Riding a scooter (motorcycle) is a quintessential experience in Taiwan.
Taiwan is a nation of scooters. According to my calculation, there is one scooter for every 1.7 people in Taiwan – that’s a total of 14 million scooters!
When we were raising our kids in Taiwan, riding scooters was a part of our daily life. We had a car, too, but the scooter was far more convenient for daily errands like picking up groceries or the kids.
I freakin love riding scooters around Taiwan. When I’m researching articles for this website, I’ll usually take the train or HSR between cities, then hop on a scooter to explore. One can even ride a scooter to the highest navigable pass in Taiwan. And riding a scooter is practically essential on most of Taiwan’s offshore islands.
However, renting scooters has become harder and harder for foreign visitors over the years. There are some challenges that may prevent you from even getting one.
In this article, I’ll cover what kind of license you need, tips for increasing your chances of getting a scooter, eight essential tips for riding a scooter in Taiwan, and finally, which shops will rent scooters to foreigners in every major city and destination in Taiwan.
Also see my similar guide to driving a car in Taiwan.
Renting a Scooter: Five Possible Situations
Unfortunately, there’s no blanket rule that is uniformly applied at all scooter rental shops in Taiwan (that would be too easy…)
When trying to rent a scooter, there are five main situations you may face, and it might just depend on who is working in the scooter shop that day, and what mood they’re in.
1. You have a Taiwanese license.
I am fortunate enough to have a Taiwanese scooter license. This means I took the class (which involved watching videos of lots of scooter accidents) and passed the driving test (after a fail or two).
With my Taiwanese scooter license and ability to speak Mandarin, I can legally and easily rent scooters anywhere in Taiwan. However, even with my Taiwanese license, I’ve still been denied a scooter rental once, for reason #5 below.
Fun Fact: To tell your friend “你很機車” or “ni hen ji che” (literally “You are very scooter!”) in Mandarin in Taiwan is like saying “You’re so annoying!”
Read other fun facts about Taiwan and useful Mandarin phrases.
2. Renting a scooter with no license (extremely rare)
When I first came to Taiwan (2008), it was still possible to find shops that would rent scooters to anyone who asked. I did several times and only had to leave some ID as a deposit.
In those days, I also heard stories of foreigners living in Taiwan who rode scooters around for months or years with no license. If pulled over by the police, they would just speak rapidly in English – the police didn’t understand or know how to reply so they would let them go.
Those days are long over.
Nowadays, it’s very unlikely to find shops that will rent scooters to foreigners with no IDP (International Driver’s Permit). But I will introduce one further below in the article (see Hualien section).
Another possible exception is on some offshore islands, where guesthouse owners *might* be willing to rent a scooter for you, even though you don’t have a license. But even this is rare.
Overall, if you show up in Taiwan without an International Driver’s Permit, don’t expect to be riding any scooters.
3. Renting with an International Driver’s Permit
These days, an IDP (International Driver’s Permit) is pretty much essential for foreign visitors to rent a scooter in Taiwan. Almost all shops will ask for it. Often they will ask for your home license as additional proof, so bring that too.
An IDP is a paper booklet with your photo in it. Mine has pages is various languages, including Mandarin.
IDPs can only be issued in your home country and most of them are valid for one year. Taiwan accepts IDPs from both the Geneva and Vienna conventions.
I’ve seen websites advertising IDPs that you can order outline from outside your country. However, it only takes a quick online search to find that these are not valid, and they won’t work in Taiwan.
In my country, IDPs can be issued on the spot with no test (as long as you already have a driver’s license there), for a small fee, at any automobile association. However, I’ve heard that IDPs in some European countries can take much longer to issue, so do look into it.
Also note, IDPs from a few countries won’t be accepted in Taiwan, such as Estonia, China, South Korea, Brazil, Vietnam, UAE, Austria, and Thailand. This is due to a bilateral lack of agreement – Taiwanese drivers also can’t drive in most of those countries.
