Among many Taiwanese, travelling around the Taiwan Island has become a rite of passage to mark different life stages. This movement was reignited after a moving bank commercial went viral. Based on real events, it is about a group of elderly who embarked on their riding adventure with their, 不老精神 (Bu Lao Jin Shen), forever young spirit. A film was even made about their 13-day, 1178km motorcycle ride to explore the land they lived their whole lives.
Can foreigners rent a scooter in Taiwan?
Yes. Tourists with valid license can rent scooters easily there. With its high mountains and long line of beautifully sculpted coasts, Taiwan is a definitely a scenic riding destination for scooter lovers.
Scooter Rental in Taiwan For Foreigners
There are many scooter rental shops to choose from in Taiwan. There are a few considerations when deciding on one.
Collection and Drop off
This largely depend on your itinerary. If your starting and and ending point is different, you can look for scooter rental shops that allows pick up and drop off locations.
Location
Choose one that is conveniently located in at your arrival point. One scooter rental shops recommended by my friends and followers is 555 Scooters which is located near Kaohsiung railway station.
Cost
Bear in mind that rental fee will probably cost more in Taipei, the capital as compared to the suburb in Taoyuan.
Reputation
Check on reviews on their service, conditions of their scooter. Do clarify about the liability of scooter damages. Is there insurance coverage? I always make it a habit to take photographs of the scooter and any existing damage that were on the scooter before riding off.
Mechanical Support
If the scooter breaks down during the trip, will the shop cover a replacement scooter? What are the kind of maintenance and repairs you are liable for and what are not? Flat tyres? Oil change? These are questions to ask the rental shop.
Things required to rent scooter as foreigner in Taiwan
1. International Driving Permit & Driving License
You can get your local driving license translated into the International Driving Permit(IDP). For Singapore residents, the IDP can be applied at the Automobile Association of Singapore. Take note that you need to have a valid motorcycle license to be permitted to ride and rent scooter internationally.
2. Passport
This is for scooter rental shops to get your particulars. Some shops may ask for the passport to be held by them but I suggest not handing your passports to anybody.
3. Deposit
The deposit is to safeguard the shop in case of any scooter damages or traffic fines incurred during the rental period. Shops may hold it for a few month and will return by wire-transfer or credit to your card.
Things to bring
1. Helmet
Wearing Helmet while riding is compulsory in Taiwan. For secure fitting and hygiene sake, I strongly recommend bringing your own.
2. Rain Gear and Warm Clothing
Taiwan is subjected to rain especially during the typhoon season. Roads can climb up to 3,200m high. It can get very chilly in the mountains. Temperature can go down to 5 degree celsius in Spring.
3. Rainproof luggage and luggage straps
Luggage fixture on rental scooter has to be temporary. You can get any motorcycle tail bagsack available in the market or simply get a dry bag and luggage strap. I don’t recommend using bungee cords because there have been accident of it snapping back and causing injuries. I recommend Rok Straps because they are easy to install and secure.
4. Handphone Mount
Take note that most scooters have no handlebar. You need to get a mount that secures to the side mirror instead.
5. Translation App
It may not be easy to find locals who speaks English outside the big cities. Google translate maybe helpful to communicate with the locals. If you have specific dietary requirement and allergy, it will be handy to have this written in Traditional Mandarin.
6. Camping Gear
If you are a budget traveller or love the outdoor, there are many camping opportunities in Taiwan.
7. Travel Insurance
Riding a scooter in unfamiliar country involves a higher element of risk. Should anything goes wrong, emergency medical evacuations is usually in the 5 figure sum. Knowing that you are covered will allow you to travel in a peace of mind.
Planning Your Riding Route in Taiwan
I made many mistakes during my very first fly-&-ride trip. As a newbie to motorcycle travel, I was brimming with eagerness and optimism. As a result, I over planned and landed myself in unfavourable situations.
Therefore, it is important to set realistic cruising speed to calculate your riding time.
Bear in mind that it is a long ride, not a race. You wouldn’t want to break your engine early by cruising at the maximum speed. I recommend setting a cruising speed at 80 to 90% of vehicle’s top speed.
It is not simply 350km divided by 70km/h, making it 5 hours to ride.
There are many factors that can slow you down.
