How to make the most out of your (exchange) student life in Taiwan as a European student!
By: Sharon Huang
Are you a party person, a nature lover, or a homebody? Not sure? No worries, Taiwan’s got ‘em all. Let’s dive in with a Taiwanese local student to find out how to live there like a pro!
Party, Nature, or AND Homebody!
The Netherlands has well-organized cities and amenities, and although it’s a lowland country, traveling to neighboring countries to immerse yourself in different kinds of views on the weekends is easy. On the other hand, Taiwan may seem small, but it’s densely packed with everything you can possibly think of!
Nightlife in Taiwan?
Taiwan’s partying culture is quite different from that of the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, many start by gathering at home around 8 pm for “Inzuipen”*1, then head to clubs and bars at around 10 pm for already-high-energy music and dancing until early morning. In Taiwan, nightlife starts from 10 pm. Friends gather at convenience stores such as 7-11 and Familymart for pre-drinks, then head to clubs and bars after 11 pm, where the energy gradually builds and peaks after midnight. Unlike the Netherlands, clubs and bars in Taiwan close rather early, usually at around 4 am, after which friends continue the party at Karaoke spots till mid-morning.
*1 Inzuipen: Pre-drinking in large quantities
Go Touch Some Grass (or water)! You are in Paradise!
Well yes, it’s fairly easy to travel around Europe to see different scenery; the only issue is that shallow pocket of us students…
Luckily, public transportation in Taiwan is extremely affordable and convenient, and the cost is on average 3-5 times cheaper than in the Netherlands.
About where to “touch that grass”… Taiwan, also known as Formosa, has more than 70% of its land area covered by mountains! A curated “Baiyue” mountain list of 100 peaks based on each peak’s difficulty, danger, and height is a well-known bucket-list dream for many hikers! So if you are into hiking, or want to start, use that free will to get out and about as soon as you land!
Homebody? Still in Paradise!
If you’ve seen the blog post about commuting differences in the Netherlands and Taiwan, you’d know Taiwanese looove the word “convenient”, and it’s applied everywhere in everyday life. In the Netherlands, most people are very willing to hop on their bikes for nearby grocery or shopping; for many Taiwanese? Having a motorbike is even more tempting. Even for bubble tea just 2 blocks away, they hop on their motorbikes! And a 15-minute walk is considered “long” for many.
If you love staying at home, there are many online takeaway and shopping options for you to do price comparisons, and since this industry is so competitive in Taiwan, free delivery and tons of promotional events pop up very frequently.
With one of the world’s highest convenience store densities, these stores rack their brains every day to push services and compete to become the “most convenient”. Which is why, in Taiwanese convenience stores near your house, not only can you find food and drinks, but you can also access printing/scanning machines for documents, buy event tickets, send/collect mail, and even store luggage!
Not everything can be done at home, but with a convenience store near you? You can do almost everything.
Moving to a New Place is Exciting, but Here are Some Tips for You…
Both the Netherlands and Taiwan are exceptionally safe. However with the Netherlands and other European countries have better traffic designs and more available lands, the traffic condition of Taiwan (especially during rush hours in city areas), may need some time to get used to. It WILL be very crowded.
Although being the world’s leading chip production center, online fraud in Taiwan is very common and highly underreported. It is important to watch out for any unknown billing requests or callers, and not click on suspicious links if you encounter them.
Last but not least, always be aware of your surroundings no matter who you are or where you are. Trouble is not exclusive to dangerous areas!
Want to See How Different Countries Can Be? We’ve Got You!
Check out the KeepingUpWithCultures’ main page! Leave comments below if you are curious about any other countries!
Reddit. (2025, August 20). What time do you go clubbing? [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/StudyInTheNetherlands/comments/1oa56w7/what_time_do_you_go_clubbing/
Encyclo. (n.d.). Zuipen. Retrieved April 5, 2026, from https://www.encyclo.nl/begrip/zuipen
Reddit. (2025, January 30). Taipei night life [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/Taipei/comments/1ih9h90/taipei_night_life/
Taiwan Data Stories. (2023, October 9). Taiwan 3000 meter mountains. https://taiwandatastories.com/taiwan-3000-meter-mountains/
Reddit. (2022, October 5). Taiwan, Japan, the Netherlands: which is best? [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/expats/comments/xx2ez8/taiwan_japan_the_netherlands_which_is_best/
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