Question 1

Is taking the HSR from Grand Hotel Taipei to TRA Kaohsiung Station a good idea?

Accepted Answer

To take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Grand Hotel Taipei to TRA Kaohsiung Station, HSR is comfortable and quick but pricey. From the earliest departure at 06:26 to the latest at 22:16, there are up to 88 high-speed rail from Taipei to Zuoying each day. Assuming you depart from Grand Hotel Taipei (Zhongshan District, Taipei City)  and head to the nearest Taipei HSR station, a taxi ride would cost about NT$200 and take approximately 16 minutes. After arriving at the HSR station, the time to walk in, purchase tickets, and wait on the platform is about 25 minutes. Then, take a 94-134-minute (114 min on average) HSR ride from Taipei Station to Zuoying HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$1,490 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 21 minutes with a fare of NT$200, you will arrive at your destination at TRA Kaohsiung Station (Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 3 hours and 6 minutes. Assuming 4 people traveling together, the average cost per person for the HSR and transfers is NT$1,590. In contrast, if you use Tripool for a door-to-door private car service, the average cost per person is about NT$1,420, and the journey takes 4 hours and 33 minutes. For long-distance travel, the HSR is indeed faster, but it comes with an extra transportation cost of about NT$680. Therefore, for those who are not in a major hurry, you may consider a cheaper and door-to-door private transfer option, like Tripool. 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 Grand Hotel Taipei to TRA Kaohsiung Station?

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 95 rental car companies, such as 富貴康小客車租賃, 台新大安租賃, 亞太睿智科技, available in the Grand Hotel Taipei - Zhongshan District, 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 Grand Hotel Taipei and TRA Kaohsiung Station, the estimated cost for a sedan is NT$4600 or NT$7600 for a 9-seater van. This is, of course, cheaper than taking a taxi. But if you are going to TRA Kaohsiung Station to take public transport elsewhere, renting a car for the whole day and paying for parking at the station is not cheap. Moreover, the rental location may be some distance from Grand Hotel Taipei, 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. If your group has more than four people or has large luggage, renting a 9-seater van will be too expensive. It would be better to book a chauffeured service to avoid the hassle of unfamiliar roads or driving a large vehicle. A Tripool ride from Grand Hotel Taipei to TRA Kaohsiung Station costs only NT$7,599 for a van!

Question 3

Would it be economical to take a taxi from Grand Hotel Taipei to TRA Kaohsiung Station?

Accepted Answer

If you choose to take a taxi directly, in the 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 Grand Hotel Taipei, such as 大直計程車, 大都會衛星車隊, 城市衛星車隊 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$8,715 and 10,500, but you could save up to NT$4,800 by booking with Tripool instead. Considering all factors, Tripool is your best choice for traveling from Grand Hotel Taipei to TRA Kaohsiung Station in terms of both price and service quality.

Question 4

Does tripool provide charter tour services? Is there a price list that I can check first?

Accepted Answer

Tripool provides private day tours and charter services all around the island, including TRA Kaohsiung Station and Grand Hotel Taipei. Tourists are welcome to choose from point-to-point transportation service to 2~12 hours private trip service. The price is 100% transparent without any hidden fee. What you see on the website/app is the actual price. There is no need to email us or even make a phone call to verify. The full-day service price may not be lower than other providers. But if you only need a few hours or just a one-way transfer service, we can guarantee that our price is the most competitive in the market and tripool is the best choice. We offer 5-seater sedans, SUVs, and 9-seater vans. If your group is more than 9, we can arrange a bigger bus for you.

Question 5

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 6

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 7

Do tripool and the drivers provide legal car-hiring services in Taipei City and Kaohsiung City?

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 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	275 mins	-	305-335 mins	280-290 mins
Price per Person	NT$1,420/person	NT$1,590/person	NT$1,150/person	NT$2,180-2,630/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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