Taiwan isn’t a particularly cheap destination by Southeast Asian standards, but it offers incredible value if you know where to look. The tips below have saved me hundreds of euros over the years, and I still use almost every single one today.
Tip 1: Book your hotels through Agoda with up to 76% discount (and book early)
If you’re from Europe, you’re probably used to booking hotels through Booking.com. However, in Taiwan and much of Asia, I always recommend checking Agoda first.
In my experience, Agoda consistently offers some of the best hotel prices in Taiwan. It’s common to find discounted rates, flash sales, and hotels advertised with savings of up to 76%. Whenever I’m booking accommodation in Taiwan, Agoda is always the first place I check.
Also note: Book early. Taiwan and Taipei don’t have an endless supply of great-value hotels. The hotels with the best price-to-quality ratio tend to sell out quickly, especially during weekends or public holidays. Even if you’re still deciding between a few hotels, it’s often worth booking a refundable rate rather than waiting until the last minute.
My hotel recommendations
🏡 Budget: MEANDER Taipei – My favourite hostel in Taipei. Great social atmosphere, modern rooms and an excellent location in Ximending, just a short walk from the MRT.
🏨 Mid-range: Oani – One of Taipei’s newest boutique hotels and one of my current favourites. Beautiful design, thoughtful details and an unbeatable location just steps from Ximen MRT. Perfect if you want something that feels far more expensive than it is.
🏨 Mid-range: Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Taipei Ximen – A fantastic option if you want a modern Japanese-style hotel right in the heart of Ximending. Comfortable rooms, excellent service and an ideal base for exploring Taipei.
✨ Luxury: The Grand Hotel – One of Taiwan’s most iconic hotels. Even if you don’t stay here, it’s worth visiting for the architecture and history.
✨ Luxury: Grand Hyatt Taipei – If your budget allows, this is my favourite luxury hotel for first-time visitors. It’s directly next to Taipei 101 and perfectly located for exploring Xinyi.
Tip 2: 💳 Buy your eSIM before you fly to Taiwan
One of the first things you’ll need in Taiwan is mobile data. I’ve compared the most popular eSIM providers, including Holafly, Airalo and Klook, and for Taiwan, Klook consistently offers the best value.
For example, at the time of writing:
| Provider | 7 days | Unlimited data |
|---|---|---|
| Klook (Chunghwa Telecom) | NT$375 | ✅ |
| Holafly | NT$920 | ✅ |
That’s a saving of NT$545 (almost 60%) for the same trip length.
The Klook eSIM runs on Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan’s largest telecommunications provider, so you’ll get excellent coverage almost everywhere on the island. Installation takes just a few minutes, and you can activate it before you even leave the airport.
Congrats, you just saved 💰 You just saved NT$545 💰
Tip 3: 🚄 Book your High Speed Rail tickets through Klook
If you’re planning to travel between Taiwan’s major cities, I recommend booking your High Speed Rail (HSR) tickets through Klook rather than the official website.
The official booking system works perfectly well, but if you’ve never used it before, it can feel a little confusing, especially if you’re visiting Taiwan for the first time. Klook makes the whole process much simpler.
At the time of writing, Klook also offers 15% off regular tickets or Buy 1 Get 1 on selected routes, depending on the promotion available. On top of that, every booking currently includes a Starbucks Buy 1 Get 1 voucher, which makes arriving at the station a little more enjoyable.
The offer has already been booked more than one million times and has a 4.8/5 rating from over 25,000 travellers, so you’re in good company.
💡 Bonus tip
If you’re departing from Taipei Main Station, give yourself a little extra time. The station is enormous and can feel like a maze the first time you visit, especially since the MRT, High Speed Rail, Taiwan Rail and Airport MRT all connect there.
Once you’ve found your platform and know exactly where you’re going, head to Starbucks and redeem your voucher before boarding. Taiwan’s High Speed Rail is *very* punctual, so it’s much more relaxing to enjoy your coffee knowing you’re already in the right place.
