Buying a car as a foreigner in Taiwan can be a confusing and stressful experience. If you do not live near a train station, chances are that you have thought about at least buying a car for long trips. Taiwan is a place that should be explored not just with public transportation, but by car or scooter. If you only take public transportation everywhere you go, you are missing out on a huge part of Taiwan. To make you buying experience smoother, we have created this guide to let you know what to expect and answer any questions.

As a long-time driver/scooter rider/cyclist in Taiwan, I have seen my fair share of bad driving. Taiwan has its own unique driving culture, which combined with a lack of proper traffic law enforcement has created many bad habits among Taiwanese drivers. Below is a list of some of the quirky bad habits and customs you can see on the roads in Taiwan.

Please note that the following is satire and not to be taken seriously. Please do not perform any of the following. Please follow all the traffic laws of the Republic of China. Please be safe while driving or riding a scooter in Taiwan. Multiple people are injured and killed in traffic accidents in Taiwan every day, partly because they follow these dangerous unwritten rules. Most of these are just bad habits shared by many Taiwanese drivers.

Taiwan is a place that should be explored not just with public transportation (as convenient as it is). If you only take public transportation everywhere you go, you are missing out on a huge part of Taiwan. You could take taxis everywhere to see these sights, like a rich Chinese person, or you can take the cheaper option and rent a vehicle. Many of the scenic and rural sights of Taiwan can’t be experienced except by hiring your own vehicle.
 
Renting a Vehicle in Taiwan:
 
        Taiwan is the scooter capitol of the world. Driving a scooter is dangerous, but scooters are fun. They are also pretty easy to learn how to operate; if you can already drive a car and/or ride a bike, picking up riding a moped shouldn’t be that hard. There’s not much better of way to experience Taiwan than cruising down the streets like everyone else with the wind blowing in your face.

However, if you are looking to get around the island faster, are travelling with multiple people, have lots of luggage, or you  are afraid that scooters are dangerous, I would suggest renting a car.

Car Rental Fast Facts: 
 
Where? 
Car rental places can be found next to most airports and in all major cities. But don’t expect them right next to every small train station.

Pricing? 
Cheap would be $1000-1500 a day, average would be $2000+ a day, and expensive would be $3,000+ a day. Discounts are often given for multiple day rentals and for weekdays.

Do I need a local license? 
No. However, you should get an international driver’s permit. If you don’t have an international driver’s permit there is no guarantee that you can rent a car. Check with the rental agency beforehand and make necessary preparations.

​How do I get a local Taiwanese licence?
​Check out our guide on getting a driver's licence in Taiwan here.

Does Taiwan have Uber?
Yes but its just as expensive as a Taxi. Uber was banned and fined multiple times because their business model was deemed illegal. Uber drivers were required to have a professional driver’s licence. Now they work with local rental car companies to keep the app going in Taiwan. 
 
What side of the road does Taiwan drive on?
The Right side.

How much is the price of gas? 
As of March, 2018 it is around 27 NT per liter for 95 octane gas.

Anything else I should be aware of when driving in Taiwan? 
Yes!

• Driving on National Highways will incur a fee of about 1.5 NT per kilometer, so don’t be surprised when the rental company throws this extra fee at you.
• Turning right on a red light is against the law.

• When turning right, check your blind spot and the space behind your car for scooters. There are scooters everywhere. To make a safe right turn, make sure to signal early, turn slowly, and check your mirrors and blind spots. 
• Check for speed cameras and red light cameras. These are the only effective way of traffic enforcement in Taiwan, and they are everywhere! But, most GPS systems in Taiwan will tell you where they are, and will warn you when you approach them.
• Getting in an accident can be messy and involve a long litigation process. If it's just a minor accident, consider paying cash to the other person and avoid calling the police if at all possible.  However, always consult with your rental company on their accident policies.
• There are a few lanes in Taipei City that are just for buses. Don't drive on them.
• Some lanes are only meant for scooters or motorcycles.
• Avoid small alleys if at all possible. You can get stuck and might have to end up backing out.
• If you come to a blind corner, there should be a round mirror at the intersection to let you see if there is any oncoming traffic from the right or left.

