Taipei

• Best use: Choose Dihua for a slower historic walk, Raohe for an evening meal, or Xiangshan for a daylight climb. Keep Jiufen for a window that can absorb both regional journeys.
• Starting point: Set your actual accommodation as origin before choosing the district. Taipei Main, Dongmen, Xinyi and Songshan are different journeys.
• Big mistake: Trying to do far mountain or coast trips on a tight turn. Keep it rail-simple.
• What to skip: Shilin as the only market if Raohe or Ningxia fits better.

Getting back before pickup

Set your accommodation as the start and end of the outing. Check both journeys, waiting and any connections before leaving. Set a leave-by alarm that gets you back with time for rest and preparation before your required crew pickup. Cut the extra stop if the return becomes uncertain.

• Arrival setup: Install and activate your chosen data plan according to its rules while on Wi-Fi. Save the address, map and return route offline. Check payment at the first shop instead of assuming your foreign card or mobile wallet works everywhere.
• EasyCard: Useful for MRT and participating buses and shops. Keep cash for night-market stalls and top-ups. Check the fare and balance for your actual route.
• YouBike: EasyCard alone does not create a bike-rental account. The operator offers member registration with a Taiwan mobile number and a separate single-rental credit-card route. Check current card support, deposits, insurance and return instructions before treating a bike as your way home.