Youbike

Getting around in Taipei is really easy. One can use the extensive subway system, the MRT, or take one of the buses that go all around town to reach his/her destination. 

For those who want to combine their commute with a bit of an exercise, there is another option: The Youbike, a bike-sharing service provided by the city of Taipei. 

Source: youbike.com.tw

Most key locations in the Taipei city center has Youbike stations that provide a cheap, healthy and environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

Getting a bike from a Youbike station is easy and fast. The only thing you need to do is to register your Yo Yo Ka (Taipei mass transit card that works on the MRT, public buses and the Maokong Gondola) at a digital kiosk next to one of the stations. You need to have a mobile phone number in order to register your Yo Yo Ka, so make sure you take care of that first. 

After your card is registered, wave your card on the scanner next to the bike you want to rent and pull the bike away. Once you are done, you put the bike back into the designated slot and re-scan your card. A certain amount of credits will be deduced from your Yo Yo Ka. 

A Youbike mount without the bikes. Scanner is in the middle. Source: youbike.com.tw

The first half hour of Youbike is free. But you cannot pick up another bike from the station you just left your bike for 15 minutes. That is done to prevent free-riding, literally. 

Youbike is really cheap. Renting a bike for an hour costs 10 NT, which is around 30 US cents. You can click here to see my post on Taiwanese money conversion guide. 

Youbike bicycles are manufactured by Giant, a Taiwanese company which also the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world. You bikes come with large baskets on the front and 3 gears to tackle slight slopes you may encounter. They are quite durable and easy to ride, although a little heavy. 

You can check Youbike’s site here to see the exact locations of rental stations.

The best part about Youbike is that you can ride literally anywhere in Taipei. The city is relatively flat, which makes it ideal for biking. Most sidewalks in the city center have bike lanes that provide a safe route for bikers to travel on. And even if you end up in parts of the city where there are no bike lanes on sidewalks, you can easily blend in with the flow of the vehicle traffic on the roads. Having cyclists in traffic is quite natural in Taiwan and drivers are quite careful when it comes to allowing a certain space to bikers. 

As a bonus, Taipei has an extensive network of interconnected riverside bike paths that go on for many kilometers. One can start at the very southern end of Taipei in Xindian and bike all the way up to Danshui in the north, where the river meets the sea.

I hope you find this post helpful. Make sure you make the most of Youbike during your stay in Taipei, it’s fun!

-DS

Taking the subway in Taipei

Residents of Taipei are proud of their subway system, and truly so. The city boasts one of the most extensive and comfortable underground transportation systems in Southeast Asia, known as the MRT. 

Taking the subway might seem a little confusing at first, but it’s really convenient once you get the hang of it. 

Payment

There are two different methods of payment to access the MRT. You can either purchase a one-time token from an automated machine or you can buy a mass transit card called Yo Yo Ka, which you can add credit to. More on that in a minute.

Buying a token

In order to buy a token, first you need to know which station you are traveling to. Subway fees are determined on the distance traveled, and you should have the adequate amount of credits on your token to be able to exit the metro once you arrive at your destination.

All subway stations have the above chart, showing the cost of travel for each and every other station based on your current location. The fees increase as the distance increases. 

Take a look at this chart and figure out how much you will need to pay. Say, your trip costs 25 NT. You need to go to the token dispensing machine and choose the token icon on the touch screen. You can touch the button that reads ‘English’ on the next screen to listen to instructions in English. Deposit the correct amount of coins and the machine will spit out a token. 

Do not try to insert the token at the turnstiles as you are entering the station. Place it on the scanning area and the turnstiles will open. Keep your token with you and deposit it at the turnstiles as you exit at your destination. 

Yo Yo Ka

A more convenient way of payment would be having a Yo Yo Ka. You can purchase a Yo Yo Ka from one of the kiosks at any MRT station and use the automated machines later to add credit to your card.

It is the same machine you would use to purchase a token. Place you Yo Yo Ka on the indicated field and the machine will ask you to deposit either coins or bills. Once you do so, hot the ‘Confirm’ button to finish your transaction. It’s that easy. 

You need to pay a minimum of 100 NT when purchasing the Yo Yo Ka. It is very practical method of payment and can also be used on public buses, Youbike rentals and when boarding the Maokong Gondola. Yo Yo Ka can also be used to make payments at 7-11 convenience stores, just as you would pay with a debit card.