This is especially the case for renting cars – car rental agencies will definitely know about this law. However, will your average scooter rental shop be aware that, say, Estonians can’t use their IDP in Taiwan? They might not, but I can’t guarantee it.
4. Motorcycle Endorsement Requirement
For a long time, a regular IDP was sufficient for renting a scooter in Taiwan. However, in recent years, more and more shops have been requiring that your IDP includes a motorcycle endorsement.
This means that you are licensed to ride motorcycles in your home country. If you’ve never taken a motorcycle test to drive motorcycles in your home country, then you don’t have this.
If you have it, then the IDP issuer will put a stamp in the A box beside your photo on your IDP, as indicated in my photo above.
In my IDP, a separate page indicates what the different boxes mean. A stamp in the A box means that I’m allowed to drive “Motorcycles, with or without a side-car, invalid carriages and three wheeled motor vehicles with an unladen weight not exceeding 400 kg”. Stamps B, C, D, and E have other meanings.
In recent years, this has become a common requirement for renting scooters in Taiwan, and most likely this is what you are legally supposed to have. However, enough shops will still rent you a scooter without the stamp, so it’s still worth asking around if you don’t have the stamp but really want to rent a scooter.
It only makes sense that scooter shops want proof that you can ride a motorcycle. Many travelers to Taiwan rent scooters from shops and it’s literally their first time ever riding one. I’ve seen them almost crash just driving out from the shop. I can only imagine how many incidents there have been of foreign travelers wiping out on scooters in Taiwan.
Interestingly, I managed to get an A stamp on my IDP with no motorcycle license in my home country. The staff member stamped it, but then handwrote on the back page “A stamp for moped only”. Mopeds are smaller, less powerful versions of scooters.
While I didn’t use this IDP to rent scooters in Taiwan (because I have a Taiwanese license), I bet I could have because shops probably wouldn’t have noticed those words or understood what they meant.
5. Some shops won’t rent to any foreigners.
It only takes one incident with a foreigner for shops to tighten their rules or stop renting to foreigners altogether.
As a result, some shops across Taiwan simply won’t rent a scooter to any foreigner, even if you have an IDP with the A stamp.
In my Facebook group, I’ve heard from travelers who faced this situation in Ruifang (New Taipei City), Taitung (outside the train station), and on the Penghu Islands (which is odd because the offshore islands are usually more relaxed).
Once, when I tried to rent a scooter in Fangliao (for riding to Kenting National Park), the only scooter shop in town refused to rent to me because I was a foreigner – and that’s even with a Taiwanese license and Mandarin ability. Legally, they should have rented to me.
Don’t have a license but really want to experience a scooter ride? You can ride as a passenger on this Taipei motorbike tour.
How to Increase Your Chance of Getting a Scooter
If you have your heart set on renting a scooter in Taiwan, then here are some tips to increase your chances.
- At the absolute minimum, you need to bring a valid IDP and your home country license. Some shops may also ask for cash or your passport as a deposit.
- If you have the time and means, you could take the motorcycle driver’s test in your home country to get a motorcycle endorsement before you get your IDP, so you can get that coveted A stamp.
- When trying to rent in Taiwan, if one shop won’t rent to you, try other shops. Most scooter rental shops tend to be concentrated around major train (not HSR) stations in Taiwan. There are usual several in the same area.
- If you have an IDP + A stamp, booking your rentals through Klook is a good idea. Klook scooter rental pages clearly state their rental policy (IDP + A stamp requirement), so at least you know the shop won’t reject you just because you’re a foreigner.
- Some Taiwanese are nervous about communicating in English. They might reject you if you can’t speak Chinese because they just don’t want to try. Therefore, asking a local to rent a scooter for you might work (like a your guesthouse owner). This is more likely to work on Taiwan’s offshore islands, where it’s common for guesthouses to arrange scooter/car rentals for guests, and quite unlikely in big cities.
