Staying connected in Taiwan.

All three networks run counters in the Taoyuan arrivals hall and sell the same shape of product: an unlimited-data tourist SIM priced by duration rather than allowance, roughly 10 dollars for 5 days, 16 dollars for 10, with longer options up to a month. Bring your passport and a second piece of ID, which is a Taiwanese requirement that catches people out, and note that the city stores are often priced worse than the airport rather than better.

Unlimited here mostly means unlimited, though some plans apply a daily full-speed threshold before easing off, so if you intend to tether a laptop all week it is worth reading the specific plan on the board. Chunghwa Telecom is the strongest network overall, especially outside the cities and in the mountains, and is the one to pick if your trip leaves Taipei.

We earn a commission on eSIMs, so here is the comparison without a thumb on it. If you are a heavy user, tethering a laptop, streaming on the train, uploading video, the unlimited local SIM is the better buy and nothing else comes close, because you are paying by the day rather than the gigabyte. If you are a normal traveler using maps, messaging, a translation app and photo uploads, a few gigabytes covers a week and a Nomad eSIM at a few dollars per gigabyte usually comes in cheaper, with the added benefits of working from landing and skipping the queue after a long flight.

The tiebreakers are practical rather than financial. The eSIM wins if you land late, if the queue is long, if you want to keep your US number active on the physical SIM, or if your phone has no SIM tray. The local SIM wins if you want a Taiwanese number, if you are staying a month, or if you would simply rather not think about a data allowance at all. Both are far cheaper than roaming.

There is little to warn you about. Taiwan is densely covered: strong signal in Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, on the high-speed rail at full speed, in the metro, around the coastal ring and in the smaller towns. Where it thins is the high mountains: the Central Range, the Taroko back country, the trail to Jade Mountain, and some of the mountain roads and tunnels between the east and west coasts.

Free wifi is also widespread, in metro stations, convenience stores, cafes and the public iTaiwan network, which is a decent backstop but not a plan for navigating an unfamiliar city on foot. For a mountain hike, download offline maps and note that permits and weather matter more up there than signal does. This guide is written for US travelers departing the US. For more, see cash or card in Taiwan, taxis and apps in Taiwan, and the Taiwan money guide.

Common questions

Quick answers.

More on Taiwan

The little money things nobody warns you about.

• Taxis in Taiwan, and the apps to useTaiwanese taxis are cheap, plentiful and honest, and an app clears the one hurdle, the language. From Taoyuan the Airport MRT is easy, and you never tip. Here is how it works.
• Tipping in TaiwanTaiwan is not a tipping country. At everyday restaurants, night markets and in taxis, no tip is expected. The main exception is a 10% service charge at upscale places. Here is what you actually owe.
• Do I need cash in Taiwan, or can I use cards?Short answer: carry cash. Taiwan is more cash-reliant than most visitors expect for a high-tech place, so keep NT dollars and pick up an EasyCard for transit. Here is how to handle it.
• Bringing your dog or cat to Taiwan.Taiwan sits between the strict islands and the easy destinations. It requires a rabies antibody titer, which sets your timeline, but a US pet that meets the criteria can now have facility quarantine waived and go straight home with you. The catches are the titer timing, an import permit revised in 2026, and a breed ban to check. Here is the route.
• What does getting sick in Taiwan cost a visitor?Taiwan is the country on this list where the honest answer is most reassuring. The hospitals are excellent, the queues are short, and paying for it yourself is not the ordeal it would be almost anywhere else.