and I recalled that it had a lot of views and people asking me questions, especially on the documentation. Unfortunately I have lost access to the website and even the blog post now. I started driving in foreign lands (if you count Malaysia) around 2003 and back in those days, Google Maps weren’t very advanced yet, so out of Malaysia we will use Garmins, or simply rely on old school signboards. I remember once I drove to Genting Highlands from Singapore without a map or GPS; I had to memorize the route when I took the bus previously.
I have also noticed that people are often fearful about driving overseas, or tell people simply not to, because they themselves have not. Don’t listen to these people. They noob. You’re not.
I always love driving whenever I’m in a foreign country, because driving reflects the culture of the people, brings you to special places, and gives you the flexibility of timing. In many countries, public transport is not very well developed/reliable, so having a car gives you a lot of convenience. For me, driving is the holiday. It will feel a little scary for the first 20-30 min, but once you get past that, it’ll feel normal. As RHD drivers, we tend to give more space to the right; it’s normal because we aren’t used to the proximity.
Unlike Singapore, Taiwan drives on the other side of the road (LHD), and most countries in the world do that. I think for many drivers, it seems scary, because everything is inversed. Your zebra crossings are on the right (instead of the left), and your turning arrows are left (instead of the right), the fast lane is on your left. Your signal stalk is also on the left (if you’re used to driving Japanese/Korean cars). Culture seems to depict that 50-60 km is the standard speed for regular roads, but on the highway you seem to be able to do +10/+20 higher than the average. On the freeways, most people do not drive above 120 km/h.
Tolls have been digitized, but they don’t amount to much. Over a week of driving Taipei/Yilan, it only cost NT200 total (about $8.70 at the time of writing), which usually your rental company will bill you or offset against your deposit. Petrol (RON 92) was NT29.5 (S$1.28) per litre; pretty cheap by Singapore standards. The attendants are very polite; just arrive on the petrol cap side and they will do everything for you. If you don’t know where your petrol cap side is, simply look at your fuel gauge on your dashboard; there is a little arrow indicator that states whether it is on the right or left. You don’t even need to get out to pay, unlike Singapore.
I didn’t try using credit card to pay for my petrol, but Taiwan is still very much as cash based society in 2023, so make sure you bring enough cash with you.
Mountainous roads are slightly trickier, there can be fog/rain at times so remember to on your headlights (and fog lights if you have); there are alcoves periodically that each driver can give way. Most mountain passes are 2-ways. Keep to your right and if you are not confident, stop and let the other driver (which is probably local) pass first because they are more seasoned that us.
There are times where you may miss your position when forming up because we are new to the place; the old wind down your window put your hand out works. There was a turn to Yilan which I missed; just play the “sorry I’m a foreigner” card and the locals will let you pass.
Parking. Unlike the IU system that we use in Singapore, they scan license plates upon entry. To pay for parking, find the autopay machine and key in your license plate number and pay for you parking before you exit. It’s usually around 20-40 NT/hour, depending on where you park. Parking lots are huge, but ramps to go down/up are small. At some places, there will be a buzzer and/or a traffic light before the ramp that rings if another driver is coming up/going down. Wait for your turn; most hotel ramps cannot accommodate 2 cars.
Speaking of hotels, whenever I am driving, I always look for one that provides parking. This is very important. If your desired hotel doesn’t have parking, make sure a public one is easily accessible. There are many selections in Taiwan with parking. Because you drive, you can usually a pick a bigger, better hotel on the outskirts. And it will cost you less.
Jiufen was NT200/time, but I would not go there again. The last time I was there, it was peaceful and beautiful, and I think there wasn’t Instagram yet. Now it is completed packed with tourists; it felt like a tourist trap. Imagine 1,000 people there crapped in a small space, with hundreds of steps to climb, with only a couple of toilets (that you have to queue for). A logistics nightmare.
Insurance. I personally don’t like to top-up/add any additional cover (they sometimes call it damage collision waiver / full protection), and there will be an excess on any car rental between $500-3000, depending on the car that you drive. If you are not confident or if you just want a piece of mind, you may choose to add-on. A cheaper option would be to simply buy a travel insurance that covers rental vehicle excess, usually up to about $1000. A basic insurance cover should only cost about $20/person for a short trip, which is significantly cheaper than topping up at the car rental company.
Worldwide, car companies, in general, do not charge you for scratches, paint transfers, stone chips, or the like. They fall under fair use of wear and tear (it’s documented at some companies like Hertz). They will charge you for dents though. Take pictures of your car, odometer, fuel gauge and interior during pickup and keep them. We all hope we never get to use it for dispute. For this year, I used Good Cars Taiwan. Previously I used Gharry Car Rental. They were both good providers. Although I am usually cost/budget sensitive, I will always pick a rental company with many good reviews, even if it costs a bit more. You will need their help should something go wrong. Once I was driving in Bali with friends, and his car got a puncture. Another time, we were in Krabi and my friend’s CVT transmission gave way. That is a very, very rare fault, but it happened. The rental company came quickly on both occasions to help us. You do not have to pay for mechanical faults/repair (it’s the rental companies’ responsibility), but punctures are on our cost, should the rare occasion that it happens.
You’ll need your international driving permit (IDP), which you can apply from AAS for about $25 if you do it online. Remember to bring your physical local driver’s license as well.
If you drive up to higher altitudes, you may experience some dizziness because air is thinner, and also because of the many turns that you make. Brake before you make a turn, and not while you are turning. Accelerate gently as you exit each corner to straighten your car. Drink more water as you may dehydrated. If you experience fog in your rear/front windscreen, use your defroster (on your rear), and your front defroster (this is a button that we totally do not use in Singapore but essential overseas). For the front, you can either use the outside air circulation to send it to your front glass to clear your vision, or if the difference in temperature is simply too big, you can switch off your AC, and use the heater mode and send heat to your glass to gain back your vision.
For steep downhills, switch your transmission to “S” or “M” and select a lower gear so that you car goes down slowly (it is being held by the gear’s revolution) and not dive downwards. This prevents your brakes from overworking/overheating. If you overuse your brakes, you may experience brake fade, which is a reduction in braking power.
I think that’s about it; compared to a decade ago, Taiwan has become easier to drive. It’s a bit more difficult than some countries, but still very doable. Outside of Taipei city (i.e. Yilan/Taichung), I would go as far to say that it is easy. To me, the more difficult part is finding the ramp up to the freeway when you’re on the smaller roads as there are a lot of signboards in Chinese (mine isn’t very good), but if you keep to your Google Maps lane guidance, it should help you 90% of the time.
For reference, I have rank the cities/countries that I have driven in from the easiest (no. 1), to the most difficult (bottom), so if you have driven in any country before, you can use it as a reference. London is not difficult to drive, but it’s 11th because of the disgusting amount of traffic. It’s the most congested place that I have ever driven in. It was borderline torture.
- Hokkaido
- Osaka/Kyoto
- Australia
- Scotland
- Bintan | Batam
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Korea
- Taiwan
- London
- Bali
So yes, there you go. Driving in Taipei. Yes, go do it. The more you drive, the better you get at it.
