Taitung→Silks Place Tainan

It is not recommended to take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Taitung to Silks Place Tainan. HSR is expensive, slow, and has difficult taxi access. Although there can be up to 76 trains from Zuoying to Tainan a day, running from the first at 05:50 to the last at 22:55, once service ends for the night until early morning, alternative transportation is still required. Assuming you depart from Taitung City, Taitung County and head to the nearest Zuoying HSR station, a taxi ride would cost about NT$5,900 and take approximately 235 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 11-15-minute (12 min on average) HSR ride from Zuoying Station to Tainan HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$140 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 33 minutes with a fare of NT$300, you will arrive at your destination at Silks Place Tainan (Zhongxi District, Tainan City). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 5 hours and 4 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$2,620. However, in Taitung County, there are only just over 400 licensed taxis. The taxi density is 0.2% of that in the Taipei/New Taipei metro area. In other words, hailing a taxi on the spot is 400 times more difficult than in a major city like Taipei. Even if you are lucky enough to hail a cab, a minority of taxi drivers in Taitung County 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$2,110, and the journey takes 4 hours and 28 minutes. Choosing the HSR over a private charter will not only cost each person at least an extra NT$510 in fares but also waste an additional 36 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 10 rental car companies, such as 禾上小客車租賃, 台東小哥租賃, 捷陞小客車租賃, available in the Taitung City, Taitung County 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 Taitung (Taitung City) and Silks Place Tainan, the estimated cost for a sedan is NT$3400 or NT$6400 for a 9-seater van. This is, of course, cheaper than taking a taxi. However, if Silks Place Tainan has extensive indoor facilities or the attractions you want to visit are nearby, renting a car for the entire day seems wasteful. 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 Taitung County area, you can use apps to hail a cab from 55688 Taiwan Taxi, and if you cannot hail a cab on the street, you can also consider calling taxi fleets, such as 山馬(三馬)計程車, 台東共乘計程車, 台東新城計程車 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$4,685 and 7,000, which is not significantly different from Tripool. By comparison, Tripool offers a fixed, transparent fare that will not change due to traffic or detours. But if you cannot book in advance or prefer to hail a cab on the spot, be aware that in the whole Taitung County, there are only about 350 licensed taxis. The taxi density is just 0.2% of that in the Taipei/New Taipei metro area, meaning it is 400 times more difficult to hail a cab on the spot compared to Taipei or New Taipei. If you plan to make a return trip on the same or next day, be aware that taxis in Zhongxi District, Tainan City are also not easy to find. It is recommended to plan ahead. Furthermore, some taxi drivers in Taitung County flat-out refuse to use the meter. Nearly 47% 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 Taitung to Silks Place Tainan in terms of both price and service quality.

Tripool provides private day tours and charter services all around the island, including Silks Place Tainan and Taitung. 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.

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.

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.

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.