Question 1

Is taking the HSR from Hualien Train Station to Star Villa a good idea?

Accepted Answer

To take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Hualien Train Station to Star Villa, HSR is expensive, slow, and has difficult taxi access. From the earliest departure at 06:15 to the latest at 22:50, there are up to 101 high-speed rail from Nangang to Taichung each day. Assuming you depart from Hualien Train Station (Hualien City, Hualien County)  and head to the nearest Nangang HSR station, a taxi ride would cost about NT$5,200 and take approximately 224 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 58-77-minute (68 min on average) HSR ride from Nangang Station to Taichung HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$750 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 Star Villa (Renai Township, Nantou County). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 7 hours and 2 minutes. Assuming one person traveling alone, the total transportation cost is NT$9,150. 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, and since Hualien Train Station is not located in a downtown area, it may be impossible to find a taxi at all. 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, it will only cost NT$5,900, and the journey takes 4 hours and 31 minutes. Choosing the HSR over a private charter will not only cost at least an extra NT$3,250 in fares but also waste an additional 151 minutes on transfers and waiting. Book with Tripool now!

Question 2

Is it advisable to rent a car and drive from Hualien Train Station to Star Villa?

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 第一小客車租賃, 合豐汽車租賃, 東合興國際企業, available in the Hualien Train Station - 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 Train Station and Star Villa, the estimated cost for a sedan is NT$2700 or NT$5700 for a 9-seater van. This is, of course, cheaper than taking a taxi. However, if Star Villa has extensive indoor facilities or the attractions you want to visit are nearby, renting a car for the entire day seems wasteful. Moreover, the rental location may be some distance from Hualien Train 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 Hualien Train Station to Star Villa?

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 near Hualien Train Station, such as 花蓮建宏計程錶行計程車, 中美計程車, 仟合計程車 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$2,925 and 4,400. However, 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. If you plan to make a return trip on the same or next day, be aware that taxis are even harder to find in Star Villa (in the Nantou County area), as Nantou County has only about 342 taxis. It is recommended to plan ahead. 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. Although a metered taxi from central Hualien Train Station to central Star Villa might be cheaper, you still face the risk of not being able to find a cab—or ending up with a driver who refuses to use the meter. If your group has more than four people, splitting into two taxis is inconvenient. In this case, Tripool, which offers pre-booking and reliable quality, might be a more suitable option for you. Considering all factors, Tripool is your best choice for traveling from Hualien Train Station to Star Villa 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 Star Villa and Hualien Train Station. 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

How can I book a round trip? Is it cheaper to hire a driver for a return trip?

Accepted Answer

Every order can only reserve one car, and it is easier for passengers to make any change or cancelation. Please make two separate bookings on the website or the app if passengers need a round trip. There is no particular promotion about a round trip for now, but it's welcome to use any coupon for each ride.

Question 6

Do tripool and the drivers provide legal car-hiring services in Hualien County 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 7

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 Train Station to Star Villa, it's better to reserve it now to secure the best price.

Question 8

Is there any regulation or purpose limit for hiring a driver and a car?

Accepted Answer

Whether going from Hualien Train Station to Star Villa or to anywhere in Taiwan, tripool can be your driver for long-distance traveling. You can reserve a ride online for all kinds of purposes, such as a private day trip, attending a wedding, checking out from a hospital, going hiking/camping, moving, a business trip, picking up your pet, or airport transfer. As long as your reservation is made one day before by 6 pm, tripool guarantees a car for you tomorrow. If you need a receipt for a business trip, you can provide your company's title and tax ID on the checkout page. We will send the receipt which is accepted by the government via email within a week.

項目	tripool 旅步	高鐵	租車	計程車
行程時間	270 mins	-	300-330 mins	285-300 mins
每人價格	NT$5,900/person	NT$9,150/person	NT$2,700/person	NT$2,930-4,400/person
優點	1–8 passengers Truly pickup anywhere Ride guaranteed No hidden fees	Comfortable seating	Low-cost Flexible schedule	Meets urgent needs No upfront payment Cheap for short trips
缺點	Pre-booking only No cash	Tickets often sold out in peak season Multiple transfers needed Takes time and costs more	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 Risk of no return service Risk of overcharging

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