Essential Tips for Riding Scooters in Taiwan
Besides license issues, here are some key questions answered about renting and riding scooters in Taiwan.
How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Scooter?
Typical scooter rental prices range from around TWD 400 to 600 per 24 hours. For same day return, you can expect it to be a little lower, like 300 to 500.
If you’re only renting for a few hours, it could be even cheaper.
For example, when I recently went to Yilan with my kids, we rented a scooter for a couple hours just to go to Zhang Mei Ama’s Farm and back (about 30 minutes each way from Yilan city). It only cost a couple hundred dollars. If we had taken a taxi each way, it would have been several times more expensive!
What Items Will They Provide?
Scooter rentals always come with your choice of helmets. Many will put a little disposable liner inside for sanitary reasons.
Most scooter rental shops will also provide you with a plastic poncho in case you face rain (trust me, if it pours, you will want this) as well as a cell phone holder for using GoogleMa. If they don’t provide either of these, just ask.
What are the scooter sizes in Taiwan?
Scooters in Taiwan may have 50, 100, or 125 cc engines, with the latter two being the most common. I’ve never worried too much about which type I’m getting. On the islands, any kind will do.
If I plan to drive up some high mountain roads, I’ll usually tell them where I plan to drive when I’m renting (if they don’t ask first), and they give the most appropriate one.
You don’t necessarily need the strongest one unless you’re going to riding up some seriously steep roads. Even a 100cc scooter is enough for driving up to Alishan.
What Should They Show Me on the Scooter?
Most scooters are very similar, but still make sure to pay attention as they show you how the scooter works. Don’t be afraid to ask for further instructions if you aren’t totally clear.
When I rent scooters, they sometimes but not always start by going over the absolute basics, like turning the gas throttle and squeezing the hand brakes to stop.
(Note for first timers, sometimes people squeeze the throttle when they panic. Remember to just let go! Don’t drive into a parked car like my friend did the first time he tried…)
They should also show you how to turn the key three ways: one way to turn on the scooter (then you’ll push a start button), one way to open the compartment below the seat, and one way to open the gas tank cap. I sometimes forget how or struggle with the latter, but gas station attendants will always help when filling your scooter up.
One thing they don’t always show, but it’s very good to know, are the two different scooter kickstands. The more basic one is just like a bike kick stand. It’s a bar on one side that you kick down with your foot.
However, there’s a second stronger stand that lifts part of the scooter up off the ground. This provides additional stability, for example if parking on a hill. Here’s a short video for how to use it – this video is for a bigger bike but it works exactly the same. To take the scooter off the stand, push the whole scooter forward.
What About Gasoline?
There are three possible scenarios for gasoline (petrol).
The scooter may come almost totally empty and you need to fill it up right away. They may tell you where the nearest gas station is, or just search “gas station” or “加油站 ” on GoogleMaps. This way is a little annoying, because you often bring it back with more than you needed to, so they make a little extra money from you.
The scooter may come with a certain amount of gas, and they ask you to bring it back with roughly the same amount.
And finally, the scooter may come totally full, and they ask you to bring it back totally full again. This way is nice, because you only pay for exactly what you use.
On the plus side, filling a scooter at a gas station is crazy cheap. Going from totally empty to totally full only costs around TWD 120 (give or take, depending on scooter size). You can drive around 200 kilometers on a full take (again, give or take). So if you are only renting a scooter for a few hours, you likely only need half a tank or less.
There are two octane levels of gas commonly used for scooters in Taiwan. When you rent the scooter, the shop owner should tell you which one to put. It will either be 92 (九二, pronounced “jiu er”) or 95 (九五, pronounced “jiu wu”).
All stations are full service (they put the gas for you). Pull up, turn off the scooter, open the gas tank (or ask them for help if you have trouble with it like I always do), and tell them what you want.
