Getting started in Taipei

Soon going to Taiwan for your exchange. Here is what you should absolutely do when you arrive on the Island.

Get a SIM Card

One of the first thing to do when you arrive in Taiwan is to get a Taiwanese phone number!

You can easily buy a SIM card in city shops, at the airport or in advance online with a pick up at the airport.

You have several options when it comes to telecom provider. Taiwan Mobile, Chunghwa or FarEastOne are the most known. 7-ELEVEN also sell SIM card, the 7Mobile SIM card. How to choose depends on what you want to do. In brief, Chunghwa has the larger service, but Taiwan mobile or FarEast are cheaper and 7mobile is the most convenient to recharge. So, if you plan to go hiking in the mountains and travel around Taiwan, I recommend Chunghwa, if you plan to stay in Taipei or travel outside Taiwan, one of the other ones should do just fine.

Make sure you check all the available plans before making that choice. To know more about the different options, read this article from the Guide to Taipei about Sim Card in Taiwan.

Get an Easy Card

The next thing to do is to get the Easy Card. Most universities will provide you one, but I recommend getting one either way if you arrive before the semester starts. It will allow you to do pretty much everything from paying the MRT, or bus, to your groceries in convenient stores or your taxis. Plus, it is only 100 NTD deposit to get the card, that is usable or fully refundable when you return the card.

Taipei public transport are efficient. But can be difficult to understand for a foreigner…. Don’t worry, Taiwanese thought of everything and made an app (called Bus Tracker Taipei) to get around those MRT and hundreds of buses. Even more efficient than Google Maps, this app will help you go anywhere you want.

Next, if you want to do some sport while getting around Taipei or if you missed your last bus at night (around midnight usually), there are public bikes called YouBike. The first time you want to use them you have to register at the terminal next to the bikes and you’ll need a Taiwanese phone number for that. FYI, the Bus Tracker Taipei app also tell you where the nearest U-bike station is!

If you don’t want the trouble of finding the nearest station, there is also the O-bike, which are bike you can pick up and drop off anywhere… Just download the app called oBike-Stationless Bike Sharing and you are good to go.

Use trusted platform to book your room upfront

Finding your room in Taiwan can be really challenging for a foreigner! The language is indeed the biggest barrier. It is really difficult to find a clear website in English. There is 591 (mainly in Mandarin), rentaltw, Tealit, Craigslist Taiwan, etc. But those are not really dedicated to students. There are also several Rental Facebook groups. Be aware, it is not recommended to pay a deposit for a room you have never seen to a landlord you met on Facebook.

Hence My Room Abroad was developed.  This platform is made by former international students for international students. It makes the process of finding and booking a room abroad easier and safer. The My Room Abroad team visits the room in advance for the students and certifies that it is as described by the landlord. They only allow landlords that they personally trust on their platform. Moreover, they make sure the landlord speaks basic English, has English lease contracts and allows online payment.

From this platform, you can book your room in Taipei from the comfort of your own home. There are hundreds of rooms in shared apartments near the biggest universities in Taipei. They make sure you find the best room in the best area to spend an unforgettable exchange.

Unlock your debit card

You will soon realize that in Taiwan a lot is done with cash. With that comes the issue of withdrawing this cash.

There is one rule if you don’t want to lose too much money in transaction fees; pay with your credit card and withdraw with your debit card.

To be able to withdraw money from a Taiwanese ATM, you first have to unlock your debit card for Asia. It is done by simply asking nicely your banker to do it. Once this is done, you can easily withdraw money from any ATM, located in Taiwanese banks, convenient stores or MRT stations. Some Taiwanese bank will charge a convenience fee (around 300NTD) when using their ATM. To my knowledge, Taishin bank, ATM located in FamilyMarts, doesn’t charge this convenience fee. Read The best way to withdraw money in Taiwan to have more information.

Learn basic Chinese

Personally, to get around in Taiwan I use the Google translate app that translate instantaneously. When I have to ask something to someone who does not speak English in the street, I just speak through the app and it translates pretty well (I mean, I always got the answer I wanted…)

I often use it in restaurant when I am trying to read the only-written-in-Chinese menu. It comes really unhandy to figure out what to eat… Well at least you’ll know what kind orf meat you’ll get :p

However, I suggest you learn the basics by heart: “Nǐ hǎo”” (Hello), “Nǐ hǎo ma?” (How are you?),”Xiexie” (Thank you), Wǒ bù huì shuō zhōngwén (I don’t speak Chinese) or easier to say: “Tīng bùtóng” (I don’t understand), Nǐ huì shuō īngwén ma? (Do you speak English?)

Hopefully you’ll have Chinese classes during your exchange and will be able to make yourself clear in no time! But if you want to start ahead, I find those lessons on Youtube quite funny and useful.