The short version
- Get a SIM or eSIM that includes a Taiwan phone number, so text-message codes reach you.
- No Taiwan number? Rent a YouBike with your email and a Visa, Mastercard, or JCB card.
- Carry NT$ cash for EasyCard top-ups, night markets, and small stalls.
- Buy a ticket for THSR and for Taroko, Puyuma, and Tze-Chiang 3000 trains; an EasyCard won't work on them.
Can I just tap my EasyCard on the train?
| Train | Tap EasyCard? |
|---|---|
| THSR (high speed rail) | No Buy a ticket |
| TRA Taroko, Puyuma, Tze-Chiang 3000 | No Book a seat |
| TRA tourist, group, and special trains; business and family cars | No Book a seat |
| Other TRA trains (other Tze-Chiang, Chu-Kuang, local) | Yes No assigned seat |
Details and sources
Tap onto a train where EasyCard isn't allowed and you're treated as riding without a ticket: you pay the fare plus 50% of the fare for the distance traveled. At THSR gates, the only EasyCard that works is a co-branded credit card from a Taiwanese bank with Autoload turned on, and only for non-reserved seats.