To fill the tank with 92, say 九二加滿 (jiu er jia man). To fill the tank with 95, say 九五加滿 (jiu wu jia man).
To put a specific dollar amount, like TWD 60 (half a tank) of 92, say 九二，加六十塊 (jiu er jia liu shi kuai). To put TWD 60 of 95, say 九五，加六十塊 (jiu wu jia liu shi kuai).
Gas stations in Taiwan take cash or credit card.
Which Highways Can I Ride On?
You can ride a scooter on any road or highway in Taiwan except for National Highways. On GoogleMaps, National Highways are indicated by a number inside a flower symbol.
This map shows all the national highways in Taiwan. But don’t worry, you can still get to anywhere you may want to go by riding on other highways (provincial highways, county highways, etc).
You have to be careful with GoogleMaps, because it will always tell you the fastest way to go. However, the fastest way will often involve a National Highway when that is an option.
Once you’re in Taiwan, GoogleMaps should have the option to choose scooter directions (instead of car). See more info about how to do that here. Once you select this, it will only take you on routes that allow scooters.
Where Can I Park?
One of the great things about scooters is you can park them almost anywhere, even on many sidewalks (much to the annoyance of pedestrians…)
When parking on streets, a red line along the curb means no parking. A yellow line means parking is only allowed at certain times. And white line means parking is allowed.
Parking lots will often have white painted boxes which are designated spots for scooters to park (one scooter fits in one box).
As you will soon learn in Taiwan, many streets or parking areas will be jam packed with scooters. Often, the only way you can fit in anywhere is by getting off your scooter and physically moving other people’s scooters over a bit.
To do this, simply lift the back of a parked scooter up and shift it over. Scooters are heavy, but even my Taiwanese wife, who stands just barely over 5 feet, can do this.
Paid parking lots can be found in big cities across Taiwan and at some tourist attractions. Search 停車場 on GoogleMaps to find paid lots. The payment is usually done at a machine in the lot, or there may be a human attendant.
At some, including parking lots in Yangmingshan National Park, you can swipe EasyCard to pay.
Can I Ride with Kids?
As you can see from my photos, I’ve done this a lot. Not many scooter rental shops have children’s sized helmets. (It’s a terrible habit, but many Taiwanese don’t put helmets on their kids when riding). So, we always bring our own from our family’s home in New Taipei City.
For younger kids, the safest way is to let them stand between your legs at the front. When my kids were younger, I would put both in front of me. For longer trips, I was even able to put them both at the front then carry our luggage in a large backpack behind me (see above photo)
When my son got older, I would let him sit at the back. I could easily fit one kid on the front and one on the back at the same time.
We could even do our whole family on one scooter when my kids were toddlers – two adults seated, one kid standing at the front, and one kid squeezed between the two adults. When in Taiwan!
What are Some Rules of the Road?
Depending on where you are used to driving, the roads in Taiwan can be pretty wild. There’s only one crucial rule to follow: don’t hit anybody or anything. Besides that, it can sometimes feel like a free-for-all.
The same basic road rules as other countries apply in Taiwan. One notable difference is that in Taiwan, you aren’t supposed to turn right at red lights.
Scooters should generally stick to the far right side of the road. Sometimes but not always there is a whole dedicated lane for them.
Always drive carefully, defensively, and expect locals to do the unexpected. Taiwanese scooter (and vehicle) drivers may stop randomly, shoot out suddenly from blind alleyways without even looking, drive down the wrong side of the road, run red lights, and more.
One situation to be aware of: imagine you’re on a scooter and stopped at a red light at a small but busy intersection. You’re waiting to turn left. When they light turns green, in my country, you’d have to wait for any oncoming traffic to pass before you can turn left.
However, in Taiwan, if you’re on a scooter, you can quickly make your left turn before those oncoming cars even have a chance to cross the intersection.
What About Those Two-Stage Left Turns?
