Question 1

Is taking the HSR from Sun Moon Lake to Shifen Old Street a good idea?

Accepted Answer

To take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Sun Moon Lake to Shifen Old Street, HSR is quick but pricey and has difficult taxi access. From the earliest departure at 06:05 to the latest at 23:03, there are up to 105 high-speed rail from Taichung to Taipei each day. Assuming you depart from Sun Moon Lake (Yuchi Township, Nantou County)  and head to the nearest Taichung HSR station, a taxi ride would cost about NT$2,500 and take approximately 70 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 43-69-minute (57 min on average) HSR ride from Taichung Station to Taipei HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$700 per person, followed by a 15-minute walk to exit the station, wait for a ride at the taxi stand, and after a trip of about 52 minutes with a fare of NT$1,000, you will arrive at your destination at Shifen Old Street (Pingxi District, New Taipei City). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 3 hours and 34 minutes. Assuming 3 people traveling together, the average cost per person for the HSR and transfers is NT$1,870. However, in Nantou County, there are only just over 300 licensed taxis. The taxi density is 0.2% of that in the Taipei/New Taipei metro area. In other words, hailing a taxi on the spot is 500 times more difficult than in a major city like Taipei, and since Sun Moon Lake 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 Nantou 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$1,870, and the journey takes 3 hours and 50 minutes. For long-distance travel, the HSR is indeed faster than a car by 16 minutes, but it comes with an extra transportation cost of about NT$0. Therefore, for those who are not in a major hurry, booking with Tripool is the more cost-effective option. 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.

Question 2

Is it advisable to rent a car and drive from Sun Moon Lake to Shifen Old Street?

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 is only one rental car company, such as 日月潭小客車租賃, available in the Sun Moon Lake - Yuchi Township, Nantou 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 Sun Moon Lake and Shifen Old Street, the estimated cost for a sedan is NT$3800 or NT$6800 for a 9-seater van. This is, of course, cheaper than taking a taxi.  If you plan to sightsee along the way to Shifen Old Street, renting a car for the day is certainly convenient and affordable, but it means the driver will not get to relax or fully enjoy the trip. Moreover, the rental location may be some distance from Sun Moon Lake, 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 Sun Moon Lake to Shifen Old Street?

Accepted Answer

If you choose to take a taxi directly, in the Nantou County area, you can use apps to hail a cab from 55688 Taiwan Taxi and Yoxi, and if you cannot hail a cab on the street, you can also consider calling the only neighborhood taxi company in Yuchi Township, Nantou County, 日月星光計程車 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$6,700 and 10,100, but you could save up to NT$4,500 by booking with Tripool instead. But if you cannot book in advance or prefer to hail a cab on the spot, be aware that in the whole Nantou County, there are only about 340 licensed taxis. The taxi density is just 0.2% of that in the Taipei/New Taipei metro area, meaning it is 500 times more difficult to hail a cab on the spot compared to Taipei or New Taipei. Furthermore, some taxi drivers in Nantou County flat-out refuse to use the meter. Nearly 58% 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 Sun Moon Lake to Shifen Old Street in terms of both price and service quality.

Question 4

Do tripool and the drivers provide legal car-hiring services in Nantou County and New Taipei City?

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 5

Will tripool provide a receipt for my booking? Can I use it for employee expense reimbursement?

Accepted Answer

Tripool will send a receipt through the third-party system one week after the ride. If passengers need to claim reimbursement for travel expenses, there is a blank to fill with the company's title and tax ID. It's legal, and there is no extra 5% for the receipt. Once the receipt is received via email, it can be printed out for reimbursement or saved as a PDF.

Question 6

Can I add a stop location between traveling from Sun Moon Lake to Shifen Old Street?

Accepted Answer

Passengers can request additional stops for a ride from Sun Moon Lake to Shifen Old Street. Every 5 km of additional distance for a stop charges NT$200, whether it is along the way or not. It's necessary for the driver's extra time.

Question 7

Can I request a refund for the cancelation of a ride from Sun Moon Lake to Shifen Old Street?

Accepted Answer

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.

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	-	260-290 mins	245-260 mins
Price per Person	NT$1,870/person	NT$1,870/person	NT$1,270/person	NT$2,230-3,370/person
Pros	1–8 passengers Truly pickup anywhere Ride guaranteed No hidden fees	Comfortable seating No time wasted	Low-cost Flexible schedule	Meets urgent needs No upfront payment
Cons	Pre-booking only No cash	Tickets often sold out in peak season Multiple transfers needed Higher fare	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 Difficult to find a ride Higher price Risk of overcharging

Sun Moon Lake→Shifen Old Street

Unlock the freedom to explore Taiwan your way

About tripool

Our vehicles

5-Seater Sedan

7-Seater MPV

9-Seater Van

Trusted by industry leaders

Shifen Old Street private Transfer FAQs

Besides from Sun Moon Lake to Shifen Old Street , there are other popular routes, such as…

Download the tripool App Now

From your doorstep to anywhere

Download the tripool App Now

More popular routes from Sun Moon Lake

Besides from Sun Moon Lake to Shifen Old Street , there are other popular routes, such as…