Scooter/Moped Rental In Taiwan 在臺灣租機車

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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 cars or scooters in Taiwan:
 
        Taiwan is the scooter capital of the world. Driving a scooter is dangerous, but scooters are fun. You can stop pretty much anywhere on the side of the road easily and take photos and enjoy the scenery. 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 a much better way to experience Taiwan than cruising down the streets like everyone else with the wind blowing in your face. However, if you are afraid that scooters are dangerous, I would suggest renting a car.

​Gas Scooter Rental Fast Facts:
 
Where? 
Scooter rental shops are next to almost all train stations in Taiwan, which include gas and electric options. I recommend gas because you don't have to worry about limited range and lack of charging stations. Some scooter repair shops also rent scooters. Most of these are mom and pop rental stores, but more expensive ones are in Chains like Heyun or Yamaha. 

Klook
​Locations: Currently available most in all major cities and outer islands in Taiwan. You can use the online website to search.
Local Scooter License required: No, but you need an international license! You will also need to show your passport.
Price: 400 NT - 1200 NT per day depending on the model
Range: 150 KM for gas scooters, and 20-80 KM for electric scooters depending on the model 
Charging: Most scooters are gas powered, but for the Gogoro models you can swap batteries at GoStations.

KKday
​Locations: Currently available in Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Hsinchu, Taitung, and Hualien. You can use the online website.
Local Scooter License required: No, but you need an international license! You will also need to show your passport.
Price: 400 NT - 1200 NT per day depending on the model
Range: 150 KM for gas scooters, and 20-80 KM for electric scooters depending on the model 
Charging: Most scooters are gas powered, but for the Gogoro models you can swap batteries at GoStations.

BikesBooking.com
​Locations: Currently available only in Taichung. You can use the online website.
Local Scooter License required: No, but you need an international license! You will also need to show your passport.
Price: 1000 NT - 13,000 NT per day depending on the model. They include options for heavy motorcycles (650 cc) and road bicycles. 
Range: 150 KM for gas scooters, and 20-80 KM for electric scooters depending on the model 
Charging: Most scooters are gas powered, but for the Gogoro models you can swap batteries at GoStations.

Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. 
You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. 

Pricing? 
Cheapest is 100 NT a day, average is about 500 NT per day, expensive is 800 NT or above per day.

What should I bring? 
Maybe rain gear. Usually they will provide rain gear for you. They will definitely give you helmets. Some will siphon the gas out before you ride so you need to go get gas right away.

Do I need a Scooter License? 
Maybe, it depends on where you go. If you go to the countryside or some outer islands, they may not care. If you go to a more rural part of Taiwan, most likely they will accept an International Driver’s Permit (IDP). If you go to a place such as Taichung, no one will let you rent a scooter unless they see your Taiwanese license. For more information, please see our blog post about getting a Taiwanese driver’s license here, or check out our blog about getting an IDP here. 

How do I get a local Taiwanese license?
​Check out our guide on getting a driver's license in Taiwan here, or check out our blog about getting an IDP here. 

Cities that require a local Taiwanese Scooter License (that we know): Taichung, Taipei, Magong, Chishang.

Cities that only have a few shops that will let you rent with an IDP: Tainan (北門租車）, Hualien (Pony leasing and Rental Group 小馬租車集團), and Yilan. Otherwise you will need a local license for these cities. 

Cities that accept an international driver’s permit: Tainan (北門租車）, Chiayi, Kaohsiung, Nantou County (Sun Moon Lake and Jiji) , Taitung, Hualien (Pony Leasing and Rental Group 小馬租車集團), Ruisui, Kenting, Jiaoxi, Nanzhuang, Jiji, and offshore islands

Cities that do not require a license: Offshore islands (Xiaoliuqiu, Green Island, and Lanyu) and Chiayi (some).

(please feel free to comment if you have an update to any of the lists above)

Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotels through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan. 

Electric Scooter Vehicle Sharing:

Recently there have been quite a few electric scooter-sharing companies popping up in major cities in Taiwan. The nice thing about these is that you just need to register using the app and can rent the scooter with your phone, which can be done 24/7. Once you are done you can park it in a legal scooter parking spot, however these can only be used in major cities and you need a local Taiwan scooter license to rent. Here is a list of the major scooter sharing companies:

