<p>Thanks - great tip. </p>
<p>In case you have not known it yet: 7-Eleven is very popular in Taiwan. There are almost 5000 such stores there. They are everywhere!</p>
<p>People in Taiwan can do much more in 7-Eleven than people can do in US - i heard people there can even pay their tax there, as well as utility bill. many people will buy their coffee there on their way to work. They actually consider 7-Eleven as a somewhat more “upscale” store (read: not as cheap as some other store.)It seems that they will say “welcome” to you when you enter the store – but I really do not know exactly what they are saying. For visitors in a city smaller than Taipei, people often call for a taxi and tell the taxi driver to pick them up at a 7-Eleven. They may help you to call a taxi there. In a bigger city like Taipei, you do not have to do this because the taxis are everywhere. The taxi is not expensive as long as you do not travel a long distance like city-to-city (For example, from the airport to Taipei, it is not cost effective to do so.)</p>
<p>Some random thoughts about Taipei </p>
<p>-- fun place. Don’t rent a car. Yikes! Can he even read street signs in Chinese?Where would you park? Rent a bicycle, maybe, and ride around. Get out and ride along the river. My daughter and I did that. I couldn’t tell you how to get there, I followed my daughter. And taxis are cheap. Once you are in the city. The ride from the airport is pretty long, as I recall, though, so that would be an expense. The subways are good, and extensive. No need for a car. </p>
<p>I was there last year, and mostly took the subway, but a couple times took a cab, when I got tired, and it was very reasonable. About $5.00 or less, usually. There were motorcycles everywhere. Parked on all of the sidewalks. – And sometimes they even ride (slowly) on the sidewalks. It’s a crowded place.</p>
<p>I thought the organized tours there were cheap compared to other countries. We took a bus tour to Taroko Gorge, through Viator tours. I think it was pretty reasonable, included a plane flight and then tour bus through the gorge. A day long excursion. Maybe pricey for a student, but worth it to me, because of the tour guide and an explanation of what we were seeing/doing.</p>
<p>My daughter ( who lives there) has done several bike trips (on her own, with friends) out of Taipei. </p>
<p>I was surprised at how much things in dept. stores cost there. Clothing, luggage, etc. was more pricey than I thought it would be. </p>
<p>Taipei 101 (tall modern building) is in a newer pricier district. Fun to go to the top. I think it is the world’s tallest tower, or close to it. </p>
<p>The tea is very good in Taipei, if you like tea, which I do. Lots of places to sample teas there. </p>
<p>One of my daughters is living there currently, teaching English. If you have any specific questions, I can ask her if she knows the answer. She did some things that maybe you don’t want your son to do, but survived. Used Couchsurfing to meet people and stay with people. It makes me feel uneasy, but people do it.</p>
<p>We never went to the big night markets, because she hates the crowds, but that is a popular thing to do, too. </p>
<p>We also rode the Mao Kong Gondola, and hiked around the area. There are a lot of tea houses there, many very run down, but it was an interesting place to wander around.</p>
<p>Thanks for the great hints! From the posts and guidebook, it seems there will be plenty to do near Taipei for a few days… without venturing too far away. </p>
<p>Thanks again, all! Their trip was great. They used train and taxis. DS always had maps downloaded to his phone (done ahead of time, when wifi available). That did come in handy with a taxi driver that knew no English. </p>