Taiwan
TaiwanGetting around
The metro is spotless, and the law is why.
Do I need to buy a ticket for every ride?
No. One EasyCard from any convenience store covers the metro, buses, trains and even the high speed rail — and pays at the shops in between.
How do you get a taxi?
Flag a yellow cab on the street — the meter does the rest. There is even an English-language hotline, 0800-055-850, that orders one for you.
Can I eat or drink on the MRT?
No — and it is a national law, not a house rule. Eating, drinking, even chewing gum in the paid area draws a fine of NT$1,500 to 7,500.
Can I rent a public bike without a local account?
Yes — YouBike's one-time rental is built for exactly this, but it is credit-card only and runs through the app. Your EasyCard will not open a bike unless you register as a member.
High speed rail or the regular train — which one am I looking at?
Two separate railways with separate tickets and separate gates. High speed rail runs twelve stations down the west coast at up to 300 km/h; the conventional railway covers everywhere else, including the east. In Taipei they share a building and nothing else.
Why is nobody sitting in the dark blue seats?
They are priority seats — dark blue, next to the doors, in every single carriage, kept for elderly, pregnant and disabled passengers. Nothing forbids sitting there; the expectation is that you stand up the moment someone needs it, and the norm is strong enough that a full train will still leave them empty.