Taichung Howard Prince Hotel→Onsen Papawaqa

Once the booking process is completed and getting an order ID, the reservation is confirmed. Tripool promises a private car will pick passengers up on time. All the essential information, such as the driver's name, mobile number, car model, and car plate number, will be sent via SMS and email. If the driver is not at the pick-up location, passengers can contact the driver via mobile phone. The driver may be away due to a lack of parking space and waiting nearby. Suppose there is some serious emergency or traffic jam to delay the trip. In that case, tripool will rearrange a driver to reduce passengers' waiting time.

It is not recommended to take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Taichung Howard Prince Hotel to Onsen Papawaqa. HSR is expensive, slow, and involves transfer hassles. Although there can be up to 32 trains from Taichung to Miaoli a day, running from the first at 06:05 to the last at 22:39, once service ends for the night until early morning, alternative transportation is still required. Assuming you depart from Taichung Howard Prince Hotel (Xitun District, Taichung City) and head to the nearest Taichung HSR station, a taxi ride would cost about NT$300 and take approximately 17 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 17-19-minute (18 min on average) HSR ride from Taichung Station to Miaoli HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$270 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 36 minutes with a fare of NT$900, you will arrive at your destination at Onsen Papawaqa (Taian Township, Miaoli County). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 1 hour and 36 minutes. Assuming 3 people traveling together, the average cost per person for the HSR and transfers is NT$670. That said, a minority of taxi drivers in Taichung City 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$630, and the journey takes 1 hour and 5 minutes. Choosing the HSR over a private charter will not only cost each person at least an extra NT$40 in fares but also waste an additional 31 minutes on transfers and waiting. Book with Tripool now! 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 Taichung City 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 Taichung Howard Prince Hotel to Onsen Papawaqa is between NT$1050 and NT$1550 (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 Taichung 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 Taichung Howard Prince Hotel, such as 龍興計程車行永福站無線車隊, 大都會衛星車隊, 聯美汽車行 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$1,475 and 1,800. However, when considering the return trip, in Miaoli County there are only about 380 licensed taxis. This is about 4% of the number of taxis in Taichung 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. Furthermore, some taxi drivers in Taichung City flat-out refuse to use the meter. Nearly 27% 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. Although a metered taxi from central Taichung Howard Prince Hotel to central Onsen Papawaqa might be cheaper, if your group has five people or more, taking two taxis will be more expensive, while choosing Tripool's private car service would be 15-35% cheaper. Considering all factors, Tripool is your best choice for traveling from Taichung Howard Prince Hotel to Onsen Papawaqa in terms of both price and service quality.

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.

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.

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.

Whether going from Taichung Howard Prince Hotel to Onsen Papawaqa 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.