Jiufen→Wankou Hotel

To take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Jiufen to Wankou Hotel, HSR is quick but pricey and has difficult taxi access. From the earliest departure at 06:26 to the latest at 22:16, there are up to 59 high-speed rail from Taipei to Chiayi each day. 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 73-103-minute (91 min on average) HSR ride from Taipei Station to Chiayi HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$1,080 per person, followed by a 5-minute walk to exit the station, wait for a ride at the taxi stand, and after a trip of about 142 minutes with a fare of NT$2,600, you will arrive at your destination at Wankou Hotel (Alishan Township, Chiayi County). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 5 hours and 20 minutes. Assuming 4 people traveling together, the average cost per person for the HSR and transfers is NT$2,130. 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, the average cost per person is about NT$1,930, and the journey takes 5 hours and 56 minutes. For long-distance travel, the HSR is indeed faster than a car by 36 minutes, but it comes with an extra transportation cost of about NT$800. 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.

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, 泰一小客車租賃, 玖肆伍參國際租賃, 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 Wankou Hotel, the estimated cost for a sedan is NT$4700 or NT$7700 for a 9-seater van. This is, of course, cheaper than taking a taxi. However, if Wankou Hotel 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 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$9,015 and 13,500, but you could save up to NT$5,800 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 Wankou Hotel (in the Chiayi County area), as Chiayi County has only about 325 taxis. It is recommended to plan ahead. Considering all factors, Tripool is your best choice for traveling from Jiufen to Wankou Hotel in terms of both price and service quality.

Tripool provides 5-seater sedans, SUVs, and 9-seater vans for private car service. Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen are the most used brands, and there are also a few Lexus, Tesla, and Mercedes-Benz. All vehicles are legal, in good condition, non-smoking, and with up to $5 million insurance. If you have special requests or passengers are more than 8, tripool can arrange a VW Crafter, a 20-seater minibus, or a 40-seater tour bus. Please fill up the request form on our homepage, and we will provide a quote.

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.

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 Wankou Hotel, it's better to reserve it now to secure the best price.

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.

Whether going from Jiufen to Wankou Hotel 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.