TRA Taichung Station→Flying Cow Ranch

It is not recommended to take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from TRA Taichung Station to Flying Cow Ranch. HSR is expensive, slow, and involves transfer hassles. Although there can be up to 32 trains from Taichung to Miaoli a day, running from the first at 06:05 to the last at 22:39, once service ends for the night until early morning, alternative transportation is still required. Assuming you depart from TRA Taichung Station (East District, Taichung City) and head to the nearest Taichung HSR station, a taxi ride would cost about NT$400 and take approximately 32 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 17-19-minute (18 min on average) HSR ride from Taichung Station to Miaoli HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$270 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 39 minutes with a fare of NT$800, you will arrive at your destination at Flying Cow Ranch (Tongxiao Township, Miaoli County). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 1 hour and 54 minutes. Assuming 2 people traveling together, the average cost per person for the HSR and transfers is NT$870. 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$820, and the journey takes 1 hour and 10 minutes. Choosing the HSR over a private charter will not only cost each person at least an extra NT$50 in fares but also waste an additional 44 minutes on transfers and waiting. Book with Tripool now! If you are traveling alone, you can also consider Tripool's carpooling service to save up to an additional 50% on transportation costs.

If you have a Taiwanese driver's license, are confident in your driving skills, and you do not need to rest in the car (since you will be the one driving), and most importantly, if you plan to make a same-day round trip, then iRent, which allows you to pick up and drop off a car on the street in the Taichung City area, is likely your cheapest option. After registering on the iRent app, you can rent a small car for NT$115-205 per hour with an additional charge of NT$3.2 per kilometer. The estimated cost from TRA Taichung Station to Flying Cow Ranch is between NT$1000 and NT$1550 (the price difference depends on weekday/weekend rates, car model, and how soon you make the return trip after reaching your destination). Although the estimate already includes potential eTag tolls and a roadside parking fee of NT$40 per hour, you are responsible for any additional car insurance and potential traffic fines. Furthermore, iRent by Hotai only offers basic models like the Toyota Yaris, Prius C, and Vios—functional, yes, but far from the comfort you'd expect for anything beyond a grocery run. If your group has more than four people, larger 7-seater or 9-seater vehicles are not available. Moreover, the most common complaint about self-service car-sharing services is the vehicle's condition; you might open the door to find trash left by the previous user or unrepaired dents. Every rental feels like opening a blind box—sometimes fine, sometimes frustrating. Additionally, you might occasionally face issues like the previous user not returning the car on time for your reservation, or being unable to find a parking spot when you need to return it. This poses a significant risk for those in a hurry or traveling with other passengers. Finally, while picking up and dropping off the car on the street seems convenient, it is restricted to specific operational zones. The available parking spots may still be some distance away from your actual departure or arrival point, making it very inconvenient in rainy weather or when carrying luggage.

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 near TRA Taichung Station, such as 福海交通, 中華大車隊, 靜華交通 to try to book a ride. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$1,425 and 1,700, which is not significantly different from Tripool. By comparison, Tripool offers a fixed, transparent fare that will not change due to traffic or detours. However, when considering the return trip, in Miaoli County there are only about 380 licensed taxis. This is about 4% 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 TRA Taichung Station to Flying Cow Ranch in terms of both price and service quality.

Tripool provides private day tours and charter services all around the island, including Flying Cow Ranch and TRA Taichung Station. 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.

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.

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.

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 TRA Taichung Station to Flying Cow Ranch, it's better to reserve it now to secure the best price.

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.