Question 1

Is taking the HSR from Taipei to Alishan Hotel a good idea?

Accepted Answer

To take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from downtown Taipei to Alishan Hotel, HSR is quick but pricey. From the earliest departure at 06:26 to the latest at 22:16, there are up to 59 high-speed rail from Taipei to Chiayi each day. Assuming you depart from 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 73-103-minute (91 min on average) HSR ride from Taipei Station to Chiayi HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$1,080 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 142 minutes with a fare of NT$2,600, you will arrive at your destination at Alishan Hotel (Alishan Township, Chiayi County). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 4 hours and 23 minutes. Assuming 6 people traveling together (and have to split into two taxis), the average cost per person for the HSR and transfers is NT$1,950. In contrast, if you use Tripool for a door-to-door private car service, the average cost per person is about NT$1,820, and the journey takes 5 hours and 23 minutes. For long-distance travel, the HSR is indeed faster, but it comes with an extra transportation cost of about NT$780. 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.

Question 2

Is it advisable to rent a car and drive from Taipei to Alishan Hotel?

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 嘉慶小客車租賃, 白宮國際, 步步小客車租賃, available in the 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 (Zhongzheng District) and Alishan Hotel, the estimated cost for a sedan is NT$4400 or NT$7400 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 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.

Question 3

Would it be economical to take a taxi from Taipei to Alishan Hotel?

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, such as 永達交通, 優質計程車, 聖雄衛星車隊 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$8,165 and 9,800, but you could save up to NT$2,700 by booking with Tripool instead. However, when considering the return trip, in Chiayi County there are only about 330 licensed taxis. This is about 1% of the number of taxis in Taipei City, and its density is just 0.4% of the Taipei/New Taipei metro area, making it 240 times more difficult to hail a cab there. Considering all factors, Tripool is your best choice for traveling from Taipei to Alishan Hotel 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

Can I request a refund for the cancelation of a ride from Taipei to Alishan Hotel?

Accepted Answer

Passengers can request free cancelation one day before by noon. 100% refundable for any reason. Just send us an email or fill up the cancelation form. No additional administration fee is guaranteed.

Question 6

Do tripool and the drivers provide legal car-hiring services in Taipei City and Chiayi County?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 7

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 to Alishan Hotel, it's better to reserve it now to secure the best price.

Question 8

Where should I choose as a pick-up or a drop-off location if going to Alishan Hotel from Taipei?

Accepted Answer

Tripool offers a point-to-point private car service in Taiwan. As long as the destination connects to a road or can be searched on Google Maps, we assure you that a car can send you there. Try inputting your home/office address or a hotel's name in the search bar, and our driver will pick you up punctually and travel to a hotel or an airport with ease.

Item	tripool	HSR	Car Rental	Taxi
Travel Time	325 mins	265 mins	355-385 mins	330-340 mins
Price per Person	NT$1,820/person	NT$1,950/person	NT$1,230/person	NT$2,720-3,270/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

Taipei→Alishan Hotel

Don't waste your precious holiday on public transit

About tripool

Our vehicles

5-Seater Sedan

7-Seater MPV

9-Seater Van

Trusted by industry leaders

Alishan Hotel private Transfer FAQs

Besides from Taipei to Alishan Hotel , there are other popular routes, such as…

Download the tripool App Now

From your doorstep to anywhere

Download the tripool App Now

More popular routes from Taipei

Besides from Taipei to Alishan Hotel , there are other popular routes, such as…