Travel Tips - The Taiwan Basics

Some of these travel tips may seem very simple for the experienced veterans in Taiwan but I think there is something of importance for everyone here. What I have done is cover some of the more common problems and questions that we more regularly encounter with our customers.

The Airport

Taiwan has 3 international airports. Because our readers are mainly in central and northern Taiwan we will talk about the Taoyuan International Airport. You can consult your local travel agent or favourite travel website, such as Fly.com or Expedia for more information on getting tickets to Taiwan, and which airport will be most convenient for you. The Taoyuan International Airport is located in Taoyuan County approximately 40 kilometers from downtown Taipei. There is also an International Airport in Taichung that has a limited amount of flights. Kaohsuing also has an international airport with more flights than Taichung but less than Taipei.

Getting there - Several bus companies provide a direct service to the Airport. These include "Free Go Bus" "Tung Lian(United) Bus Company". These companies have service to the airport every ?hour early in the morning and every 15 minutes later in the day.

When to leave - Travel time to Taoyuan International depends on where you are leaving from; here are some approximate times - Taipei 50 min., - Hsinchu 1 hr., Taichung 2 hrs. - Tainan 3 ?hrs. You should plan to arrive 2 hours prior to your departure time. Sometimes you can get away with less than 2 hours if you are traveling with an airline that has lots of flights out of Taoyuan International.

Where to get off - Taoyuan International airport has 2 terminals, make sure you know which terminal your flight is departing from. Terminal one is "The old Terminal" and Terminal 2 is "The New Terminal". Most bus companies will ask you when you get on the bus which terminal you want to go to.

Money
The NTD or "New Taiwan Dollar" is not a widely accepted currency, if you just bring NT dollars on your trip you will probably have trouble finding a place to cash them and if you do chances are you won't get a good exchange rate. The best thing to do is exchange your money while in Taiwan to the currency of the country you are traveling to or U.S. dollars. US currency is widely accepted around Asia and if you don't spend all you cash you can always hold onto it for your next trip.

Documents - Before finalizing any of your travel plans it's a good idea to check to ensure that all your documents are in order.

• Passport - Make sure you have your passport and it is valid. As a rule of thumb most countries require that your passport is still valid for at least 6 months upon entry, so if you have less time than this on your passport it's best to check what the laws are for the country you are traveling to.
• Visas - Visa requirements vary for each country depending on your nationality. Ensure you are aware of what the visas you need if any before you leave or you may just end up seeing the airport and coming right back.
• ARC - This means "Alien Resident Certificate" and if you have one of these you must ensure that you have a re-entry stamp in your passport before you can leave Taiwan. This stamp can be obtained at the nearest foreign Affairs Office.
• Exit ticket from Taiwan - If have entered Taiwan on a visitors visas you may be required to show an exiting ticket out of Taiwan when you return. Bring your original or a photocopy of your exiting ticket. If you don't have one you can contact WHOSE Travel and we can supply you with what we call a "Ghost Ticket".
• Airline ticket - Make sure you have your ticket with you and you know the time of your departure. All times on your ticket are written in military hours so 08:00 means 8 o'clock I the morning not evening. You should also ensure that you are aware of all the restrictions on your ticket. Ask your travel agent at the time you purchase your ticket because restrictions can vary considerably from ticket to ticket.

Organize things to do
Make a list of things that you plan to do while away. Do some research on the internet about your holiday destination. There may be special events on that you can only attend if you book in advance. Planning what you're going to see will make it a lot easier to relax when you're on holidays!

Stay in touch
Take an address book with you, with all the important contacts in it. Check on any foreign phone codes and write them in your address book. Before you start your trip, make sure you let people know that you will be away and how they can contact you while you're away. If you don't have an email address that you can check on the road, you can set up one with hotmail or yahoo.

Look after your finances
Find out what currency you will need and figure out the best way for you to deal with it. Credit cards can be convenient, but also unsafe in a lot of areas. Travellers cheques are a good safe alternative however not widely accepted in Asia.

Plan your trip
Planning your trip beforehand and research where you are going as well as making a departure check list can make your trip a lot more enjoyable.

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