Question 1

Is taking the HSR from Hualien to Kaohsiung a good idea?

Accepted Answer

To take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Hualien to Kaohsiung City, HSR is quick but pricey and has difficult taxi access. From the earliest departure at 06:15 to the latest at 22:05, there are up to 87 high-speed rail from Nangang to Zuoying each day. Assuming you depart from Hualien City, Hualien County and head to the nearest Nangang HSR station, a taxi ride would cost about NT$5,200 and take approximately 225 minutes. After arriving at the HSR station, the time to walk in, purchase tickets, and wait on the platform is about 20 minutes. Then, take a 105-145-minute (125 min on average) HSR ride from Nangang Station to Zuoying HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$1,530 per person, followed by a 10-minute walk to exit the station. Depending on the area, you may take a short walk or catch a bus (if available) to reach your final destination. The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 6 hours and 19 minutes. Assuming 3 people traveling together, the average cost per person for the HSR and transfers is NT$3,260. However, in Hualien County, there are only just over 1,000 licensed taxis. The taxi density is 0.5% of that in the Taipei/New Taipei metro area. In other words, hailing a taxi on the spot is 200 times more difficult than in a major city like Taipei. Even if you are lucky enough to hail a cab, a minority of taxi drivers in Hualien County may not use the meter, and might overcharge or take detours, especially with passengers who appear to be from out of town. In contrast, if you use Tripool for a door-to-door private car service, the average cost per person is about NT$2,790, and the journey takes 7 hours and 35 minutes. For long-distance travel, the HSR is indeed faster, but it comes with an extra transportation cost of about NT$1,410. 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 with just one other person, 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 Hualien to Kaohsiung?

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 20 rental car companies, such as 合豐汽車租賃, 全能小客車租賃, 達富租賃, available in the Hualien City, Hualien County 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 Hualien (Hualien City) and Kaohsiung (Zuoying District), the estimated cost for a sedan is NT$4500 or NT$7500 for a 9-seater van. This is, of course, cheaper than taking a taxi. But if you only need a one-way trip and will return a day or more later, then renting a car is very inconvenient. Moreover, the rental location may be some distance from your home/office/starting point, 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 Hualien to Kaohsiung?

Accepted Answer

If you choose to take a taxi directly, in the Hualien County area, you can use apps to hail a cab from 55688 Taiwan Taxi, and if you cannot hail a cab on the street, you can also consider calling taxi fleets, such as 花蓮建宏計程錶行計程車, 美美汽車行, 統一計程車 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$7,515 and 11,300, but you could save up to NT$2,900 by booking with Tripool instead. But if you cannot book in advance or prefer to hail a cab on the spot, be aware that in the whole Hualien County, there are only about 1,010 licensed taxis. The taxi density is just 0.5% of that in the Taipei/New Taipei metro area, meaning it is 200 times more difficult to hail a cab on the spot compared to Taipei or New Taipei. Furthermore, some taxi drivers in Hualien County flat-out refuse to use the meter. Nearly 32% of them will try to negotiate the fare on the spot—often asking far above the standard rate. If you’re not familiar with local pricing, you are an easy target. To avoid getting ripped off, it is strongly advised to book online in advance. Considering all factors, Tripool is your best choice for traveling from Hualien to Kaohsiung in terms of both price and service quality.

Question 4

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 5

Why does tripool charge cheaper than other taxis?

Accepted Answer

For regular long-distance travelers, they find Tripool's price may be too low to be good. On the contrary, Tripool has a high standard for selecting drivers and vehicles. Besides dropping drivers who are low rated, we also send mystery shoppers regularly to test drivers' service. Tripool's drivers are not allowed to smoke in the cars, and they have to wear masks all the time during the pandemic. We don't compromise our service for a low cost. Tripool can provide excellent service with 70~80% of the market price because of AI algorithms. We use these to dispatch vehicles to increase efficiency. Tripool can use fewer drivers to serve more travelers, especially in high seasons like Chinese New Year, Christmas, and summer vacation. Fewer drivers mean better quality control. The price on tripool's website and app are dynamic. Generally, the earlier a ride is booked, the lower price it is. Most of all, all booking are 100% refundable as long as the cancelation request is made one day before noon, no matter what the reason is. If you are preparing to go from Hualien to Kaohsiung, it's better to reserve it now to secure the best price.

Question 6

Does tripool really offer private car service at a lower price? What are the price ranges for other taxi companies? What is the cheapest option?

Accepted Answer

Customers are always looking for a lower price with better service. There are Taiwan Taxi, Metro Taxi, Line Taxi, and Uber for short-range service in the Taiwan taxi market. There are CallCarBar, JoinMe, Car Plus, Easy Rent for long-range private car services. And for charter day tour services, there are KKDAY and Klook. Tripool focuses on long-distance point-to-point transportation and hourly ride service. No matter where you're from or where you'll go (of course, including Hualien to Kaohsiung), we guarantee there will be a vehicle available to take you there. Tripool uses AI algorithms to dispatch hundreds of cars around the island to increase efficiency and lower the price by 20~30%. Travelers can easily find that tripool is the best choice for private car service.

Question 7

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 8

Can I call a taxi right away from tripool website?

Accepted Answer

As long as you can choose the date, time, and finish the booking on our website or the app, tripool guarantees our driver will show up. However, tripool is not a ride-hailing yellow cab company. All the reservations have to be pre-booked. If you want to go to Kaohsiung from Hualien, the soonest is finishing the booking four hours in advance.

項目	tripool 旅步	高鐵	租車	計程車
行程時間	455 mins	380-395 mins	485-515 mins	470-485 mins
每人價格	NT$2,790/person	NT$3,260/person	NT$1,500/person	NT$2,510-3,770/person
優點	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
缺點	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 Difficult to find a ride Risk of overcharging

Hualien→Kaohsiung: car rental is the most affordable option

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