EasyCard

The easiest way to use the underground and buses is to buy what they call EasyCard, the underground pass, and move around. It costs NTD 500, 400 for travels and 100 diposit that you are supposed to get back when you return the card. It can be recharged at any time in any of the machines that do it so it can be used indefinitely.


To use it, it has to be put near the sensor placed on the way in and out and it automatically deducts the cost of the trip made. There is not a unique fare, but you pay depending on the distance. For a few stations, four or five, it's about NTD 15, but to go to Danshui is around 50. There is an extra discount of about 25% off the normal price when using the EasyCard.

If you can't or won't use the EasyCard, you must buy a small round piece of plastic that must pass over the sensor when you get in and that you must drop into a slot on the way out. In this case, you must look in advance how much the trip costs, in order to pay the right amount.

EasyCards can also be used in buses. If not, use coins. I am so used to the unified fare system of Barcelona, that it feels strange having to pay twice when changing from the MRT to a bus, but there is some extra discount if you do it here. I am not so sure about how much buses cost. It's NTD 15 for one zone, and I'd say 30 for two zones. People say that buses are cheaper.

My EasyCard is behaving strangely as of late, it takes it a long time to react when I put it on top of the detector, but it still works. I should probably return it and get a new one. The thing is that I also use it to get into my building after normal working hours, and I would have to do the whole process again. Technology: I am using the underground card to get into a building. Magnetic strips are like that.