• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Taiwanese Secrets Travel Guide

  • About
  • Contact Me
  • What’s New
  • Facebook
  • Pizza Rock
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • Taiwan Hotels
    • Wild East in Kenting
    • My Favorite Villa in Taiwan
  • Travel Info
    • 17 Best Road Trips in Taiwan
    • Accommodation
    • Culture
      • Language
      • Martial Arts
      • Music
    • Festivals
    • Food
      • Snacks & Fast Food Guide
    • Getting Around
      • Transport in Taiwan
      • High Speed Rail
      • Train
      • Bus
      • Rent a Car
      • Scooter & Motorcycle
      • Hitchhiking
    • Hiking Guide
    • Surfing in Taiwan
    • Nightlife in Taiwan
    • Visa to Taiwan
    • Important Links!
  • Taipei
    • Introduction to Taipei
    • Getting Around
      • MRT (metro) Guide
    • Temples
    • Things to do
      • Taipei 101
  • North
    • Hsinchu
    • Keelung
    • Jiufen
    • Long Dong
    • Pinglin
    • Taoyuan
    • Wulai
    • Yangmingshan National Park
  • East
    • Donghe
    • Dulan
    • Hualien
    • Jiaoxi
    • Taroko Gorge
      • Hiking in Taroko
      • Taroko Camping
      • Taipei to Taroko
    • Taitung
    • Tianxiang
    • Yilan
  • Central
    • Alishan
    • Baguashan
    • Cingjing Farm
    • Mt. Hehuan (Hehuanshan)
    • Lugang
    • Sun Moon Lake
    • Taichung City
  • South
    • Donggang
    • Kaohsiung
    • Kenting
      • Hengchun
      • Nanwan (South Bay)
      • Xiaowan (Little Bay)
      • Houwan (Back Bay)
      • Sail Rock
      • Fengchuisha
      • Surfing in Kenting
      • Pizza Rock Kenting
      • Wild East Guesthouse
      • Taipei to Kenting
    • Manzhou
    • Maolin
    • Tainan
  • Islands
    • Green Island (Ludao)
    • Kinmen Island
    • Matsu Island
    • Orchid Island (Lanyu)
    • Penghu
    • Xiao Liuqiu (Lamay Island)
  • Pictures

Renting a Car in Taiwan

renting a car in Taiwan
Having your own vehicle allows you to take road trips along scenic roads such as Highway 11, along the East Coast

Driving a car or riding a scooter are my two favorite ways of moving around Taiwan. Having your own set of wheels allows you to visit remote places in the mountains or countryside. Traveling by car also lets you set your own schedule.

Renting a car in Taiwan should only be an option if you are extremely comfortable and confident at the wheel. Traffic in Taiwan can be described in one word: chaotic!

Watch this video to give you a little idea of what traffic may be like in a big city. As you can see, there is a police officer who’s controlling the circulation, so people are “behaving” well here…

Advantages of renting a car in Taiwan

  • travel whenever you want, you don’t have to follow bus or train timetables, you create your own schedule / itinerary
  • access remote parts of Taiwan such as small villages in the Central Mountain Range
  • bring more stuff, such as camping / cooking gear
  • experience a true feeling of adventure

Driving may not be for you if you…

  • get nervous in crazy traffic
  • don’t have a good sense of orientation
  • don’t have an international driver’s license
  • are not familiar with either Mandarin Chinese or the Roman alphabet
  • are planning to mostly visit cities

Where can you rent a car in Taiwan?

In my opinion, the best places for renting a car in Taiwan are airports and High Speed Rail (HSR) stations. Why? Because airports and HSR stations are near highways.

It can be very challenging, and even dangerous, to drive in the middle of a big Taiwanese city if you’re not familiar with the local style of driving. Driving in Taiwan is a completely different thing than driving in a western country.

“There are traffic rules and regulations, but they are seldom followed.”

Countryside driving is not as stressful as city driving. That’s why many people opt to rent a car at either Taoyuan, Taipei, or Kaohsiung airport, get on the highway, and leave the busy metropolitan area in order to get their feet wet on quieter, safer roads.


Renting a car at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

The only car rental company I recommend at Taoyuan Airport is Avis because their cars are new and reliable, and the office is inside the airport. Other car rental companies are NOT located inside the airport, and you must take a shuttle to get to their pick-up location and it’s just a major headache you don’t want to deal with after a long flight.

Avis Rent a Car is at Terminal 2 at Taoyuan Airport. They are open Sun – Sat 8:30 AM – 8:30 PM.
Phone: +886 3 6565 990

car rental at Taiwan Airport
Car rental counter at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

Renting a Car in Taiwan – Rental Costs

With Avis, it’s about 2,400NT$ per day for a tiny sub-compact car like a small Kia Morning. An economy car such as a Ford Fiesta is around 2,600NT$, and a bigger sedan for 4 people will cost you more or less 3,600NT$. If you’re in the mood for luxury, a Mercedes Benz premium wagon can be yours for 8,000NT$ per day.


Facts about driving a car in Taiwan

  • Driving is on the right-hand side of the road.
  • You need an international driver’s license to drive and rent a car.
  • If you get into an accident, don’t move the car until the police has arrived.
  • Gas stations are far and between in the countryside, so make sure your tank is never too low.
  • There is now a zero-tolerence for alcohol, so don’t even think about having a beer before driving.
  • Highway toll fees will be deducted from your credit card as you go. It’s 40NT$ every time you pass under the blue light sensor.

Filed Under: Travel Info, Uncategorized Tagged With: Transportation

Primary Sidebar

Wild East Guesthouse B&B Kenting
I highly recommend Wild East as a basecamp to explore the jungles and beaches around the southern tip of Taiwan.
koti guesthouse b&b kenting manzhou
Absolute value-for-the-money accommodation in Kenting National Park! You can’t go wrong with Koti!

best b&b in kenting taiwan

why taiwan

things to do in taiwan

Browse by Topic

Attraction Beaches Changhua Chiayi Cultural Destination Directory Drinking Festival Food Guesthouse Hiking Hot-Spring Hotel Hsinchu Hualien Itinerary Kaohsiung kenting Manzhou Miaoli Mountains Nantou National Park Nature New Taipei City Nightlife Night Market Orchid Island Outdoor Pictures Pingtung Pingtung County Restaurant Seaside Shopping Surfing Taichung Tainan Taipei Taitung Taoyuan Taroko Temple Transportation Yilan

Footer

墾丁南灣披薩
wild side of taiwan wild east
  • Home
  • Contact Me
  • Important Links!
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Copyright© 2019·Taiwanese Secrets