What are the main ways that people get around Taipei? We have the Taipei Metro (MRT), pictured on the right. We also have the public bus system. We also have rentable bikes. People can also drive their own cars. Or their own mopeds. You get the point. Taipei, like most urbanized cities, offers a plethora of transportation options. But not all options are made equal! I'll go a bit into the differences below.
Bus
Pros:
Cheap; from what I've seen, mostly $15 NTD a ride
Many different bus routes to get to many different places, can get to where the MRT doesn't go
Many bus routes stop by the same places (for example, at one stop, there were 3 different buses that I could catch that would all go to Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall)
Cons:
You need to flag the bus down when they arrive or the driver will not stop; I missed a couple buses until someone at the stop told me that I needed to wave my hand
Potentially crowded during rush hours, but I have not been on the bus during these times so I can't say for sure
MRT
Pros:
Convenient, straightforward, and fast; sit until your stop then get off, no need to push any buttons
Even if you can't read Chinese, the MRT map is easy to read and interpret
Clean!
Cons:
Goes to less places than the bus
More expensive than the bus, starting at $30 NTD a ride (if I remember correctly)
Can get crowded during rush hours
Rentable Bikes (YouBike)
Pros:
Parking stations conveniently located near university campuses like NTU and surrounding areas
Very cheap and also an excellent form of exercise!
Cons:
Hard to ride when it rains, which happens a lot in Taipei (Legend has it that the rite of passage for an NTU student is being able to ride a bike one-handed, with an umbrella in the other hand)
Limited service area
During rush hours, you may not be able to get a bike when you need it most
I do not know how to ride a bike
Cars
Pros:
Can go anywhere!
Cons:
Expensive to own
Driving test to obtain a license is a lot harder to pass in Taiwan than in the United States
No such thing as free parking; car parking spaces are very limited, local drivers know best where the parking lots are, but you often need to pay an expensive fee to park
Mopeds/Motorcycles
Pros:
Can go anywhere (many Taiwanese prefer this mode of transportation!)
More street-side parking available for mopeds (vs cars)
Mopeds carry the entirety of FoodPanda and Uber Eats' delivery service on their shoulders (yay for mopeds!)
Cons:
Pollution, unless you own an electric moped (like Gogoro, for example)
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Personally, I usually opt to take the MRT when I can because it's the simplest and only take the bus when I need to. More often than not, when traveling in Taipei, you'll find yourself transferring from the MRT to a bus to get to your destination.
Hopefully this simple guide was somewhat useful and interesting!
Thanks for reading and until next time,
Deborah
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