Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Driving: 18
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Military conscription: 18, but most do it after their university studies
»
Consumption of alcohol: 18
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Consensual sex (heterosexual or homosexual): 16. Travellers should note that they can
be prosecuted under the law of their home country regarding age of consent, even when
abroad.
Maps
In most places in Taiwan your Lonely Planet guidebook map will be sufficient. Full city and
county maps are available at tourist offices and are useful as they often list additional
places. For driving, the four-part collection of bilingual maps called
Taiwan Tourist Map
is
usually sufficient. Pick it up at any visitor information centre. Otherwise, the best road map
(in Chinese) is the two-volume
Formosa Complete Road Atlas
by Sunriver Press. A com-
pass can be useful if you're going to be travelling on country roads.
Money
Taiwan's currency is the New Taiwanese Dollar (NT$). Bills come in denominations of
NT$100, NT$200, NT$500, NT$1000 and NT$2000. Coins come in units of NT$1, NT$5,
NT$10, NT$20 (rare) and NT$50. Taiwan uses the local currency exclusively.
ATMs
ATMs are widely available at banks and convenience stores. 7-Elevens are on the Plus or
Cirrus network and have English-language options. ATMs at banks are also on the Plus
and Cirrus networks, and are sometimes on Accel, Interlink and Star networks.
Cash
If you have foreign cash to exchange, the most widely accepted currency is US dollars.
Credit Cards
Credit cards are widely accepted - cheap budget hotels, however, won't take them. If
rooms cost more than NT$1000 a night, the hotel usually accepts credit cards but most
homestays do not accept them. Small stalls or night-market food joints never take credit
cards. Most midrange to top-end restaurants do, but always check before you decide to
eat.
