Majulah Singapura!

We rented with Chailease in Taipei and were very satisfied!

For reasons that were never entirely clear to me, the car rental industry is not well developed in the Republic of China. Taiwan has excellent highways, including a network of elevated freeways. We found Chinese motorists courteous and forgiving (and they couldn't usually tell that I'm not Chinese). The road signs are in English as well as Chinese.

We rented a Toyota Camry, costing us around US$90/day. It isn't cheap, but I've paid more for less in some other countries.

Unlike in mainland China and India, where all car rentals come with a chauffeur, cars on Taiwan are self drive, and we found the motoring easy. Chailease insisted on seeing an International Driving Permit. Scanning and e-mailing it from home satisfied them, and they did not ask to look at it again once we arrived in Taipei. (And a good thing too! My IDP had expired by the time I arrived.)

Naturally, they'll want your state-issued driver's license, passport, and credit card when you're at the office in Taipei.

We had no difficulty driving even in Taipei and Kaohsiung. Naturally, it's more economical to take the Metro around both those cities. We first took the train into downtown Taipei our first day. We picked up the car when it came time to leave the city.

In rural areas, like the mountainous east, a car gives you matchless flexibility for stopping wherever you please. The roads are all paved and kept in excellent condition.

The biggest difficulty for city driving is that we could never be sure where it might be OK to park. If you know Chinese, you might fare better. It's never a problem to park in a parking lot and pay, though.

Happy motoring!

David

My wife and I rented a car in Taiwan from Orix for a 13-day cross-country driving trip and found their service outstanding--the best experience I've had with a car rental company anywhere. The Orix agent, Jessie, answered all my questions via email. She processed the paperwork ahead, programed the GPS for our hotel itinerary, and (amazingly), delivered and picked up the car from our hotel in Taipei.

As for driving in Taiwan, it was better than I had feared, especially after a few days at the wheel to learn the rhythms. One Taiwan law says that it is absolutely forbidden to cross over the center line, which is widely interpreted as the opposite: cross over at every opportunity. That said, the east coast, south, and central mountains are dramatic and lovely. It was a great trip. Thank you, Jessie for helping make it possible.

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