Question 1

Is taking the HSR from Banqiao Station to Aowanda a good idea?

Accepted Answer

To take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Banqiao Station to Aowanda, HSR is quick but pricey. From the earliest departure at 06:34 to the latest at 23:08, there are up to 91 high-speed rail from Banqiao to Taichung each day. Assuming you depart from Banqiao Station (Banqiao District, New Taipei City) , you may walk or take a bus—if available—to Banqiao HSR station. Including walking to the platform, buying a ticket, and waiting for the train, it takes at least 20 minutes. Then, take a 39-56-minute (49 min on average) HSR ride from Banqiao Station to Taichung HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$670 per person, followed by a 10-minute walk to exit the station, wait for a ride at the taxi stand, and after a trip of about 100 minutes with a fare of NT$3,200, you will arrive at your destination at Aowanda (Renai Township, Nantou County). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 2 hours and 59 minutes. Assuming 4 people traveling together, the average cost per person for the HSR and transfers is NT$1,470. In contrast, if you use Tripool for a door-to-door private car service, the average cost per person is about NT$1,320, and the journey takes 3 hours and 38 minutes. For long-distance travel, the HSR is indeed faster, but it comes with an extra transportation cost of about NT$600. Therefore, for those who are not in a major hurry, booking with Tripool is the more cost-effective option. If you are traveling in a group of three or less, you can also consider Tripool's carpooling service to save up to an additional 50% on transportation costs.

Question 2

Is it advisable to rent a car and drive from Banqiao Station to Aowanda?

Accepted Answer

If you have a driver's license, do not mind driving yourself, and you do not need to use the travel time to rest in the car, there are about 45 rental car companies, such as 安昱汽車租賃, 大利豐租車, 樂高小客車租賃, available in the Banqiao Station - Banqiao District, New Taipei City area. Typically, car rentals are billed by the day. A small sedan like a Toyota Corolla or Ford Fiesta costs around NT$1500 per day, while a 9-seater van like a Hyundai Staria or Volkswagen Caravelle starts at NT$4500 per day. Extra costs such as fuel (approx. NT$3/km), eTag tolls (approx. NT$1/km), roadside parking (approx. NT$40/hour), insurance, and potential fines are not included. Most rental agreements specify a daily mileage limit of 200-400 km, with surcharges ranging from NT$100 to NT$2,000 for exceeding it. Since the vast majority of rental companies do not offer one-way rentals, assuming you make a same-day round trip between Banqiao Station and Aowanda, the estimated cost for a sedan is NT$3700 or NT$6700 for a 9-seater van. This is, of course, cheaper than taking a taxi.  If you plan to sightsee along the way to Aowanda, renting a car for the day is certainly convenient and affordable, but it means the driver will not get to relax or fully enjoy the trip. Moreover, the rental location may be some distance from Banqiao Station, and you must adhere to their business hours for pickup and return. The rental process itself is tedious, often taking an extra 30 minutes for contracts and vehicle inspection. You may even need to refuel the car yourself before returning. If you encounter a dishonest operator, you risk being hit with various unjustified charges upon return.

Question 3

Would it be economical to take a taxi from Banqiao Station to Aowanda?

Accepted Answer

If you choose to take a taxi directly, in the New Taipei City area, you can use apps to hail a cab from 55688 Taiwan Taxi, Uber, Line Go, Yoxi, etc., and if you cannot hail a cab on the street, you can also consider calling taxi fleets near Banqiao Station, such as 文發交通, 新北市第一計程車, 皇冠大車隊 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$6,165 and 7,400, but you could save up to NT$2,100 by booking with Tripool instead. However, when considering the return trip, in Nantou County there are only about 340 licensed taxis. This is about 2% of the number of taxis in New Taipei City, and its density is just 0.2% of the Taipei/New Taipei metro area, making it 490 times more difficult to hail a cab there. Considering all factors, Tripool is your best choice for traveling from Banqiao Station to Aowanda in terms of both price and service quality.

Question 4

Do tripool and the drivers provide legal car-hiring services in New Taipei City and Nantou County?

