Jiufen→花蓮: hire a driver is the fastest, and car rental is the cheapest

The quote on the website and the app already include the car rental fee, driver's fare, cost of gasoline, toll fee, insurance, and tips. Passengers don't have to pay for the driver's meals and accommodation fees. There is no other hidden fee. What passengers see on the website is the actual price.

It is not recommended to take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Jiufen to 花蓮. HSR is expensive, slow, and has difficult taxi access. Although there can be up to 103 trains from Taipei to Nangang a day, running from the first at 07:12 to the last at 23:52, once service ends for the night until early morning, alternative transportation is still required. Assuming you depart from Jiufen (Ruifang District, New Taipei City) and head to the nearest Taipei HSR station, a taxi ride would cost about NT$1,600 and take approximately 57 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 7-9-minute (8 min on average) HSR ride from Taipei Station to Nangang HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$40 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 224 minutes with a fare of NT$5,200, you will arrive at your destination at 花蓮 (Hualien City, Hualien County). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 5 hours and 24 minutes. Assuming one person traveling alone, the total transportation cost is NT$6,840. In suburban and rural areas, taxis are already limited. Unlike in big cities, rural drivers don’t actively drive around to look for passengers. So if you need a taxi on the spot, you may have to wait a long time—or you simply won’t find one nearby.. In contrast, if you use Tripool for a door-to-door private car service, it will only cost NT$5,740, and the journey takes 4 hours and 10 minutes. Choosing the HSR over a private charter will not only cost at least an extra NT$1,100 in fares but also waste an additional 74 minutes on transfers and waiting. Book with Tripool now!

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 only a few rental car companies, such as 瑞鋐通運, 玖肆伍參國際租賃, 泰一小客車租賃, available in the Jiufen - Ruifang 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 Jiufen and 花蓮, the estimated cost for a sedan is NT$3100 or NT$6100 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 Jiufen, 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 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.. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$4,590 and 6,900, but you could save up to NT$1,200 by booking with Tripool instead. Please be aware that since the Jiufen is in a remote area, taxis do not cruise the streets. You are unlikely to be able to hail one directly. Taxis here typically only accept pre-bookings by phone, and calling for one on the spot may result in a significant waiting time. If you plan to make a return trip on the same or next day, be aware that taxis are even harder to find in 花蓮 (in the Hualien County area), as Hualien County has only about 1,014 taxis. It is recommended to plan ahead. Considering all factors, Tripool is your best choice for traveling from Jiufen to 花蓮 in terms of both price and service quality.

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.

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.

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 Jiufen to 花蓮, it's better to reserve it now to secure the best price.

In common, a 9-seater van can accommodate eight passengers with six 30" luggage. Suppose there are fewer passengers in the car. In that case, our driver can fold down the rear seats. There will be more space for oversized objects, such as surfboards, golf clubs, instruments, foldable bikes, desktop computers, etc. As long as these objects won't block the driver's sight and do no damage to the car body, passengers can put as many luggage and items as they like. But extra charge may be needed. You can find the details in the FAQ section. We suggest measuring the size, telling how many items to our online service first, and making the order afterward.