Solo female travel in Taiwan: hitchhiking from south to north for 2 weeks

Is solo female travel in Taiwan safe? ABSOLUTELY! I always visit Taiwan as itโ€™s one of my favorite countries in the world. This is my experience of hitchhiking around the country for two weeks!

๐Ÿ“ฌ Reader Mail: Hi Trisha! I love all your Taiwan posts! Thank you so much for all the tips. I am going to travel solo as a female to Taiwan soon. Iโ€™ve seen all your tips and Taipei and I want to add more places to my itinerary.

Can you give me some tips on how to get around Taiwan? I saw on Instagram that you hitchhiked the country which I am also considering doing. I am bringing my bicycle from Australia so I am also looking for great biking trips in Taiwan.

Thanks again for all your tips and I hope to bump into you in Taiwan!

-Sam Dalgarno, Australia

Hello Sam!

Thanks for reading the blog! Taiwan is in my top 5 places to visit in Asia and I come here a lot! You wonโ€™t regret adding it to your Asia itinerary!

What I love about traveling around Taiwan is that itโ€™s a small country and itโ€™s super safe. I did a hitchhiking trip from Dulan, a beach town in south of Taiwan all the way to Taipei.

Everyone was accommodating and it was so easy for me to hitch a ride! In this Taiwan travel guide, I will share with you everything I know about this country. You can also join my trips to Taiwan in the future! Good luck and I hope you make it to Taiwan!

Xx,
Trisha

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿฝ After reading this post, go to my Taiwan travel guide for more info ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ผ

taiwan itinerary
Hitchhiked from Dulan, Taiwan (south) to Hualien.

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ผ Why I traveled to Taiwan alone

My mother used to work in Taiwan when I was young but I have never been to this country. After traveling South America solo extensively, I decided to do my Taiwan solo travel. 

I also have a Taiwanese friend who told me about Taiwanese food, which was the big draw for me apart from the solo travel experience.

Taiwanese food is unique and believe me, there is nothing in the world like it. If you are a solo traveler whoโ€™s into food, you will definitely love Taiwan as you will encounter dishes you have never heard of before.

Apart from that, many solo travelers told me that hitchhiking in Taiwan is safe and that Taiwan is just a friendly and safe country in general. As it is my goal to travel to a certain country first before saying it is unsafe, I had to do Taiwan solo travel.

solo female travel in taiwan

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โœˆ๏ธ Planning your Taiwan solo travel

Best time to visit Taiwan

The best time to visit Taiwan is from September to November when temperatures have a combination of dry and cool weather. 

October to April is another great season because the heat is not aggressive although you may experience occasional rainfall. This is also a high season with big events such as the Lunar New Year โ€“ a must-see if you like to travel for unique festivals!

taiwan itinerary

Getting to Taiwan

Travel to Taiwan from USA

The best airport to land when traveling to Taiwan from the USA is Taipei International Airport (TPE). Taipei is a good starting point for your travels around Taiwan โ€“ you will find your trip to Taiwan easier to navigate when you start here. 

Below are some of the major airports in the US that have direct flights to Taipei:

  • Houston: via Eva Air (15h 25m)
  • Los Angeles, CA: via China Airlines (14h)
  • New York, NY: via China Airlines (15h 45m)
  • San Francisco, CA: via United Airlines (13h 10m)
  • Seattle, WA: via Eva Air (13h)

For those who are flying from Europe, London, Paris, and Milan have direct flights via China Airlines. The flight duration is 13h. 

Getting around Taiwan

By train

There are many train lines all over the country and this is the best mode of transportation to see Taiwan. Itโ€™s fast, comfortable, and very affordable. The different passenger trains in Taiwan are the intercity (Taipei), Fuxing, Juguang, and Ziqiang. 

I never had to book my train tickets online since you can always buy the tickets when you are already at the station. Just make sure you know the timetable of the route you are taking to get to the station on time. 

There is a multi-pass train ticket that you can purchase. They are called the EasyCard and the iPass, which you can also purchase at all train stations. You can include all the places you will visit in Taiwan in this multi-pass. Then you wonโ€™t have to worry about booking train tickets online. 

taiwan travel

By bus

Taiwan has also an efficient bus system. At soon as you land Taipei, there will be inter-city busses lined up outside that covers all locations in Taipei. The major bus companies in Taiwan are Ubus, Kuo-Kang Motor Transport, Ho-Hsin Bus, Solar Bus, and Aloha Bus. 

Busses are way cheaper than flying or taking the train. You can also see the best scenery of Taipei on a bus and you also donโ€™t have to pay for your suitcase. Busses in Taiwan are comfortable so just sleep throughout the ride and you will get to your destination safely.

taiwan travel

By flight

Flying within Taiwan is expensive and I wouldnโ€™t regard it faster than taking the train or the bus. There is so much you need to do when flying (i.e. getting there 2 hours before the flight, checking in, security checkpoint, etc) so I feel like this is not the most convenient mode of transport for me when traveling within Taiwan.

Domestic flights actually cost like an international flight to Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, and other neighboring countries. 

taiwan travel

Driving around Taiwan

Taiwan is a small and organized country so as a foreigner, I never had difficulties in driving. I mostly rented motorbikes which is deemed more unsafe than driving a car but Taiwan has motorbike lanes everywhere that drivers always respect. I was never scared of driving in Taiwan!

