Question 1

Is taking the HSR from Taipei Main Station to Tainan a good idea?

Accepted Answer

To take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Taipei Main Station to Tainan, HSR is comfortable and quick but pricey. From the earliest departure at 06:26 to the latest at 22:16, there are up to 73 high-speed rail from Taipei to Tainan each day. Assuming you depart from Taipei Main Station (Zhongzheng District, Taipei City) , you may walk or take a bus—if available—to Taipei HSR station. Including walking to the platform, buying a ticket, and waiting for the train, it takes at least 25 minutes. Then, take a 85-120-minute (104 min on average) HSR ride from Taipei Station to Tainan HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$1,350 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 38 minutes with a fare of NT$300, you will arrive at your destination at Tainan (North District, Tainan City). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 2 hours and 52 minutes. Assuming 8 people traveling together (and have to split into two taxis), the average cost per person for the HSR and transfers is NT$1,430. In contrast, if you use Tripool for a door-to-door private car service, the average cost per person is about NT$1,260, and the journey takes 4 hours and 8 minutes. For long-distance travel, the HSR is indeed faster, but it comes with an extra transportation cost of about NT$1,360. Therefore, for those who are not in a major hurry, you may consider a cheaper and door-to-door private transfer option, like Tripool. 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.

Question 2

Is it advisable to rent a car and drive from Taipei Main Station to Tainan?

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 are about 30 rental car companies, such as 白宮國際, 溫得利國際租賃, 嘉慶小客車租賃, available in the Taipei Main Station - Zhongzheng District, Taipei 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 Taipei Main Station and Tainan, 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. But if you only need a one-way trip and will return a day or more later, then renting a car is very inconvenient. Moreover, the rental location may be some distance from Taipei Main Station, 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 Taipei Main Station to Tainan?

Accepted Answer

If you choose to take a taxi directly, in the Taipei 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 Taipei Main Station, such as 日昇計程車, 聖惠衛星車隊, 優質計程車 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$7,740 and 9,300, but you could save up to NT$2,700 by booking with Tripool instead. However, when considering the return trip, in Tainan City there are only about 4,140 licensed taxis. This is about 15% of the number of taxis in Taipei City, and its density is just 4.6% of the Taipei/New Taipei metro area, making it 20 times more difficult to hail a cab there. Considering all factors, Tripool is your best choice for traveling from Taipei Main Station to Tainan in terms of both price and service quality.

Question 4

Which is the best taxi app in Taiwan? Uber? Grab? Didi? Bolt? Lyft?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 5

How can I book a private car? Is it guaranteed that there will be a driver available? What is the latest time that I can reserve a driver?

Accepted Answer

If you are looking for a private car or a taxi from Taipei Main Station to Tainan, 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.

Question 6

Why does tripool charge cheaper than other taxis?

Accepted Answer

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 Taipei Main Station to Tainan, it's better to reserve it now to secure the best price.

Question 7

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 8

How can I book a car with a lot of luggage or oversized objects?

Accepted Answer

In common, a 9-seater van can accommodate eight passengers with six 30" luggage. Suppose there are fewer passengers in the car. In that case, our driver can fold down the rear seats. There will be more space for oversized objects, such as surfboards, golf clubs, instruments, foldable bikes, desktop computers, etc. As long as these objects won't block the driver's sight and do no damage to the car body, passengers can put as many luggage and items as they like. But extra charge may be needed. You can find the details in the FAQ section. We suggest measuring the size, telling how many items to our online service first, and making the order afterward.

Item	tripool	HSR	Car Rental	Taxi
Travel Time	250 mins	-	280-310 mins	255-265 mins
Price per Person	NT$1,260/person	NT$1,430/person	NT$910/person	NT$1,940-2,330/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 Usually limited to 4 passengers Higher price

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