Taiwan
Useful apps for Taiwan: transport, maps, translation
Install five things before you fly: Google Maps (transit works well in Taiwan), a taxi app (Uber, 55688 Taiwan Taxi or LINE Taxi), T-Express for high-speed rail and the TRA e-booking app for regular trains, LINE for shops and hotels, and Google Translate for menus. Add Bus+ or Go! Taipei only if you plan to ride city buses.
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- Plan calculated
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GuideTaiwan
Key facts
- Core set
- Google Maps, a taxi app, T-Express (THSR), TRA e-booking, LINE, Google Translate
- Taxi apps
- Uber, 55688 Taiwan Taxi and LINE Taxi all operate; a local number helps for the local ones
- Rail booking
- T-Express for high-speed rail, 台鐵 e-booking for TRA; tourist tickets are bought with passport details
- Bus arrivals
- Bus+ or Go! Taipei show real-time arrival times
- Messaging
- LINE is the default for everyone local; WhatsApp mostly with foreigners
- Blocked services
- None of note; Google, WhatsApp and Western apps work normally
- Data
- Tourist SIM or eSIM from Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile or FarEasTone; a local number helps for taxi apps
Details
Set the phone up before you land. Taiwan's mobile networks are fast and cheap, but a few apps only work properly once you have a local number, and a couple are easier to register with a passport while you still have reliable Wi-Fi.
Start with data. Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone sell tourist SIMs and eSIMs at Taoyuan (TPE) and Kaohsiung (KHH) arrivals; you need a passport plus a second photo ID. Unlimited tourist plans run roughly NT$300 for 5 days to NT$500–600 for 10 days. An eSIM bought before you fly works on an unlocked phone, but a local number makes taxi apps and restaurant bookings much smoother.
For navigation, Google Maps is the default and its transit directions work well for the Taipei MRT, the metro in Kaohsiung and most city buses. Outside the cities, coverage of small roads and trailheads is thinner, so download offline maps for the east coast and the mountains before you leave Wi-Fi. Apple Maps is usable in Taipei but weaker elsewhere.
For taxis, Uber works in Taipei and the bigger cities, and 55688 Taiwan Taxi and LINE Taxi are the local equivalents. The local apps often have more cars in smaller towns, and they may need a local phone number to register. Meters are standard; keep small notes for the ones that do not take cards.
For trains, T-Express handles high-speed rail (THSR) bookings and the TRA e-booking app covers regular trains. Tourist tickets and multi-day passes are usually bought with passport details, so have the number to hand. Booking a day or two ahead matters for weekend THSR seats and for east-coast trains around holidays.
For buses, Bus+ and Go! Taipei show live arrival times, which saves a lot of standing at stops in the heat. For everything else, LINE is the app shops, hotels and hosts use to message you, and Google Translate's camera mode reads menus and signs. A banking or card app with travel notifications switched on avoids a declined payment.
| Job | App | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maps and transit | Google Maps | Transit works well; download offline maps for rural areas |
| Taxis | Uber, 55688 Taiwan Taxi, LINE Taxi | Local apps may need a local number |
| High-speed rail | T-Express | Passport details for tourist tickets |
| Regular trains | 台鐵 e-booking (TRA) | Book ahead for weekends and holidays |
| City buses | Bus+ or Go! Taipei | Live arrival times |
| Messaging | LINE | Default for shops, hotels and locals |
| Translation | Google Translate | Camera mode for menus and signs |
| Payments | Your bank or card app | Turn on travel notifications |
Availability and registration rules can change; check each app's listing before you rely on it.
Tips
Install and log in to everything at home, on your own Wi-Fi, before the flight. Some registrations send a code by SMS to your home number, which you may not receive once you swap SIMs.
If you buy a local SIM at the airport, do the taxi-app and LINE registration there while staff can help. If you use an eSIM and keep your home number active, most apps work without a Taiwanese number, but the local taxi apps may not.
Download offline Google Maps for the regions you plan to visit outside Taipei, and screenshot your train bookings and hotel addresses in Chinese characters for drivers who do not read English.
Free public Wi-Fi (iTaiwan, TPE-Free) needs a one-time sign-up and coverage is patchy, so treat it as a backup rather than your main connection.
- Set up apps before you fly, not at the arrivals hall
- Keep a local number if you want the local taxi apps
- Download offline maps for the east coast and mountains
- Screenshot bookings and addresses in Chinese
Questions people ask
Which apps do I need in Taiwan?
Google Maps for transit and navigation, a taxi app (Uber, 55688 Taiwan Taxi or LINE Taxi), T-Express for high-speed rail, the TRA e-booking app for regular trains, LINE for messaging, and Google Translate for menus. Add Bus+ or Go! Taipei if you ride city buses.
Does Uber or a local taxi app work in Taiwan?
Uber works in Taipei and the larger cities. 55688 Taiwan Taxi and LINE Taxi are the local options and often have more cars in smaller towns, but they may need a local phone number to register. Meters are standard.
Does Google Maps work well in Taiwan?
Yes. Transit directions work well for the Taipei and Kaohsiung metros and most city buses. Coverage of small roads and trailheads outside the cities is thinner, so download offline maps for the east coast and mountains before you leave Wi-Fi.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialTaiwan Tourism Administration
- officialTaiwan High Speed Rail (THSR)
- officialTaiwan Railways Administration (TRA)
- secondaryWikivoyage – Taiwan