Taichung→Lugu: hire a driver is the fastest, and iRent is the cheapest
A private car service around Taiwan
Distance：70 km ｜Travel time：83 mins
fare estimation
Taichung to Lugu - door-to-door private transfer by tripool
There are many ways to travel from Taichung to Lugu Township, Nantou County, but if you want to balance cost, time, and convenience without driving yourself, booking a private transfer is usually the best choice. You’ll find plenty of ride ads and chat groups online, but the top priority when choosing is legality. If the driver takes bookings directly rather than through a registered car company or travel agency, you could run into problems if stopped by the police. Vehicles whose license plates do not begin with T or R are essentially operating illegally (often referred to locally as unlicensed private cars). Before booking, it’s also wise to check online reviews of the company or platform—not only the average rating on Google Maps or Facebook, but also the number of reviews, since platforms with thousands of positive ratings are far more trustworthy than those with only a few dozen. Tripool is one such government-licensed ride-hailing platform in Taiwan. All fares from Taichung City to Lugu are completely transparent, and payments are made securely through credit card or convenience store checkout, ensuring clear, traceable transactions and avoiding the disputes that often come with paying cash. 1. Search pick-up Taichung & drop-off Lugu | 2. Select a type of car | 3. Choose a date and time | 4. Make the payment online | 5. Receive SMS and driver's info | Finish your booking for a driver to take you somewhere in 3 minutes.
After analyzing the available data, we found the following alternatives to private charters or transfers. For the journey from Taichung to Lugu, the fastest land transportation is Tripool private car transfer, but if you want a more budget-friendly choice, an iRent is the most cost-saving option for a group of 5-8 people. The data in the following table is based on a party of 5 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. Additionally, for single travelers, Tripool also provides door-to-door carpooling service.
- 1–8 passengers
- Truly pickup anywhere
- Ride guaranteed
- No hidden fees
- Pre-booking only
- No cash
- Comfortable seating
- Tickets often sold out in peak season
- Multiple transfers needed
- Takes time and costs more
- Low-cost
- Flexible schedule
- 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
- Meets urgent needs
- No upfront payment
- Inconsistent quality
- Usually limited to 4 passengers
- Risk of overcharging
| Item | tripool | HSR | Car Rental | Taxi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel Time | 85 mins | 105 mins | 90-115 mins | 90-100 mins |
| Price per Person | NT$650/person | NT$770/person | NT$460-660/person | NT$720-880/person |
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Whether you're on a business trip or a family getaway, book your round-trip in one go and save more effortlessly!
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
- 國立政治大學
- 美時化學製藥股份有限公司
- 金萬林企業股份有限公司
- 統振股份有限公司
- 東生華製藥股份有限公司
- 國立成功大學
- 廣穎電通股份有限公司
- 遠傳電信股份有限公司
- 國立中興大學
- 和碩聯合科技股份有限公司
Lugu private Transfer FAQs
- It is not recommended to take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from central Taichung to Lugu. HSR is expensive, slow, and involves transfer hassles. Even during peak days, there are only 27 trains from Taichung to Changhua a day, running from the first at 06:25 to the last at 22:49. After the last train until early morning, you will still need to look for other transportation options. 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 10-11-minute (10 min on average) HSR ride from Taichung Station to Changhua HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$130 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 55 minutes with a fare of NT$1,300, you will arrive at your destination in Lugu Township, Nantou County. The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 1 hour and 47 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$770. 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$650, and the journey takes 1 hour and 23 minutes. Choosing the HSR over a private charter will not only cost each person at least an extra NT$120 in fares but also waste an additional 24 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.
- 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 (Xitun District) to Lugu is between NT$1150 and NT$1650 (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, such as 聯美汽車行, 天誠衛星計程車, 龍興計程車行永福站無線車隊 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$1,800 and 2,200, which is not significantly different from Tripool. By comparison, Tripool offers a fixed, transparent fare that will not change due to traffic or detours. However, when considering the return trip, in Nantou County there are only about 340 licensed taxis. This is about 4% of the number of taxis in Taichung City, and its density is just 0.2% of the Taipei/New Taipei metro area, making it 490 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 Lugu in terms of both price and service quality.
- If you are looking for a private car or a taxi from Taichung to Lugu, input the pick-up and drop-off locations (or addresses) on our website. You will get an actual quote in just three seconds. Follow the yellow buttons, fill up your travel information, and choose the payment methods. Once you get the order ID, you will get an SMS and a confirmation email, and your order is all set. We will provide the driver's contact and the car information one day before the ride at 8 PM. We will fulfill your reservation 100%, guaranteeing that our driver will show up. It's recommended to finish the booking one day before noon. Tripool still accepts orders by 6 PM if you have an urgent request, and the latest order can come in by four hours in advance.
- Tripool provides 5-seater sedans, SUVs, and 9-seater vans for private car service. Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen are the most used brands, and there are also a few Lexus, Tesla, and Mercedes-Benz. All vehicles are legal, in good condition, non-smoking, and with up to $5 million insurance. If you have special requests or passengers are more than 8, tripool can arrange a VW Crafter, a 20-seater minibus, or a 40-seater tour bus. Please fill up the request form on our homepage, and we will provide a quote.
- 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 Lugu, it's better to reserve it now to secure the best 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.
- Some drivers in Line and Facebook groups claim that they can offer private transportation services with a group of more than 8 in a single van, but their services are illegal. According to Taiwan traffic laws, a van can only accommodate nine people maximum, including a driver. Excluding a driver, the maximum number of passengers is 8. If your group is 9 or more and you prefer to travel together in one vehicle, a bus is the only legal option. Some 9-seater van drivers modify their cars and add one or two extra chairs. If these modified vans are detected by the polices on the street, your trip will be terminated immediately. Worst of all, there are additional risks for accidents. And insurance is definitely not covering it. Don't risk your family's and friends' life for a lower price. If your group is no more than 10, we recommend hiring a 9-seater van and a 5-seater sedan. It is cheaper than booking a bus on most occasions. But if your group is more than 12, hiring a bus may be ideal. However, there are few exceptions, such as traveling to mountain areas or narrow lanes. It is better to consult our online service before booking.
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Distance：70 km ｜Travel time：83 mins
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