Question 1

Is taking the HSR from Unique Hotel - Smile 73 Hotel to Alishan a good idea?

Accepted Answer

To take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Unique Hotel - Smile 73 Hotel to Alishan, HSR is expensive, slow, and has difficult taxi access. From the earliest departure at 06:15 to the latest at 22:05, there are up to 58 high-speed rail from Nangang to Chiayi each day. Assuming you depart from Unique Hotel - Smile 73 Hotel (Guangfu Township, Hualien County)  and head to the nearest Nangang HSR station, a taxi ride would cost about NT$6,600 and take approximately 290 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 84-114-minute (102 min on average) HSR ride from Nangang Station to Chiayi HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$1,120 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 (Alishan Township, Chiayi County). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 9 hours and 19 minutes. Assuming 3 people traveling together, the average cost per person for the HSR and transfers is NT$4,190. However, in Hualien County, there are only just over 1,000 licensed taxis. The taxi density is 0.5% of that in the Taipei/New Taipei metro area. In other words, hailing a taxi on the spot is 200 times more difficult than in a major city like Taipei, and since Unique Hotel - Smile 73 Hotel is not located in a downtown area, it may be impossible to find a taxi at all. Even if you are lucky enough to hail a cab, a minority of taxi drivers in Hualien 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$3,930, and the journey takes 9 hours and 14 minutes. Choosing the HSR over a private charter will not only cost each person at least an extra NT$260 in fares but also waste an additional 5 minutes on transfers and waiting. Book with Tripool now! If you are traveling with just one other person, 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 Unique Hotel - Smile 73 Hotel to Alishan?

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 is only one rental car company, such as 光復小客車租賃, available in the Unique Hotel - Smile 73 Hotel - Guangfu Township, Hualien 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 Unique Hotel - Smile 73 Hotel and Alishan, the estimated cost for a sedan is NT$5400 or NT$8400 for a 9-seater van. This is, of course, cheaper than taking a taxi.  If you plan to sightsee along the way to Alishan, renting a car for the day is certainly convenient and affordable, but it means the driver will not get to relax or fully enjoy the trip. Moreover, the rental location may be some distance from Unique Hotel - Smile 73 Hotel, 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 Unique Hotel - Smile 73 Hotel to Alishan?

Accepted Answer

If you choose to take a taxi directly, in the Hualien County area, you can use apps to hail a cab from 55688 Taiwan Taxi. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$9,600 and 14,400, but you could save up to NT$2,600 by booking with Tripool instead. But if you cannot book in advance or prefer to hail a cab on the spot, be aware that in the whole Hualien County, there are only about 1,010 licensed taxis. The taxi density is just 0.5% of that in the Taipei/New Taipei metro area, meaning it is 200 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 are even harder to find in Alishan (in the Chiayi County area), as Chiayi County has only about 325 taxis. It is recommended to plan ahead. Furthermore, some taxi drivers in Hualien County flat-out refuse to use the meter. Nearly 32% 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 Unique Hotel - Smile 73 Hotel to Alishan in terms of both price and service quality.

Question 4

Does tripool provide charter tour services? Is there a price list that I can check first?

Accepted Answer

Tripool provides private day tours and charter services all around the island, including Alishan and Unique Hotel - Smile 73 Hotel. 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.

Question 5

How can I make sure the driver will pick me up? What if the driver doesn't show up?

Accepted Answer

Once the booking process is completed and getting an order ID, the reservation is confirmed. Tripool promises a private car will pick passengers up on time. All the essential information, such as the driver's name, mobile number, car model, and car plate number, will be sent via SMS and email. If the driver is not at the pick-up location, passengers can contact the driver via mobile phone. The driver may be away due to a lack of parking space and waiting nearby. Suppose there is some serious emergency or traffic jam to delay the trip. In that case, tripool will rearrange a driver to reduce passengers' waiting time.

Question 6

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 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 Unique Hotel - Smile 73 Hotel to Alishan, it's better to reserve it now to secure the best price.

Question 8

Is there any regulation or purpose limit for hiring a driver and a car?

Accepted Answer

Whether going from Unique Hotel - Smile 73 Hotel to Alishan or to anywhere in Taiwan, tripool can be your driver for long-distance traveling. You can reserve a ride online for all kinds of purposes, such as a private day trip, attending a wedding, checking out from a hospital, going hiking/camping, moving, a business trip, picking up your pet, or airport transfer. As long as your reservation is made one day before by 6 pm, tripool guarantees a car for you tomorrow. If you need a receipt for a business trip, you can provide your company's title and tax ID on the checkout page. We will send the receipt which is accepted by the government via email within a week.

Item	tripool	HSR	Car Rental	Taxi
Travel Time	555 mins	-	585-615 mins	570-585 mins
Price per Person	NT$3,930/person	NT$4,190/person	NT$1,800/person	NT$3,200-4,800/person
Pros	1–8 passengers Truly pickup anywhere Ride guaranteed No hidden fees	Comfortable seating	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 Takes time and costs more	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 Risk of no return service Risk of overcharging

Unique Hotel - Smile 73 Hotel→Alishan

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