You can easily rent a car at Taipei Airport upon arrival. Rental car rates start at US$40 per day. Of course, the size of a rental car depends on your group size but as a solo traveler, I always opt for the Sedan since it is the cheapest. I donโ€™t need a lot of space anyway. 

solo female travel in taiwan

Basic Taiwanese phrases

During my first solo travel female to Taiwan, Iโ€™ve made many Taiwanese friends so I didnโ€™t really need to speak. They all did the talking for me! But the second time, I made sure I had the chance to speak, and here are some of the words that you can use:

  • Hello: ni hao
  • Yes: shi
  • No: bu shi
  • Thank you: xie xie
  • Thank you very much: fei chang gan xie / hen gan xie
  • Welcome: bu yung shie
  • Please: ching
taipei taiwan

๐Ÿ’ฐ Taiwan solo travel costs and budget

Solo travel is always expensive, isnโ€™t it? Yet, here we are continuing our solo travel! Taiwan is not an expensive country. You can eat in Taiwan for as low as US$5 if youโ€™re up for street food.

For accommodations, I always make sure to stay in a hostel because I just love the vibe. I have been staying in hostels for as long as I remember. 

Hostels in Taiwan start at US$25 and they are clean and comfortable considering you donโ€™t have to pay hundreds of dollars for your solo trip to Taiwan.

I assure you that hostels are the best accommodations for solo travelers as you will have more opportunities to meet other solo travelers like you. Some hostels in Taiwan have private rooms, too.

If you are not the type to stay in shared accommodation, there are many hotels in Taiwan (with breakfast) that starts at US$45 per night. 

Well, then, if you are a luxury solo traveler, there are many resorts in Taiwan and in Taipei, I recommend you to check out the Beitou in Taipei where you can stay in luxury resorts starting at US$200 per night.

taipei hotels

๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿฝ Taiwan solo travel safety tips

Do not travel to Taiwan without travel insurance

As a solo traveler, make sure to not go anywhere (not just in Taiwan) without being covered by a lucrative insurance plan. Since I am traveling for an indefinite time, I use SafetyWing for digital nomads and I only pay US$40 per month for travel insurance. 

Women in Taiwan: whatโ€™s the status?

Did you know Taiwan has a woman President? This does not make solo female travel in Taiwan safe but Taiwanโ€™s first woman leader makes a difference in the country.

For years, Taiwanese women, like many conservative Asian cultures, have struggled about gender equality. In Taiwan, some women still live in the traditional patriarchal views and social structure within Taiwanese society.

For many years, married womenโ€™s rights were severely restricted, mainly being subordinates to men. However, through the ever-changing family code of Taiwan, women are slowly getting their seats at the table.

Gradually, Taiwanese women have gained a right to education, marriage, work, and political expression. Today, women in Taiwan are a lot more modern and are conscious of their rights.

If you are a solo female traveling around Taiwan, people wonโ€™t see you any different. At present, there are no gender prejudices in Taiwan.

No one would ask you why you are traveling alone and/or not married. They are very open to the idea that women can travel freely as men do.

Solo female travel in Taiwan

How safe is solo female travel in Taiwan?

Apart from this trip, I have visited Taiwan by myself in the past. This underrated Asian country has been my favorite for 2018.

I went back three times within one year! Other than the language barrier, it was not hard to talk to locals. They were always willing to help.

Taiwanโ€™s safety record is very impressive. Drug problems are at 23.49%. Property crimes such as vandalism and theft are at 19.55%.

Violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery are at 12.08%. Corruption and bribery 39.32%. All these problems are rated very low.

In fact, Taiwanโ€™s capital city, Taipei is ranked 66th out of 113 the safest cities in the world. With this, we can all definitely conclude that solo female travel in Taiwan is very safe.

taiwan travel

โœˆ๏ธ Ready for your trip to Taiwan? This blog thrives on reader questions so feel free to ask questions about Taiwan solo travel by using the comment box below. You can also sign up for 1-on-1 coaching with me if you need more help!

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10 Comments

  1. I don’t travel solo but I can attest to the friendliness and helpfulness of the Taiwanese. It is one of the stories I always retell. Spent 3 weeks in Taiwan and the speed trains took us everywhere from north to south and back.

  2. Wow, what fun adventures hitchhiking! I remember hitchhiking in NZ 20 years ago, but probably wouldn’t do it now… purely because my old bones wouldn’t appreciate the back of a pick-up truck ๐Ÿ˜‰ Hostels sure are a good way to make friends!

  3. Great way to save money and see an unexpected attraction. A penis shrine? Love it. Oh my gosh. I needed a morning laugh. I havenโ€™t tried couchsurfing but it does sound like it could be a great way to experience everyday life with the right host

  4. I used to hitchike but not alone. Glad to hear tt hat it’s not too challenging in Taiwan. It’s always easier when you have others to travel with. Staying in hostels is a great way to meet people for sure.

  5. I have to give you credit for hitchhiking around Taiwan. You are a good sport for being ok with getting wet on your ride. And interesting to learn that there are no gender prejudices. So that makes it easier to travel as a solo female. You gave me a better view of the safety in Taiwan.

  6. Good to know solo trip is possible in Taiwan. Women leaders do make a difference to this world. Couch surfing, hitch hiking, solo travel all in one place! Taiwan sure is a great place to travel.

  7. This has to be the first time I have heard of someone hitchhiking in Taiwan. Kudos for that! I think the reason why most hostellers drink are because of the reason you mention. Easy to make friends. Not only hostel-dwellers, even otherwise, I have found smokers make friends very fast and then come the drinkers. ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. I’m glad to hear it’s been safe for you to travel solo in Taiwan. I can’t imagine hitchhiking here in the United States and feeling as safe as you did. I think the best part of your Taiwan experience is the opportunity to make new friends at hostels and through couchsurfing, and learn more about the culture too.

  9. I felt incredibly safe when I was travelling in Taiwan. The people are very honest and lovely. But would I ever think of hitchhiking, probably not. Though you really did have an amazing time and it was a great adventure.

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