Speed limit
The most widely available and more affordable scooter for rents are 125cc. In Taiwan, motorcycle below 550cc are not allowed on the freeways which are marked by a flower logo. Smaller roads can have speed limits between 40 to 50 kilometres per hour. 60km/h is considered fast for a scooter by Taiwanese standard. Try not to take chance because speeding cameras are quite active in Taiwan.
Road Conditions
Two-third of the land in Taiwan is mountainous. Roads in the mountains tend to be winding, single lane, and vulnerable to damages from natural elements. Road repairs may hold up traffic for minutes to hours. At times, you maybe trailing behind a slow moving truck at 20km/h with little room to overtake safely. So, allocate more time to cover the distance in the mountain.
Traffic
Just like in any big cities, traffic is bound to get heavy during the peak hours. You may wish to avoid travelling during the peak hours or choose to stay in the outskirts of the cities.
Weather
Fog and rain can reduce visibility and thus slow you down. Typhoon season in Taiwan is from July to September. You may want to avoid planning your ride during this period OR have a very flexible travel plan to circumvent adverse weather.
Popular Riding Routes in Taiwan
East Coast Route (Blue and Green)
It comprises of Inland Valley Road (Green, Road 9) and the Coastal Road (Blue, Road 9 and 11) which run parallel to each other. On the Inland Valley Road, you will be surrounded by paddy fields, flower gardens, mountains and many small towns.
On the Coastal Road, the rugged coastline offers view of the Philippine Sea. Some parts of this road resemble the Great Ocean Road of Melbourne. There are many popular tourist sights like the majestic coastal cliffs and natural rock stairs formation.
Places to check out: QingShui Coastal Cliff, Chishang Town , Shipiting Natural Rock Stairs, Dulan Village, Kenting National Park.
West Mountain Route (Red)
The West Mountain Route hugs the edge of Taiwan’s mountainous region. Ride on some of the most scenic mountainous road to visit lakes, hot springs and aboriginal villages.
Places to check out: Alishan National Scenic Area, Sun Moon Lake, Maolin, Sandimen, Wutai mountain indigenous towns.
Cross Island Route (Orange)
The Cross Island Route (Road 14 and 8) cuts across the mountainous backbone to connect the West Mountain Route and East Coast Route. Along the way, you will ride on the highest road in Taiwan at 3275m above sea level. The stunning gorge of Taroko National Park is also not to be missed.
Places to check out: Wuling Pass, Taroko Gorge
You may design your riding loop according to your desire and available time. It can be one week just for the Northern Loop and East Coast Loop. If you can spare more time, you can spend 2 to 3 weeks to ride the whole island loop. Google Maps is a very useful tool to plan the routes.
General advice when riding overseas.
1. Don’t ride fast
Riding slower gives you more reaction time when you encounter unfamiliar riding situations. Travelling is a journey, not a race, so take your time to soak in the new surroundings.
2. Don’t ride at night
Many roads outside the cities are often unlit. Head light from oncoming traffic can be blinding resulting in poor visibility. During late autumn and winter, sun sets early. This will affect the number of available daylight hours for riding and exploring in a day.
3. Don’t ride tired.
Riding motorcycle requires a lot of focus. For every 3 to 4 days of continuous riding, I recommend to have a day off riding.
You may also wish to allocate a buffer day in case of breakdown or adverse weather. If that buffer day is not used, just spend the day to do some spontaneous exploration.
Things to note when riding in Taiwan
- Taiwan drives on the right side of the road.
- Motorcycles below 550cc are not allowed on the freeways which are indicated by flower logo.
- Most roads have a separate lane for motorcycles and bicycles. Scooters have to stick to it or be subjected to a fine.
- At many major junctions, there is a two stage left turn rule. You can’t turn left straight away but need to keep to the right and wait in a box.
- Petrol stations in the mountain may not come as frequent and close early at 5pm.
Here is an English Facebook Group to gather information about renting scooters and riding in Taiwan.
Facebook group – Taiwan motorcycles and scooters. Buy, Sell, Rent, Parts and Information
I hope these information help you plan a scooter adventure in Taiwan. However, the places in this blog is non-exhaustive. If time permits, there are many more nooks and crannies on this island to explore. Have a great and safe adventure in Taiwan!