Asia,  Taiwan,  Travel

Staying Connected While in Taiwan

When on a trip, some people are able to stand not being connected when they’re outside their hotel while others can’t.

For those who prefer to always be online, one way to stay connected while in Taiwan is by buying a prepaid sim card that comes with data. You can buy a sim card at the airport’s arrival hall or in stores around the city.

When I arrived at Taoyuan International Airport, I didn’t have an immediate need for data so I purchased one in the city instead of the airport. I stayed in New Taipei City and opted to buy a Taiwan Mobile sim card days after my arrival. It has a couple of stores within walking distance from the hotel I stayed at. There are other companies offering prepaid sim cards in Taiwan. Try to read about them and decide on whichever telecom is suitable for you.

I read that people manning stores in the airport are better equipped at conversing in English than those in the city, so I took a screenshot of the LTE sim card offers on their website and put my preferred option within a red box before heading to a store. My plan was to show the screenshot and point at the boxed option in case of a language barrier. This turned out to be a good idea. There was one staff in the store who can understand English but we mostly communicated by using my screenshot and google translate. I was required to present my passport in order to buy a sim card.

TaiwanMobile_prepaidSimLTE
The screenshot I used when I purchased a sim card at a Taiwan Mobile (myfone) store

 

I bought my sim card on a Friday and took advantage of the data allocation during the weekend. I didn’t need mobile data on weekdays since I was working and was just connected to the hotel’s WiFi. After a week, I went to another Taiwan Mobile store to top-up the sim with data since it’s another weekend of exploring. I showed another screenshot of the top-up that I want and I  brought the paper given to me during my sim card purchase which contained my personal details and my Taiwan mobile number.

TaiwanMobile_DataTopUp
The screenshot I used when I topped-up with data. Rate is in Taiwanese Dollar.

If you’ll be in Taiwan and will need a data sim card right after you landed AND the stores are still open, I believe it’s better to buy it at the airport. There are some data packages that are only offered at the airport. You can check the location and operating hours of telecom stores at Taoyuan International Airport in here.

 

Buying a sim card is a good deal for a solo traveler. For a group, it can also be a good option if you have a pocket WiFi or a mobile phone with a WiFi hotspot setting. You also don’t need to allot time returning it and no need for cash deposit.

TaiwanMobileAirportOffers
Taiwan Mobile’s Prepaid Day Plans

Other Ways to Stay Connected

Aside from buying a sim card, below are other options you can explore. I’ve read about them when I was doing my research prior to my Taiwan trip but I’ve never used any of the following.

Portable WiFi from KLOOK

KLOOK offers a pocket WiFi with unlimited 4G data. Up to five devices can connect at once. Pick-up and return will be at the airport. Check-out this link to see the offer.

Portable WiFi from Your Hotel

Before your trip, ask your accommodation if they’re renting out a portable WiFi. At the hotel I stayed at, it’s being offered for 150 NTD a day with unlimited data. I wasn’t able to ask if how many devices can simultaneously connect to the device.

Flytpack

For travelers leaving from and returning to the Philippines ONLY. Flytpack is another option for a pocket-WiFi rental that comes with unlimited data. Depending on the router model, up to 5-8 devices can connect at the same time. Check out their website to see the offer.

That’s it. I hope you find the perfect fit for your data need. Happy travelling!

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