Kenting→Tainan: hire a driver is the fastest, and iRent is the cheapest

It is not recommended to take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Kenting to Tainan. HSR is expensive, slow, and has difficult taxi access. Although there can be up to 76 trains from Zuoying to Tainan a day, running from the first at 05:50 to the last at 22:55, once service ends for the night until early morning, alternative transportation is still required. Assuming you depart from Kenting (Hengchun Township, Pingtung County) and head to the nearest Zuoying HSR station, a taxi ride would cost about NT$3,600 and take approximately 144 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 11-15-minute (12 min on average) HSR ride from Zuoying Station to Tainan HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$140 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 38 minutes with a fare of NT$300, you will arrive at your destination at Tainan (North District, Tainan City). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 3 hours and 39 minutes. Assuming 3 people traveling together, the average cost per person for the HSR and transfers is NT$1,440. However, in Pingtung County, there are only just over 400 licensed taxis. The taxi density is 0.3% of that in the Taipei/New Taipei metro area. In other words, hailing a taxi on the spot is 300 times more difficult than in a major city like Taipei, and since Kenting 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 Pingtung 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$1,440, and the journey takes 3 hours and 3 minutes. If your time is valuable or you are enjoying a meaningful trip with your family, taking the HSR—and wasting an extra 36 minutes—may not be the best choice. 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.

If you have a Taiwanese driver's license, are confident in your driving skills, and you do not need to rest in the car (since you will be the one driving), and most importantly, if you plan to make a same-day round trip, then iRent, which allows you to pick up and drop off a car on the street in the Pingtung County area, is likely your cheapest option. After registering on the iRent app, you can rent a small car for NT$115-205 per hour with an additional charge of NT$3.2 per kilometer. The estimated cost from Kenting to Tainan is between NT$2400 and NT$3100 (the price difference depends on weekday/weekend rates, car model, and how soon you make the return trip after reaching your destination). Although the estimate already includes potential eTag tolls and a roadside parking fee of NT$40 per hour, you are responsible for any additional car insurance and potential traffic fines. Furthermore, iRent by Hotai only offers basic models like the Toyota Yaris, Prius C, and Vios—functional, yes, but far from the comfort you'd expect for anything beyond a grocery run. If your group has more than four people, larger 7-seater or 9-seater vehicles are not available. Moreover, the most common complaint about self-service car-sharing services is the vehicle's condition; you might open the door to find trash left by the previous user or unrepaired dents. Every rental feels like opening a blind box—sometimes fine, sometimes frustrating. Additionally, you might occasionally face issues like the previous user not returning the car on time for your reservation, or being unable to find a parking spot when you need to return it. This poses a significant risk for those in a hurry or traveling with other passengers. Finally, while picking up and dropping off the car on the street seems convenient, it is restricted to specific operational zones. The available parking spots may still be some distance away from your actual departure or arrival point, making it very inconvenient in rainy weather or when carrying luggage.

If you choose to take a taxi directly, in the Pingtung County area, you can use apps to hail a cab from 55688 Taiwan Taxi and Yoxi. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$3,150 and 4,700, which is not significantly different from Tripool. By comparison, Tripool offers a fixed, transparent fare that will not change due to traffic or detours. But if you cannot book in advance or prefer to hail a cab on the spot, be aware that in the whole Pingtung County, there are only about 370 licensed taxis. The taxi density is just 0.3% of that in the Taipei/New Taipei metro area, meaning it is 300 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 in North District, Tainan City are also not easy to find. It is recommended to plan ahead. Furthermore, some taxi drivers in Pingtung County flat-out refuse to use the meter. Nearly 29% 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 Kenting to Tainan in terms of both price and service quality.

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 Kenting to Tainan, it's better to reserve it now to secure the best price.

Tripool only offers private car service, and there is no ride-sharing or carpooling service for now. Except for our driver, there will be no other stranger in the vehicle with you. During the pandemic, our drivers put extra effort into clearing and disinfection.

Passengers can request free cancelation one day before by noon. 100% refundable for any reason. Just send us an email or fill up the cancelation form. No additional administration fee is guaranteed.

Passengers can hire a driver on tripool website and app from your doorstep to anywhere accessible by a vehicle. Whether daytime, nighttime, or even midnight, we guarantee there will be a car waiting for you at the pickup location as making a reservation one day before by 6 pm.