• 
  
• Klook
  • ​Locations: Currently available in Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Hsinchu, Taitung, and Hualien. You can use the online website.
  • Local Scooter License required: No, but you need an international license(IDP)! You will also need to show your passport.
  • Price: 400 NT - 1200 NT per day depending on the model
  • Range: 150 KM for gas scooters, and 20-80 KM for electric scooters depending on the model 
  • Charging: Most scooters are gas powered, but for the Gogoro models you can swap batteries at GoStations.
• KKday
  • ​Locations: Currently available in Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Hsinchu, Taitung, and Hualien. You can use the online website.
  • Local Scooter License required: No, you can use an international license (IDP)! You will also need to show your passport.
  • Price: 400 NT - 1200 NT per day depending on the model
  • Range: 150 KM for gas scooters, and 20-80 KM for electric scooters depending on the model 
  • Charging: Most scooters are gas powered, but for the Gogoro models you can swap batteries at GoStations.
• Goshare (from Gogoro):
  • Locations: Currently available in Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Tainan, and Yunlin. You need to download the app to be able to rent the scooters.
  • Local Scooter License required: Yes. You will also need at least a Taiwan 50 cc scooter license to ride the VIVA and with a 150cc license you can ride all electric scooter types. 
  • Price: 15 or 25 NT for the first 6 minutes (depending on the model), and 2.5 NT per minute afterward. 
  • Range: 20-80 Km depending on the model 
  • Charging: Swap batteries at GoStations
• iRent (from Heyun): 
  • Locations: Currently available in Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung.  
  • Local Scooter License required: Yes. You need to download the app to be able to rent their scooters. You will also need a local Taiwan scooter license to rent, which can be hard if you a foreign tourist. 
  • Price: 10 NT for the first 6 minutes, and 1.5 NT per minute afterward, with a daily maximum rental payment of 300 NT. 
  • Range: 20-80 Km depending on the model 
  • Charging: Swap batteries Ionex stations
• WeMo:
  • Locations: Available in Taipei, urban New Taipei, and downtown Kaohsiung. 
  • Local Scooter License required: No, you can use an international license!
  • Price: 15 NT for the first 6 minutes, and 2.5 NT per minute afterward, with a 24 hour rental fee of 350 NT. 
  • Charging: No way to charge. You need to swap vehicles. 

Scooter/Motorbike Tours: 
You can book a Motorcycling experience on Klook here, or a half day Motorbike Tour on KKday here.

If you are looking for a multi-day, in depth tour of Taiwan via motorbike, we recommend contacting [email protected] who schedules regular 10-day motorbike tours of Taiwan. The tour guide is a long-term expat in Taiwan that has been giving riding tours of Taiwan for 16 years now. 
There is a big discount for local expats especially if they have their own scooter. 
You can see reviews for the tour on Tripadvisor here or check their website: http://TaiwanToursM13.com
Be sure to tell them you were sent by Foreigners in Taiwan. 

Anything else I should consider when renting a scooter in Taiwan?
Yes!

• You cannot ride on national highways, freeways, in front of Taipei Main Station, and inner lanes of some multiple lane roads.
• Most left turns require the two-step turn, which means you pull off to the right of the intersection and stop in a white box. Then you wait for the light to turn green. If there is no box or two-arrow sign in the intersection, and it's a small intersection, you can probably turn left without the two-step turn.
• Turning right at a red light is against the law.

• When turning right, check your blind spot and the space behind you 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! 
• 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.
• On some roads, there is a small lane to the right of the road meant for scooters.
• If you are riding into the mountains, make sure you have enough gas for the journey.
• 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.

​

Basic Taiwan Travel Tips:

• There is no need to tip in Taiwan. It is not part of the culture here.
• Taiwan uses the New Taiwan Dollar, and many transactions such as for street food still require cash. For more information, check out our guide to the New Taiwan Dollar here. 
• Get yourself a SIM card or portable WiFi such as from Gigago here so you can stay connected and don't get lost in the city.
• If you are from a country that does not have a 90 day visa-free program with Taiwan, consider getting your visa sorted with Ivisa.com. You can also check out our immigration FAQ here. 
• Get travel insurance in case of unforeseen events. You can compare prices on Insubuy here. 
• Electrical voltage is 110V.
• Get yourself an Easy Card, so you can travel easily on the MRT, Train, HSR, Youbike, and even shop at convenience stores. You can also book a Taiwan travel pass on Klook here. 
• For more travel tips, check out our foreigner survival guide here. 

Renting a car?
Please see our guide on car rental in Taiwan here, or our car buying guide here. 

Want to buy a scooter instead?
Please see our scooter buying guide here. 

Check out our blog index for ideas of where to visit in Taiwan. 
You can also find more tours of Taipei on Klook here or KKday here. 

Please like, comment, and share!
Also, feel free to contact us with any specific questions about car or scooter rental in Taiwan.
 
-FiTW

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