Question 1

Is taking the HSR from Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen to TRA Hualien Station a good idea?

Accepted Answer

It is not recommended to take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen to TRA Hualien Station. HSR is expensive and slow. 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 Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen (Zhongzheng District, Taipei City) , you may walk or take a bus—if available—to Taipei HSR station. Including walking to the platform, buying a ticket, and waiting for the train, it takes at least 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 TRA Hualien Station (Hualien City, Hualien County). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 4 hours and 27 minutes. Assuming 5 people traveling together (and have to split into two taxis), the average cost per person for the HSR and transfers is NT$2,120. In contrast, if you use Tripool for a door-to-door private car service, the average cost per person is about NT$1,360, and the journey takes 3 hours and 50 minutes. Choosing the HSR over a private charter will not only cost each person at least an extra NT$760 in fares but also waste an additional 37 minutes on transfers and waiting. Book with Tripool now! 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.

Question 2

Is it advisable to rent a car and drive from Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen to TRA Hualien Station?

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 30 rental car companies, such as 白宮國際, 京華小客車租賃, 萬豪國際租賃, available in the Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen - Zhongzheng District, 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 Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen and TRA Hualien Station, the estimated cost for a sedan is NT$3000 or NT$6000 for a 9-seater van. This is, of course, cheaper than taking a taxi. But if you are going to TRA Hualien Station to take public transport elsewhere, renting a car for the whole day and paying for parking at the station is not cheap. Moreover, the rental location may be some distance from Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen, 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 Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen to TRA Hualien Station?

Accepted Answer

If you choose to take a taxi directly, in the Taipei City area, you can use apps to hail a cab from 55688 Taiwan Taxi, Uber, Line Go, Yoxi, etc., and if you cannot hail a cab on the street, you can also consider calling taxi fleets near Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen, such as 優質計程車, 廣利交通, 北松衛星車隊 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$4,265 and 5,100. However, when considering the return trip, in Hualien County there are only about 1,010 licensed taxis. This is about 3% of the number of taxis in Taipei City, and its density is just 0.5% of the Taipei/New Taipei metro area, making it 190 times more difficult to hail a cab there. Although a metered taxi from central Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen to central TRA Hualien Station might be cheaper, if your group has five people or more, taking two taxis will be more expensive; booking a 9-seater van with Tripool could save you up to NT$1,800. Considering all factors, Tripool is your best choice for traveling from Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen to TRA Hualien Station 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 TRA Hualien Station and Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen. 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

Which is the best taxi app in Taiwan? Uber? Grab? Didi? Bolt? Lyft?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 6

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 Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen to TRA Hualien Station, it's better to reserve it now to secure the best price.

Question 7

Do tripool and the drivers provide legal car-hiring services in Taipei City and Hualien 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 8

How to book a hotel at the lowest price in Taiwan?

Accepted Answer

Fewer travelers book hotels through traditional travel agents, and most go through OTAs (online travel agents). It is easy to filter areas, prices, types of rooms, special needs on OTAs' websites. Still, customers can also get a 20~40% discount compared to hotels' official websites. The most popular OTAs in Taiwan are Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia.com, and Trip.com. In general, travelers can make reservations on websites or apps. Once finishing the online payment, everything is set, and there is not necessary to double-check the reservation by phone. However, some hotels may oversell their rooms on multiple platforms. To avoid being rejected by hotels once you arrive, choose high-rated hotels with more reviews online or make a phone call to hotels to confirm again. For B&Bs (also called minsus), locals prefer to book rooms through B&Bs' websites or contact the hosts directly. Sometimes, the price is better than OTAs. The downside is that their websites don't accept foreign credit cards or guests have to do wire transfers. If you want to save all these troubles and find decent B&Bs, Airbnb and AsiaYo (a local brand) are the best alternatives.

Item	tripool	HSR	Car Rental	Taxi
Travel Time	230 mins	265 mins	260-290 mins	235-245 mins
Price per Person	NT$1,360/person	NT$2,120/person	NT$1,200/person	NT$1,710-2,040/person
Pros	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
Cons	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 Usually limited to 4 passengers

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