Taichung→石门山登山步道: hiring a private car is the quickest and cheapest way to go
Don't waste your precious holiday on public transit
Distance：302 km ｜Travel time：315 mins
fare estimation
Taichung to 石门山登山步道 - secure online booking by tripool
Outside of Taiwan’s major cities, most tourist attractions are either in the mountains or located in areas with limited public transportation. For local residents without a car and international travelers visiting on their own, enjoying a trip usually comes down to choosing between hiring a driver or renting a car. While renting may appear cheaper at first, additional costs such as fuel, parking fees, and the risk of potential damage often make it less worthwhile. For foreign visitors, most rental companies are reluctant to rent cars, and those that do often require expensive insurance. In contrast, chartered travel shifts all the risks to the driver, and Tripool has become the leading brand for long-distance transfers and chartered tours. With vehicles available across the island, we can provide one-way direct transfers from Taichung to 石门山登山步道, and if you’d like to visit nearby attractions, such as Hehuan Lodge Parking, Tailuge National Park, Parque nacional Taroko, you can also choose a 2–12 hour hourly ride option when booking online.
After analyzing the available data, we found the following alternatives to private charters or transfers. For the journey from Taichung to 石门山登山步道, the fastest land transportation is Tripool private car transfer, and it is also the most cost-effective transportation method for groups of 1-8 people. The data in the following table is based on a party of 1 and compares the pros and cons of a private car transfer, car rental, taxi, and high-speed rail. For a more complete analysis of transportation costs and time, please see the FAQ below.
- 1–8 passengers
- Truly pickup anywhere
- Ride guaranteed
- No hidden fees
- Pre-booking only
- No cash
- Comfortable seating
- No time wasted
- Tickets often sold out in peak season
- Multiple transfers needed
- Higher fare
- On your schedule
- Extra commute to car pick-up
- Time restrictions for pick-up and return
- Costly
- Requires same-day return or a multi-day rental
- Meets urgent needs
- No upfront payment
- Inconsistent quality
- Usually limited to 4 passengers
- Higher price
- Risk of overcharging
| Item | tripool | HSR | Car Rental | Taxi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel Time | 315 mins | - | 345-375 mins | 320-330 mins |
| Price per Person | NT$3,720/person | NT$5,750/person | NT$4,200/person | NT$7,600-9,100/person |
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About tripool
tripool is a licensed smart ride platform offering shared rides, point-to-point transfers, charter services, and airport pickups. Whether you're traveling solo or with family, you’ll always find the most suitable way to get around.
In addition to Taiwan, we also offer airport transfers and private tours in Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand — ensuring your journey stays smooth and worry-free from the moment you land.
Save Up to 40%Our smart dispatch system reduces empty trips, helping you save up to 40% on fares—saving both money and time.
Flexible Cancellation, Zero StressPlans changed? No worries. Cancel within the allowed time and receive a full refund—completely stress-free.
Trusted by Real UsersEvery driver is carefully selected and trained. With over 500,000 rides served and a 99% satisfaction rate, we’ve earned travelers’ trust across Asia.
Our vehicles
5-Seater Sedan
Toyota Altis or similar
7-Seater MPV
Toyota Corolla Cross, RAV4, or similar
9-Seater Van
Volkswagen Caravelle, Ford Tourneo or similar
Trusted by industry leaders
- 國立臺灣師範大學
- 天鈺科技股份有限公司
- 台燿科技股份有限公司
- 勤崴國際科技股份有限公司
- 新天地國際實業股份有限公司
- 三商電腦
- 中裕新藥股份有限公司
- 大東紡織股份有限公司
- 凌巨科技股份有限公司
- 友霖生技醫藥股份有限公司
石门山登山步道 private Transfer FAQs
- 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 Taichung to 石门山登山步道, it's better to reserve it now to secure the best price.
- To take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from downtown Taichung to 石门山登山步道, HSR is quick but pricey. From the earliest departure at 06:05 to the latest at 23:03, there are up to 103 high-speed rail from Taichung to Nangang each day. Assuming you depart from Xitun District, Taichung City and head to the nearest Taichung HSR station, a taxi ride would cost about NT$300 and take approximately 20 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 54-81-minute (68 min on average) HSR ride from Taichung Station to Nangang HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$750 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 199 minutes with a fare of NT$4,700, you will arrive at your destination at 石门山登山步道 (Xiulin Township, Hualien County). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 5 hours and 14 minutes. Assuming one person traveling alone, the total transportation cost is NT$5,750. 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, it will only cost NT$3,720, and the journey takes 5 hours and 15 minutes. For long-distance travel, the HSR is indeed faster than a car by 2 minutes, but it comes with an extra transportation cost of about NT$2,030. Therefore, for those who are not in a major hurry, booking with Tripool is the more cost-effective option.
- Although you can choose to rent a car to drive from Taichung to 石门山登山步道, the cost can be significant. Rental companies typically charge by the day. A small sedan like a Toyota Yaris or Nissan Kicks starts at NT$1500 per day, while a 9-seater van like a Ford Tourneo or Volkswagen Transporter costs around 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 fines are not included. If your daily mileage exceeds 200-400 km, there will be an additional surcharge of NT$100-2,000. Since the vast majority of rental companies do not offer one-way rentals, you either need to make a same-day round trip between Taichung and 石门山登山步道 or rent the car for multiple days. In this case, the estimated cost starts at NT$4200 for a sedan and NT$7200 for a 9-seater van. Booking a one-way private transfer with the Tripool app is the most affordable and convenient option for traveling to the attraction.
- 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, such as 龍興計程車行永福站無線車隊, 天誠衛星計程車, 大都會衛星車隊 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$7,600 and 9,100, but you could save up to NT$5,400 by booking with Tripool instead. However, when considering the return trip, in Hualien County there are only about 1,010 licensed taxis. This is about 10% 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. Considering all factors, Tripool is your best choice for traveling from Taichung to 石门山登山步道 in terms of both price and service quality.
- Tripool provides private day tours and charter services all around the island, including 石门山登山步道 and Taichung. 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.
- 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.
- 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 Taichung to 石门山登山步道 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.
Besides from Taichung to 石门山登山步道 , there are other popular routes, such as…
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Distance：302 km ｜Travel time：315 mins
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