Tainan is an easy city once a few small things are sorted. Here's the short version, then the detail.
- Carry cash. The best food in Tainan is cash only.
- Get an EasyCard at any 7-Eleven or FamilyMart for buses, YouBike and convenience store purchases.
- Make sure your phone does 4G calling (VoLTE). Taiwan has switched off 3G.
- No tipping. Hotels and sit-down restaurants add a 10% service charge instead.
- Emergencies: 110 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance.
The official details below come from Taiwan's Tourism Administration and the other agencies we link to. The rest is what we've learned living here.
Money: cash, cards and ATMs
Taiwan's currency is the New Taiwan dollar (NT$). Notes come in NT$100, 200, 500, 1,000 and 2,000, and coins in NT$1, 5, 10, 20 and 50.
- Cash is king for food. Most of the great old shops, breakfast counters and night market stalls don't take cards. Break big notes at convenience stores so you have NT$100s for the stalls.
- Cards. Major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club) are accepted at hotels and bigger businesses. Tickets for big sights can be much quicker to buy online; we use Klook. → Tours and tickets
- Exchanging money. Foreign currency can be exchanged at government-designated banks and hotels. Keep the receipt: you need it to change unused NT dollars back before you leave.
- ATMs. ATMs at banks and convenience stores generally take foreign debit cards, so withdrawing as you go is usually easiest. Check your bank's foreign fees before you travel.
Tipping and service charges
Tipping isn't part of daily life here. Hotels and sit-down restaurants customarily add a 10% service charge to the bill, and that's it. Street food, taxis and Uber: no tip. The exception is free walking tours, which run on tips. → Tours
The EasyCard
The single best thing to sort on arrival. An EasyCard (or iPass) is a tap card for city buses, YouBike, trains like the Shalun line from the high speed rail station, and purchases at convenience stores. Buy and top it up at any 7-Eleven or FamilyMart. → Getting around Tainan
Phones, SIM cards and Wi-Fi
- Check for 4G calling first. Taiwan shut down its 3G network in June 2024. If your phone or SIM doesn't support 4G voice (VoLTE), you can't make calls in Taiwan, including emergency calls.
- Tourist SIM cards and eSIMs. Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone sell prepaid tourist SIMs at airport counters, and Chunghwa also offers an eSIM. Bring your passport plus a second ID: the carriers ask for two documents.
- Free Wi-Fi. The government's free iTaiwan network (network name: iTaiwan) works without registration at thousands of indoor public places showing the iTaiwan sign. Turn off auto-connect so your phone doesn't quietly switch to mobile data when the signal drops.
Plugs and power
Taiwan runs on 110 volts at 60 hertz, with two-pin flat sockets and three-pin sockets like North America's. Visitors from Europe, Australia or Southeast Asia will need an adapter, and a converter for anything that can't take 110 volts. Most phone and laptop chargers handle both voltages, but check the label.
Drinking water
Tap water is treated to national drinking water standards (that faint chlorine taste is the treatment), but most people here boil or filter it before drinking. Do what the locals do: drink filtered, boiled or bottled water. Bottled water is sold in every convenience store.
Opening hours
- Convenience stores: open 24 hours (a few keep shorter hours).
- Shops: roughly 10:00 or 11:00 to 21:00 or 22:00. Department stores roughly 11:00 to 21:30.
- Restaurants: lunch roughly 11:00 to 14:00, dinner 17:00 to 22:00.
- Tainan's food clock is earlier. Beef soup, milkfish and congee shops open at dawn and many close by midday or sell out, so go early. → Food guide
- Lunar New Year: many shops close over the holiday. → Best time to visit
Emergencies and help
| Number | What for |
|---|---|
| 110 | Police |
| 119 | Fire and ambulance |
| 112 | Emergency call from a mobile with poor reception |
| 0800-011-765 | 24-hour toll-free travel information hotline |
| 1990 | Information for foreigners in Taiwan |
Numbers from the Tourism Administration. All three emergency numbers are free.
Tax refunds on shopping
Foreign visitors can claim back VAT on goods bought at stores showing the TRS (tax refund) sign, when they spend NT$2,000 or more (VAT included) at one store on the same day and take the goods out of Taiwan within 90 days. Ask the store, and keep your passport handy. Details from the Ministry of Finance.
Visas and entry
Whether you need a visa depends on your passport. Check the current rules with Taiwan's Bureau of Consular Affairs before you book.
Time zone
Taiwan is on UTC+8 all year, with no daylight saving time.
What's next
Pick your dates with the best time to visit, work out how to get here, choose where to stay, then grab an itinerary.