Tip 4: 🏧 Avoid convenience store ATMs
This is one of the easiest ways to waste money in Taiwan.
Many ATMs inside 7-Eleven and FamilyMart charge an additional NT$100 withdrawal fee for foreign cards. Instead, head to one of the banks that tend to work much better for international visitors.
I recommend:
🟢 Mega Bank (you’ll find ATMs at Taoyuan Airport)
🟢 Cathay United Bank (the green and yellow ATMs you’ll see in most MRT stations)
🟢 Bank of Taiwan
One more tip: if an ATM asks whether you’d like to be charged in your home currency, always choose New Taiwan Dollars (TWD). Your bank will almost always give you a better exchange rate than the ATM.
💰 Potential saving: NT$100 every time you withdraw cash, simply by choosing the right ATM.
Tip 5: 🚇 Save yourself a BIG fine: Don’t eat, drink, or chew gum on the Taipei MRT
One rule catches almost every first-time visitor by surprise: eating and drinking are prohibited inside Taipei MRT stations and on trains. That includes coffee, bubble tea, water and even chewing gum while you’re in the paid area.
If you’re caught, you can be fined NT$1,500 to NT$7,500.
The good news is that you can absolutely bring food and drinks onto the MRT. Just don’t eat, drink or chew gum until you’ve left the paid area. If you’re carrying a coffee or bubble tea, simply wait until you’ve exited the station before taking your next sip.
💰 Potential saving: Up to NT$7,500.
Tip 6:💡 Staying in Taiwan for several weeks or a month?
If you’re planning a longer stay, take a look at the TPASS instead.
For NT$1,200, it gives you 30 days of unlimited travel across much of northern Taiwan, including:
- 🚇 Taipei Metro (MRT)
- 🚈 New Taipei Metro
- 🚉 Taiwan Rail (TRA) on eligible local routes
- 🚍 City buses throughout Taipei and New Taipei
- 🚲 Unlimited 30-minute YouBike rides (on eligible trips)
- ✈️ Airport MRT between Taipei Main Station and Taoyuan Airport
If you’re living in Taipei for a few weeks, working remotely or using the city as a base for day trips, it can offer incredible value.
Tip 7: 🚖 Arriving in the middle of the night? Take a regular taxi, not Uber.
If you land at Taoyuan Airport late at night, don’t automatically open Uber.
Unlike in many countries, Taiwan’s taxis are reliable, honest and always use the meter. You won’t have to negotiate the fare or remind the driver to switch the meter on. Just join the official taxi queue outside the arrivals hall and tell the driver where you’re going.
A quick personal story: the last time I landed in Taiwan, my flight arrived around five hours late, well after midnight. I opened Uber and was quoted around NT$1,400 for the trip to my apartment near Taipei Main Station.
Before booking, I walked over to a taxi stand and asked how much the journey would cost roughly. They estimated around NT$1,300. In the end, the metered fare came to just NT$1,100.
Since then, I haven’t even bothered checking Uber when I arrive late at night.
Tip 8: 🌱 Save the environment (and save a little money, too)
One of the things I love most about Taiwan is how easy it is to travel a little more sustainably.
Bring a reusable water bottle and you’ll find refill stations almost everywhere, from MRT stations and museums to universities and public buildings. Instead of buying bottled water every day, you can simply top up as you explore.
If you’re a coffee drinker, pack a reusable cup as well. Many cafés, including Louisa Coffee, offer a small discount (typically NT$5) when you bring your own mug. The savings won’t transform your travel budget, but it’s a nice bonus on top of avoiding dozens of disposable cups and bottles during your trip.
Lastly, enjoy Taiwan ❤️
Taiwan has become one of my favourite places in the world, and I genuinely hope this guide helps you enjoy it as much as I have.
If even one of these tips saves you money, helps you avoid a mistake or introduces you to a place you end up loving, then it has done its job.
I’ll keep updating this guide as I discover new cafés, hotels, hikes and travel hacks, so feel free to bookmark it for your next trip.
Have an amazing time in Taiwan!
— Maja
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