For many larger intersections in Taiwan, scooters are not allowed to turn left. Instead, they have to do a “two stage left turn”. This sign will always be posted at the intersection when this rule applies, but you can pretty much expect it any any larger intersections.
To do a two stage turn, keep to the right side of the road as you approach the intersection. Don’t use your right turn signal, but turn slightly right at the intersection and slowly pull into the designated scooter waiting box, doing a 90-degree turn.
Then you’ll need to wait for that light to turn green. Here’s a diagram to make this clearer.
Where to Rent Scooters in Taiwan
Here are some shops where I have personally rented scooters in Taiwan, or members of my Facebook group have reported successful experiences.
Pro tip: Find scooter rental shops by searching “租摩托車” (literally “rent motorcycle”) on GoogleMaps. The best place to look is around major train stations.
Taipei
Taipei has surprisingly few scooter rental shops compared to other major cities in Taiwan. There are almost none around Taipei Main Station.
Mainly this is because Taipei has such a good public transportation system, especially the MRT. Most travelers find it easier and stress free to explore Taipei by MRT or taxi/Uber.
Taipei also has the worst traffic, most complicated roads, and highest demand for parking of any city in Taiwan. Therefore, I don’t recommend riding a scooter in Taipei if you don’t have some previous riding experience.
Personally, I rode scooters multiple times across Taiwan (mostly small islands and countryside) before I had the guts to ride one in Taipei.
If you want to rent a scooter in Taipei, I recommend this Kymco shop, which is five minutes’ walk north of Taipei Main Station.
When I rented a scooter there with my Taiwanese license, I asked the owner if he also takes IDPs and he said yes. I don’t think the A stamp is required – please confirm in the comments below if you try!
The cost is TWD 600 per 24 hours (cheaper if you only need it for a few hours), plus a TWD 2000 deposit (for IDP users) which they will mail back to your home address after 3 months. That may sound sketchy, but several reviewers on GoogleMaps said they really received it. You can also contact them here on Facebook. They speak little/no English but can use a translator.
Heads up that if you rent here, you’re starting your rental in the super busy city center.
If you have an IDP with A stamp, then you can rent with this Klook deal (450 per day) with pick-up at Taipei Main Station.
Pro Tip: If you’re renting a scooter mainly for riding to other cities or parts of Taiwan, I recommend taking the train to those other cities, then renting your scooter once you get there. This will be faster and easier. Driving out of Taipei on a scooter can be a pain, especially since you can’t drive on National Highways.
Keelung/Ruifang Region
If you want to rent a scooter for exploring the Northeast Coast, including popular tourist attractions like Heping Island Park, Bitoujiao Trail, Shen’ao Rail Bike, Houtong Cat Village, Jiufen Old Street, and Shifen Old Street, then I recommend renting a scooter in Keelung city, not Ruifang.
Several travelers in my Facebook group have reported that scooter shops in Ruifang wouldn’t rent to them.
However, shops in Keelung seem to be willing to. I personally rented a scooter at this shop in front of Keelung train station. According to reviews, they seem to be fine with IDPs, too.
The cost is also around 600 per day (or 500 for same day return) and they may want to photocopy a credit card as a deposit.
Taichung
Taichung city is easier to drive in than Taipei. It’s also a great base for scooter rides to destinations like Lukang, Sun Link Sea, Sun Moon Lake, Cingjing Farm, Hehuanshan, and more.
Note that riding to Cingjing and especially Hehuanshan can be very cold, due the high elevation, even in hotter months.
There are more than a dozen scooter rental shops on either side (north or south) or Taichung station in the city center.
This shop definitely rents to holders of an IDP with A stamp. Rental costs around 400 per day. This one does too, possibly without the A stamp. There are several more in the area that you can try if you don’t succeed.
If you’ve got the A stamp, you can also rent a scooter here on Klook for Taichung station and here for Taichung HSR station.
