Having lived as an expat in both the Netherlands and Taiwan , while some things are very similar, I have found quite a few differences between the two locations. One that has stood out the most for me is the lack of road trip opportunities here in Taiwan.
It’s not that there is nowhere to go and nothing to see here in Taiwan , there are quite a lot of beautiful sights here on the island, but certain aspects of living in Europe were definitely more conducive to the weekend trip. Here are a few:
- Destinations – Here in Taiwan , you can go on a road trip to one of the coastal scenic areas, up into the mountains to see temples and nature, or perhaps down to a wonder like Taroko Gorge. While all of these are nice, none of them have the notoriety that one can associate with a road trip in Europe . From my base in Eindhoven , some road trip destinations I undertook were Antwerp , Brussels , Bruges , Paris , Strasburg, Zurich , Liechtenstein , Luxemburg, Innsbruck , Salzburg , Munich , Berlin and Copenhagen . And this is just a sampling. These seem to resonate more as locations you would want to get in the car to drive a few hours to go visit than what we have here.
- Road Conditions – Aside from the fairly common construction delays, especially in the summer, the roads in Europe are much better suited for long road trips. Almost all major destinations are serviced by multiple-lane highways that help you get to where you’re going fast. Here in Taiwan , especially on the east coast, you often find yourself on local roads with one lane in each direction, dodging scooters, trucks, buses and the occasional stray dog.
- Driving Style – As mentioned above, here in Taiwan , rarely do you get to “own the road” and drive at your own pace. There are only a handful of major roads and highways, and a lot of drivers who all want to use them. Traffic is always present, and the rules of the road are much different here than in Europe . Do not be surprised to be stuck behind someone coasting along at 80 km/hr in the left lane with no inclination of yielding to the right. Lane changes occur very haphazardly, often with very little notice. And on the local roads, remember those aforementioned scooters. They’re everywhere!
- Other transportation options – For those locations you would want to go to, there are usually other options that are far less stressful, almost just as quick, and ultimately, just as cheap as driving. On the east coast, you have the Taiwan High Speed Rail that can get you all the way from Taipei in the North to Kaohsiung in the South in only two hours! This is a drive that would likely take six hours in normal traffic. Both the East and West coasts are also serviced by the Taiwan Railway Administration trains that stop at many other smaller locations, including most major tourist locations. From the train stations, you can pop into a taxi which can often be rented for the day if you want to explore a location such as Taroko Gorge without driving yourself. The train and taxi combined will cost about the same as the gas expense to drive yourself.
- Language Barrier – Now, you can say that Europe also poses language difficulties as many countries speak different languages, however, I have found in my time in Europe that the presence of a Phoenician alphabet and a common set of root languages makes it far less daunting to figure out what’s what than trying to figure out the same over here. In Europe, it’s not that much of a gamble to pull off at a small restaurant and try to figure out what to order, and how, but here in Taiwan, if you don’t speak the language, this can become a difficult and scary endeavor.
Have you experienced any of these findings on your travels around the world? What do you feel are some other major differences between trying to travel on your own in Asia vs. Europe ? Where would you rate other parts of the world such as South America or Africa ? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
