mileagerunner

Good day,

I'm taking my family (two adults, two kids 6 and under) to Taipei next month and could use some help.

I've already found a sample itinerary for 48 hours with kids from the Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1193...tml?mod=Travel

Some questions:

First, is Christmas or New Years a good time to visit Taipei, weather-wise and crowd-wise? Are tourist sites open during Xmas and New Years Day? I can probably delay this trip to early 2012 if necessary and go somewhere warmer instead for Xmas.

Second, other than the National Museum, the Zoo, 101 and Shilin nightmarket, are there any other must sees, for adults, for kids?

Third, I've read some posts about folks driving around Taiwan. Is this recommended for a non-local? I've driven on both sides of the road but prefer the left side nowadays. Are car seats required for children in Taiwan? If we had four full days, would it make sense to do a day trip outside Taipei? Kids usually wake up around 7am and go to bed by 9pm.

Fourth, how important is it that we stay near a subway stop? There are four of us (presumably 2 or 3 fare paying), so I'm happy taking taxis to get around, assuming traffic isn't going to be frustrating.

Finally, any good hotel recommendations? I usually stay at bigger chain hotels such as Shangri La, Hyatt Hiltons and Starwoods but Tripadvisor has a list of family-friendly hotels that I have never heard of. Given the ages of my kids, I prefer to pack the entire family into one room if possible.

Thanks!

Chihster

Christmas and New Years weather should be cool, but I wouldn't term it "cold". However, since you are in Bali, it may be cold for you. I think the normal daytime temperature would be in the high teens, unless a cold front comes through, which would be unpredictable. Rain will also be hit-and-miss, depending on luck. Feb/Mar might be colder...

Christmas is not a public holiday in Taiwan, so it will be a normal day (but this year will be on Sunday, but the normal visiting places should remain open). New Years day will be more tricky, but again, I think touristy places should remain open.


I personally feel driving in Taiwan for a foreigner is OK, but English signs are rather spotty. Cars are not necessary unless you are going out for long road trips. But I think overall day trip should be more suitable for you. One spot I can recommend is Yin-Ge ( 鶯歌). My kids love to go there and make their own ceramic bowls or plates and such. Not sure if your kids will like it though since they are smaller.

Taxis in Taipei is cheap and plentiful. I think they are the easiest way to get around. Subway is useful during rush hours, particularly during the evening. I like Shangri-La for the family, you get a good buffet breakfast if you are elite members there.

m.y

If you don't read Chinese, beware that there are might still be some signs that are romanized in tongyong pinyin instead of hanyu pinyin.

bendachentaiwan

sent you a PM

philipthechen

I would recommend you not to go to the zoo as someone who lives in Taipei I have never heard of anything special about our zoo.

Taxi is fairly cheap so it should get you and your family around Taipei fairly easy. However, if you will be traveling around Taipei during rush hours, MRT (subway) will save you a lot of time especially on a rainy day. I would not recommend you to drive in Taipei as there are thousands and thousands of scooters on the road which might scare you.

If you decide to leave Taipei for one day traveling on the west side of Taiwan, you should take the Taiwan High Speed Rail system. They are fast and reasonable priced with your kids, you should be able to get one 50% ticket and one free ride for your younger kid.

Most tourists visit Taiwan will go to Din Tai Fung for dumplings. I would suggest you go to their news location in Taipei 101 B1 and go as soon as they open which should be 11AM or there will most likely be an hour wait.
http://www.dintaifung.com.tw/ch/index.asp

If you choose to live around Taipei 101 area then I would recommend you to take the subway system for most of your travel. Traffic is usually bad in that area during the day. If you live in the "East Neighborhood" then Taxi or subway will work for you. I would recommend you to live in Hsin-Yi or Da'an District as that's where most of the stuff is in Taipei. You will need to take the Subway to Shilin nightmarket which should be the fastest way for you.

Let me know if you need help with choosing restaurants.


I hope this helps.

lin821

I assume this will be your 1st visit to Taiwan? Generally speaking, what do you guy enjoy? What interest your kids most?

On top of my head is Taiwan Pavilion Expo2010 (上海世博台灣館), which has been "brought back" to Hsinchu, Taiwan this year. Taiwan Pavilion in Hsinchu is planning to have a trial run at the year end, if there's no delay. Not sure if it would fit into your schedule though. I haven't seen it myself but the rave reviews about Taiwan Pavilion should be a good indicator of a new must-see in Taiwan.

Give me time to think about what might be more inviting for your young family. I am not a fan of Taipei 101 though. For kids, I would say they will definitely have more fun in Miramar Entertainment Park (美麗華百樂園), in comparison with Taipei 101. Here is an old post of mine that introduced the park & some New Year highlights in Taipei. There's also a famous Xmas Alley in Beitou, Taipei.

Before I come up with some other ideas, you may want to check out the other thread about car seat/seatbelt regulations in Taiwan. Some new rules just went into effect this August:

Carseat rules for Taiwan (mostly Taipei)?

Welcome to Taiwan!