Chiayi
If you’re planning to ride a scooter to Alishan or Yushan, including lovely villages along the way like Xiding, Shizhuo, and Fenqihu, then renting a scooter in Chiayi city is a great idea. I personally love this drive. Also dress warm for this one!
There are around half a dozen scooter rental shops outside the front side of Chiayi station. I’ve personally rented at this shop, and there are a couple more on either side of it. Rates are around 400 per day. IDPs are accepted.
If you have the A stamp, you can rent here on Klook.
Tainan
There are around a dozen scooter rental shops in front of Tainan station in Tainan city center.
I haven’t personally rented in Tainan, but reviews here and here mention foreigners being able to rent scooters. There are several other options around them. If you have a successful rental experience with any of them, please let me know which one in the comments!
If you have an IDP with A stamp, try here for regular scooter or here for Gogoro electric scooter (read the fine print on the Klook page for license info).
Gogoro is Taiwan’s own electric scooter brand. They are extremely popular among locals, with over 2000 battery swapping stations across the country. They are helping to reduce pollution (both air pollution and noise pollution) across the country. You can find Gogoro rentals on Klook in several cities but you’ll need the IDP with A stamp.
Kaoshiung
There aren’t so many scooters shops around Kaohsiung station, but still more than Taipei. This one rents to foreigners but requires IDP with A stamp. This one seems to be more flexible but I can’t guarantee they will be OK with no A stamp (let me know if you try!)
On Klook, you can try here for Kaohsiung station and here for Zuoying HSR station. These will require IDP with A stamp.
Yilan
In Yilan county on the northeast coast of Taiwan, you can rent scooters in one of the county’s three urban centers: Jiaoxi, Yilan City, or Luodong.
Jiaoxi, which is known for its many hot springs, has the fewest. Try this shop in front of the train station, but I’m not sure what their policy is for IDPs.
Yilan city has more, but fewer tourists stay in Yilan city because it doesn’t have as many attractions. My kids and I rented a scooter here (see photo above) for riding to Zhang Mei Ama’s Farm.
Luodong, which is popular for its many minsus (B&Bs), Luodong Night Market, and being the closest to Zhang Mei Ama’s and many other family-friendly attractions, also has a few scooter shops outside the train station.
I rented a scooter here at Luodong station for riding up to Taipingshan. It was a cold drive, in October I believe, so dress warm.
Hualien
As with the other cities above, there are multiple scooter rental shops outside either side of Hualien train station. Foreigner friendly options include here and here, with several other options nearby if you don’t succeed.
Klook also has this one if you have an IDP with A stamp.
At Xincheng Station (the train station closest to Taroko Gorge, one stop before Hualien when coming from Taipei), this scooter shop STILL seems to be willing to rent scooters to foreigners without an IDP.
This is one of the few remaining ones I know of like this in Taiwan – but I can’t guarantee it will still be that way when you go. Also note, they may ask to keep your passport as a deposit.
Following the devastating 2024 Hualien earthquake, it is currently possible to drive up Taroko Gorge, but the road is not yet repaved in sections and is closed at certain times every day. See my Taroko reopening guide for more info.
Taitung
There are nearly a dozen scooter rental shops on the main street outside Taitung station. However, some foreign travelers have reported that most of them refused to rent to foreigners, even with IDP.
I’ve rented from the closest one to the station, here, but with my Taiwanese license. One foreign traveler told me he finally succeeded in getting a scooter from a kind of makeshift scooter shop on the same street, but it’s not indicated on GoogleMaps.
If you have an IDP with A stamp, go for the Klook deal to guarantee you’ll actually get a scooter.
If you stay at Xiuxie Guesthouse (see on Booking) near Taitung station, as I have, they offer ebikes for guests (no license needed).
Things are more lax in Chishang (see my guide), a popular cycling destination in Taitung county – I prefer staying here to Taitung city, anyways. A lot of shops here mainly rent bicycles but have scooters too.