Do you have any recommendations? 
Yes! We have rented before with Car 880 超省錢租車. They are so far the cheapest car rental company we have found. Their rates start at 880 NT on weekdays: http://www.car880.com.tw/. We are not getting paid by advertising for them by the way. Also be aware they are not English capable. Knowing a little Chinese could save you some money.

Summation of Rental Car Companies in Taiwan:
(please note this is not a complete list. Other discounts and offers can be found on each company's website)

Car 880 超省錢租車
website: http://www.car880.com.tw/

• English Capable - No
• Relatively Cheap - Yes
• Cheapest Car is 1380 on a weekday, 1780 on weekends, but is 980/1500 if you join as a member, and can be as low as 499 NT on the first day if rent over three days.
• Locations - Only in New Taipei (airport pickup possible)

Good Cars
website: https://www.goodcars.com.tw/ 

• English Capable - No
• Relatively Cheap - Yes
• Cheapest Car is 990 NT on Weekdays and 1490 NT on holidays and weekends, but can be as cheap as 880 NT over multiple days.
• Locations - New Taipei City and Taoyuan (airport pickup possible)

Avis Taiwan 安維斯租車
website: https://www.avis-taiwan.com/us/

• English Capable - Yes
• Relatively Cheap - No
• Cheapest Car is 2300 NT per day.
• Locations - Multiple locations in all major cities, including the east coast.

HLC 和運租車
website: https://www.easyrent.com.tw/English/

• English Capable - Yes
• Relatively Cheap - No
• Cheapest Car is 2400 NT per day.
• Locations - Multiple locations in all major cities, including the east coast. Most locations of any car rental company in Taiwan.

Jinfeng Car Rental 進豐租車
website: http://www.1car-rent.com.tw/service.php

• English Capable - No
• Relatively Cheap - Yes
• Cheapest Car is 1360 NT per day on a weekday and 1530 NT per day on weekends.
• Locations - One location in Taipei

Budget
website: https://www.budget.com/en/locations/tb

• English Capable - Yes
• Relatively Cheap - No
• Cheapest Car is 2500 NT per day
• Locations - 4 locations in Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, and Kaohsiung.

CarPlus 格上租車
website: https://www.car-plus.com.tw/EN/ugC_AboutUs.asp

• English Capable - Yes
• Relatively Cheap - No
• Cheapest Car is 2500 NT per day
• Locations - multiple locations in all major cities including the east coast

Renting a Scooter?
Check out our blog about scooter rental in Taiwan here.
 
Feel free to contact us with any specific questions about car or scooter rental in Taiwan, and please like, comment, and share!
 
-FiTW

Many people have written about getting a driver’s license before. Here is the one we have found most helpful:http://www.tealit.com/article_categories.php?section=transportation&article=drivers_license
 
I don’t want to beat a dead horse by repeating what other bloggers have said; I just want to give my own opinion and advice on getting a driver’s license in Taiwan. You should read the above blog first to get a background on what the test is (as well as through google), because I am just going to supplement what this guy has said.

I know plenty of other foreigners who live in Taiwan with no license and no vehicle. That's cool for you bro, but frankly, you are missing out on so much that Taiwan has to offer. If you only take public transportation you are limiting yourself to places you can go, people you can see, food you can eat, and marvels to enjoy. My advice, get a license. If you are staying in Taiwan for the short term, just use an international driving permit.

For the long term: if you ever want to stop borrowing your girlfriend’s family scooter, you will want to buy your own. You will need a license.

As for renting cars and scooters, see my blog post about it (coming soon).

So I've convinced you get a real license. How do you do this? Technically you should go take a driver’s test, show your passport, your original country’s driver’s license, pay some fees and that's that. However if you are not feeling confident about passing, or you don’t have a license in you home country, go to a driver’s education class (this is what most Taiwanese people do). I don’t know if they offer classes in English though. If you are good at driving, let me teach you the ways of passing the drivers exam without paying for driver’s education.
 
