It's worth taking note of public holidays, as these are likely to affect timetables. Also note that over Chinese New Year, everyone takes to the streets and trains, making it nigh on impossible to get anywhere.

By Train - Rail is one of the most convenient ways to explore Taiwan. Trains are clean, air-conditioned and reliable. The main train station in Taipei, in a rare gesture at making life easier for foreigners, has an English language information booth at the eastern counter as well as English language boards.

There are four classes of travel, ranging from the expensive but fast top category to the frustratingly slow bottom class, which is cheaper than the bus but only recommended if you have plenty of time on your hands. Contact the Taiwan Railway Administration for schedules. Tickets are available at stations and most major Taipei hotels. Kids under three travel free while children aged 13 and under travel for half price.

Taipei's Mass Transit Railway and monorail serves the capital and its suburbs and is a surprisingly clean and efficient way to travel around the city sprawl.

By Bus - Travelling by bus can be confusing but the network is excellent. Some of the busier inter-city routes have buses running all through the night and there are frequent services between all major towns and cities. There are six different bus companies operating services out of the airport to cities around the island.

The main problem with buses is that timetables, as well as the signs on buses themselves, tend to be in Chinese characters, so you may need to borrow a local to help you decipher where you're going.

If you're determined to hire a car, driving is on the right hand side. The minimum driving age is 18 and insurance is compulsory if you are in charge of a vehicle. All passengers in the front and any children travelling in the rear of the car are required to wear seatbelts. Locals often do not adhere to this rule but it has recently been made law and you can be fined for not wearing your seatbelt if stopped by the police. The use of mobile phones while driving is prohibited. Speed limits of 50km per hour in urban areas and 90km per hour on highways apply, unless other restrictions are indicated by road signs.

Visitors staying for less than 30 days do not have to apply for a local driving licence. If you wish to hire a car and your national licence isn't in English or Chinese you should obtain an international driving licence. Holders of old-style UK licences without photo ID should also consider obtaining an international licence before travel. Petrol costs around NTD18 per litre.

By Air - Taiwan has two international airports. Chiang Kai-Shek Taipei is 40km (25miles) south of the capital - the journey into the city takes up to an hour by taxi or bus. There are also regular buses to the main railway station. Kaohsiung International Airport is 9km (6miles) from Kaohsiung in the South of the island; travel into the centre takes around 30mins by bus or taxi.

Taiwan has air links with most international hubs apart from mainland China. Domestic air travel is not uncommon, despite the relatively small size of Taiwan. Sung Shan Domestic Airport connects Taipei with cities around the island. The main domestic carriers are Far Eastern Air Transport, Mandarin Airlines, TransAsia Airways and Uni Air.

There is no departure tax payable when leaving Taiwan