I rented a scooter here right outside the station for riding the Central Cross Island Highway to Lisong Hot Spring. I know they take IDPs, but I’m not sure about the A stamp requirement. Please let me know if you try!
There are several other rental shops nearby, plus this Klook deal if you do have the A stamp.
Kenting National Park
Remember when I said I got denied a scooter (even with Taiwanese license) because I’m a foreigner? That happened at Fangliao station, which is a common place to transfer from trains to the Kenting Express bus.
In that case, I rode the bus to Hengchun (near Kenting) where of course they were happy to rent a scooter to me here across from Hengchun bus station. I’m not sure how they feel about A stamps, but they seemed very lax. Let me know if you try!
At Kenting Main Beach (where you’ll find Kenting Night Market and the largest concentration of hotels in Kenting National Park), you can rent regular scooters here with IDP (again I’m not sure if A stamp required).
The same shop and a few others also rent electric scooters which don’t require any license. Just bring some kind of ID for deposit. This will be good enough for cruising down the coast, but not strong enough to drive the steep hill up to Kenting National Forest Recreation Area.
If you rent a scooter on Klook (IDP with A stamp needed), the pickup shop is here.
Offshore Islands
Due to limited or no public transportation on Taiwan’s offshore islands, riding a scooter on them is practically a must.
The offshore islands also tend to be the most relaxed about rules (for example, many people still ride with no helmets). But nowadays, IDPs are mostly required.
If you want to visit a small island without renting a scooter, Xiaoliuqiu and Green Island are good choices. Both have electric scooters (no license needed) for rent right when you get off the ferry.
Xiaoliuqiu also has regular scooters right off the ferry. Here’s the Klook deal if you have an IDP with A stamp. Without the stamp, just show up and you should be able to find one. A last resort is to stay in a hotel within walking distance of the harbor and ask them to rent one for you.
When we stayed at Ocean Dream (Booking / Agoda) right on the harbor, the owner rented a scooter for us. I doubt she’d care whether you have the A stamp or not, but I can’t guarantee it.
On Green Island, there are also multiple scooter rentals right off the ferry.
Alternatively, choose a hotel like Tube18 (Booking / Agoda), where I’ve stayed, which will pick you up from the harbor and arrange a scooter for you. If you’ve got the A stamp, you can rent here on Klook.
The Penghu Islands are the largest offshore islands of Taiwan (see my Penghu guide). You could visit Penghu and have a decent visit in Magong (the main town) without a scooter. You could even do an island hopping tour as long as it departs from Magong harbor.
But to properly visit and explore the Penghu Islands, you really need a scooter. There are so many cool beaches, villages, temples, and other things to explore on the four connecting main islands.
Unfortunately, a few foreign travelers have told me that they had trouble renting a scooter in Penghu, even with an IDP. This is another case where I think it’s best to ask your hotel for pickup from the airport and then ask them if they could arrange a scooter for you.
Even the Klook deal for Penghu says they only accept Taiwanese licenses.
Other options for getting around Penghu include this half day bus tour or renting a car (regular IDP is sufficient).
For Orchid Island (see my guide), I can’t imagine visiting it without a scooter. The Klook deal as usual requires IDP with A stamp.
According to one traveler in my Facebook group, this shop at Kaiyuan Harbor (where ferries arrive) will rent to IDP holders without the A stamp.
Last but not least, for my visit to Matsu Islands (see my guide), we stayed at Matsu Island View Hotel (Booking / Agoda). They picked us up at the airport and arranged scooter rentals for us (they can also arrange cars).
It would be tough but not impossible to do Matsu Islands without a scooter – there are some Taiwan Tourist shuttles that offer little half day tours from the main town near the airport.
I haven’t been to Kinmen Islands yet but will update when I do!
Please share your scooter rental experiences in the comments below, including any shops where you successfully rented one. Please mention whether you had the A stamp on your IDP or not!