Passing the Taiwan Road Test without Driver’s Education Classes:

Written test: This might be the hardest part. Get your hands on the English questions: http://www.thb.gov.tw/sites/ch/modules/download/download_list?node=30892007-f4d7-45f0-8a7e-863e7822fe5c&c=e94977a2-5a11-45ce-b530-5ca55d709ed3
You need to download four parts: 1. Rules T/F, 2. Signs T/F 3. Rules Multiple-Choice 4. Signs Multiple-Choice
Read them. If you really want a good score, print them out and study. Signs are easy. Rules multiple choice is going to be the hardest. You can get a perfect score if you memorize the penalties for breaking the law. You will need at least an 80 to pass. 

Also, take the simulator test to see how you are doing: https://www.mvdis.gov.tw/m3-simulator-drv/. This simulator is exactly the same as the real written test.
 
Scooter Driving Test

Scooter: This test is pretty easy. But that is if you are steady and know how to balance on a scooter. This will probably take most of your practice time. You can’t put your foot on the ground. As far as the test itself, remember to look over your shoulder every time you turn as well as make turn signals. You should pass if you do these things. 
I'm not spending any more time on scooters because it is so simple.

Car Driving Test
 
If you can pass the driving test in America, you can pass it in Taiwan. But you should be aware of a few differences:

1. You have to inspect the car before you drive. This means checking tire pressure by putting your finger above the triangle on the outside of the tire. If the instructor is nice, they will walk you through this part. Check every tire. Also, check the mileage, gas level, oil level, and temperature.
2. Stopping uphill. Easy.
3. Backing into a space. Relatively easy.
4. The S curve. Hard. I will explain that below.

 
Below is a map of the entire test (sorry no English):


​
​Here is the whole test:
1. Inspect the vehicle. This means checking tire pressure by putting your finger above the triangle on the outside of the tire. If the instructor is nice, they will walk you through this part. Check every tire. Also, check the mileage, gas level, oil level, and temperature. Also be sure to put on your seatbelt, adjust mirrors, adjust your seat, and take off the parking brake before you start the car.
2. Back into a parking space: This means back in from a 90 degree angle, or back in from around a corner. To practice for this, borrow a friend’s car and just practice backing around corners in a parking lot; it's really not that hard.
3. Parallel parking: To practice for this, borrow a friend’s car and just practice. For me personally what I kept messing up was turning too late. Make sure when you go back diagonally you turn a good couple feet before your back tire hits the curb.
4. S Curve: This is by far hardest. They don’t test this in America, and you can't really practice for it. But you can watch this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR-QgC0MWtg This video is pure gold. There is a memorable method for passing this. Watch this a bunch of times and at least visualize what’s going on. I will take the time to translate it into English if someone wants me to, so tell me in the comments if you want it or not.
I messed up the S curve. It still takes some real life practice to get it down. If you want, you can get some sidewalk chalk and draw it in a parking lot. But even if you mess up on the s curve you can pass the test, like me.
Personally I think the S curve had very little real life application and should be removed from the car test.
      5. Go around a round-about
      6. Stop on a hill
      7. Stop for a train
      8. Stop for pedestrians.
      9. Road test: this is a new test that as of now is not required. I was the first person foreign or Taiwanese to pass it. It's really easy, just drive down the road outside of the DMV and do two U turns. Remember to turn on signals check blind spots and follow the speed limit. I don't know if this part of the test will ever see the light of day because of insurance policy problems. But I think it's great because the inside test is robotic. So many people pass and are too afraid to actually drive on the road.
 
As a side note, my friend from Utah exchanging a driver’s license based on principles of equity:https://tpcmv.thb.gov.tw/English/ServicesEng/LicenseEng/ManagementEng/ManagementEng02.htm
 
This is the end of our rant. I hope it was helpful. Do not hesitate to ask any specific questions about this topic in the comments. We will answer as soon as we can. If you want a quicker response, ask us on Twitter.
 
-Larry


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