Taichung→Shimenshan Trail
Your itinerary, your schedule. We just drive
Distance：309 km ｜Travel time：319 mins
fare estimation
Taichung to Shimenshan Trail - how to travel this route
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 Shimenshan Trail, and if you’d like to visit nearby attractions, such as Hehuan Lodge Parking, Tailuge National Park, Xiulin Heping Post Office Hualien Branch 12, 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 Shimenshan Trail, the fastest land transportation is high-speed rail, but if you do not want to spend a lot of money, a car rental is the most cost-saving option for a group of 4-8 people. The data in the following table is based on a party of 4 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. Furthermore, for solo travelers willing to sacrifice a bit of travel time in exchange for a convenient and affordable door-to-door service, we recommend considering Tripool's carpool.
- 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
- 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
- Higher price
- Risk of overcharging
| Item | tripool | HSR | Car Rental | Taxi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel Time | 320 mins | 315 mins | 350-380 mins | 325-335 mins |
| Price per Person | NT$1,920/person | NT$2,000/person | NT$1,080/person | NT$1,950-2,330/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
- 國立暨南國際大學
- 廣明光電股份有限公司
- 凌華科技股份有限公司
- 汎銓科技股份有限公司
- 友霖生技醫藥股份有限公司
- 聯華食品工業股份有限公司
- 台燿科技股份有限公司
- 天鈺科技股份有限公司
- 東生華製藥股份有限公司
Shimenshan Trail private Transfer FAQs
- To take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from downtown Taichung to Shimenshan Trail, 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 Shimenshan Trail (Xiulin Township, Hualien County). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 5 hours and 14 minutes. Assuming 4 people traveling together, the average cost per person for the HSR and transfers is NT$2,000. 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$1,920, and the journey takes 5 hours and 19 minutes. For long-distance travel, the HSR is indeed faster than a car by 5 minutes, but it comes with an extra transportation cost of about NT$320. Therefore, for those who are not in a major hurry, booking with Tripool is the more cost-effective option. 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 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 60 rental car companies, such as 愛旺租車, 行樂租賃, 八方租車, available in the Xitun District, Taichung 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 Taichung (Xitun District) and Shimenshan Trail, the estimated cost for a sedan is NT$4300 or NT$7300 for a 9-seater van. This is, of course, cheaper than taking a taxi. If you plan to sightsee along the way to Shimenshan Trail, 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 your home/office/starting point, 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.
- 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, TND皇家多元化計程車 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$7,775 and 9,300, but you could save up to NT$1,600 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 Shimenshan Trail in terms of both price and service quality.
- 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 Shimenshan Trail, 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.
- 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.
- Tripool provides private day tours and charter services all around the island, including Shimenshan Trail 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.
- As long as you can choose the date, time, and finish the booking on our website or the app, tripool guarantees our driver will show up. However, tripool is not a ride-hailing yellow cab company. All the reservations have to be pre-booked. If you want to go to Shimenshan Trail from Taichung, the soonest is finishing the booking four hours in advance.
Besides from Taichung to Shimenshan Trail , there are other popular routes, such as…
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Distance：309 km ｜Travel time：319 mins
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