Taipei→Hualien: hire a driver is the fastest, and car rental is the cheapest
24/7 online booking for round-the-clock travel
Distance：160 km ｜Travel time：217 mins
fare estimation
Taipei to Hualien - licensed, insured drivers, 24/7 support
The reason long-distance cross-county rides have traditionally been so expensive is that taxis are legally restricted to specific operating areas. Passengers can book an Uber through an app or call 55688 for a yellow cab, but after dropping off at Hualien, the driver has to drive back without passengers, and that cost gets built into your fare. Even when arranging with a licensed rental-car company, many are too small in scale or lack partnerships in Hualien, forcing them to pass the return trip cost on to the customer. Tripool, on the other hand, is a nationwide long-distance transfer platform with thousands of registered partner drivers across Taiwan. With our self-developed AI dispatching system, we reduce return trips without passengers caused by manual scheduling and, thanks to steady order volumes from corporate and travel agency partnerships, our drivers minimize wasted trips. The extra efficiency translates directly into savings for passengers. Whether you need a ride between Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel, Mayer Inn, Finders Hotel, Hotel Royal Hsinchu, Taroko Liiko Hotel, Hualien Charming City Hotel, or from Taipei to Hualien, Tripool has you covered—from shared rides starting at NT$3600 to 8-seater vans at NT$8400. For charter tours, business trips, or even weddings and family events, simply click the yellow button to see your instant price.
After analyzing the available data, we found the following alternatives to private charters or transfers. For the journey from Taipei to Hualien, the fastest land transportation is Tripool private car transfer, but if you want a more budget-friendly choice, a car rental 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
- Cheap for short trips
- Inconsistent quality
- Usually limited to 4 passengers
| Item | tripool | HSR | Car Rental | Taxi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel Time | 215 mins | 265 mins | 245-275 mins | 220-230 mins |
| Price per Person | NT$1,690/person | NT$2,120/person | NT$1,180/person | NT$1,620-1,920/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
Really great customer service - quickly helped with modification
Helpful and safe
Helpful and safe
So nice of him to stop ha...
So nice of him to stop halfway to allow my kids to use toilet stop
Encourage drivers to be p...
He was not at all friendly didn't introduce himself. His driving was break heavy I felt car sick most of the way.
Trusted by industry leaders
- 國立臺灣科技大學
- 双邦實業股份有限公司
- 欣技資訊股份有限公司
- 凌華科技股份有限公司
- 冠德建設股份有限公司
- 科誠股份有限公司
- 味王股份有限公司
- 豪勉科技股份有限公司
- 邁達特數位股份有限公司
- 建大工業股份有限公司
Hualien private Transfer FAQs
- It is not recommended to take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from central Taipei to Hualien. HSR is expensive and slow. Although there can be up to 103 trains from Taipei to Nangang a day, running from the first at 07:12 to the last at 23:52, once service ends for the night until early morning, alternative transportation is still required. 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 7-9-minute (8 min on average) HSR ride from Taipei Station to Nangang HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$40 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 225 minutes with a fare of NT$5,200, you will arrive at your destination in Hualien City, Hualien County. The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 4 hours and 27 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$2,120. In contrast, if you use Tripool for a door-to-door private car service, the average cost per person is about NT$1,690, and the journey takes 3 hours and 37 minutes. Choosing the HSR over a private charter will not only cost each person at least an extra NT$430 in fares but also waste an additional 50 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 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 新日鑫小客車租賃, 京華小客車租賃, 超級大租車, 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 Hualien (Hualien City), the estimated cost for a sedan is NT$2900 or NT$5900 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.
- 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 新風交通, 聖雄衛星車隊, 聖欽衛星車隊 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$4,040 and 4,800. However, when considering the return trip, in Hualien County there are only about 1,010 licensed taxis. This is about 3% of the number of taxis in Taipei 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. Although a metered taxi from central Taipei to central Hualien might be cheaper, you still face the risk of not being able to find a cab—or ending up with a driver who refuses to use the meter. If your group has more than four people, splitting into two taxis is inconvenient. In this case, Tripool, which offers pre-booking and reliable quality, might be a more suitable option for you. Considering all factors, Tripool is your best choice for traveling from Taipei to Hualien in terms of both price and service quality.
- If you are looking for a private car or a taxi from Taipei to Hualien, 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.
- 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.
- 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 Hualien, it's better to reserve it now to secure the best price.
- 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.
- 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.
Besides from Taipei to Hualien , there are other popular routes, such as…
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Distance：160 km ｜Travel time：217 mins
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