Accepted Answer

There are many gypsy cabs or illegal taxis in Line and Facebook groups. Their fares are cheap but with many risks. If the cabs are pulled over by polices, passengers cannot continue the trip. If there is an accident, none of the insurance companies will settle a claim. Worst of all, illegal drivers may conduct crimes without any trace. Don't put your life at risk for just saving a few bucks. On the other hand, tripool contracts with legal drivers without any criminal record. All vehicles provide up to $5 million in insurance. The easiest way to distinguish a legal vehicle is the car plate number. Unless the initial character of the car plate number is either T or R, the car is 100% illegal for taxi service.

Question 5

Will tripool provide a receipt for my booking? Can I use it for employee expense reimbursement?

Accepted Answer

Tripool will send a receipt through the third-party system one week after the ride. If passengers need to claim reimbursement for travel expenses, there is a blank to fill with the company's title and tax ID. It's legal, and there is no extra 5% for the receipt. Once the receipt is received via email, it can be printed out for reimbursement or saved as a PDF.

Question 6

How can I make sure the driver will pick me up? What if the driver doesn't show up?

Accepted Answer

Once the booking process is completed and getting an order ID, the reservation is confirmed. Tripool promises a private car will pick passengers up on time. All the essential information, such as the driver's name, mobile number, car model, and car plate number, will be sent via SMS and email. If the driver is not at the pick-up location, passengers can contact the driver via mobile phone. The driver may be away due to a lack of parking space and waiting nearby. Suppose there is some serious emergency or traffic jam to delay the trip. In that case, tripool will rearrange a driver to reduce passengers' waiting time.

Question 7

Which is the best taxi app in Taiwan? Uber? Grab? Didi? Bolt? Lyft?

Accepted Answer

Among these options, Uber is the only one with broad and reliable coverage in Taiwan, available in major cities such as Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung. Grab does not operate in Taiwan. Didi previously entered the market but has since exited. Bolt has just launched in Taiwan and is currently limited to Taipei. Lyft is not available in Taiwan. If you are choosing among these five, Uber is by far the most practical and widely used option in Taiwan. However, for longer intercity transfers, airport rides, or day trips, tripool is often a better choice—offering transparent pricing, professional drivers, and coverage across Taiwan.

Question 8

How to book a hotel at the lowest price in Taiwan?

Accepted Answer

Fewer travelers book hotels through traditional travel agents, and most go through OTAs (online travel agents). It is easy to filter areas, prices, types of rooms, special needs on OTAs' websites. Still, customers can also get a 20~40% discount compared to hotels' official websites. The most popular OTAs in Taiwan are Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia.com, and Trip.com. In general, travelers can make reservations on websites or apps. Once finishing the online payment, everything is set, and there is not necessary to double-check the reservation by phone. However, some hotels may oversell their rooms on multiple platforms. To avoid being rejected by hotels once you arrive, choose high-rated hotels with more reviews online or make a phone call to hotels to confirm again. For B&Bs (also called minsus), locals prefer to book rooms through B&Bs' websites or contact the hosts directly. Sometimes, the price is better than OTAs. The downside is that their websites don't accept foreign credit cards or guests have to do wire transfers. If you want to save all these troubles and find decent B&Bs, Airbnb and AsiaYo (a local brand) are the best alternatives.

Item	tripool	HSR	Car Rental	Taxi
Travel Time	220 mins	-	250-280 mins	225-235 mins
Price per Person	NT$1,320/person	NT$1,470/person	NT$930/person	NT$1,540-1,850/person
Pros	1–8 passengers Truly pickup anywhere Ride guaranteed No hidden fees	Comfortable seating No time wasted	Low-cost Flexible schedule	Meets urgent needs No upfront payment
Cons	Pre-booking only No cash	Tickets often sold out in peak season Multiple transfers needed Higher fare	Extra commute to car pick-up Time restrictions for pick-up and return Additional risk involved Requires same-day return or a multi-day rental	Inconsistent quality Usually limited to 4 passengers Higher price

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