Xitou Monster Village→Norden Ruder Hostel

It is not recommended to take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Xitou Monster Village to Norden Ruder Hostel. HSR is expensive, slow, involves transfer hassles, and has difficult taxi access. Even during peak days, there are only 28 trains from Changhua to Taichung a day, running from the first at 06:44 to the last at 23:49. After the last train until early morning, you will still need to look for other transportation options. Assuming you depart from Xitou Monster Village (Lugu Township, Nantou County) and head to the nearest Changhua HSR station, a taxi ride would cost about NT$1,300 and take approximately 55 minutes. After arriving at the HSR station, the time to walk in, purchase tickets, and wait on the platform is about 15 minutes. Then, take a 9-10-minute (10 min on average) HSR ride from Changhua Station to Taichung HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$130 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 25 minutes with a fare of NT$300, you will arrive at your destination at Norden Ruder Hostel (Central District, Taichung City). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 1 hour and 55 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$770. However, in Nantou County, there are only just over 300 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 500 times more difficult than in a major city like Taipei, and since Xitou Monster Village 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 Nantou 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$760, and the journey takes 1 hour and 35 minutes. Choosing the HSR over a private charter will not only cost each person at least an extra NT$10 in fares but also waste an additional 20 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 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 Nantou County 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 Xitou Monster Village to Norden Ruder Hostel is between NT$1250 and NT$1800 (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 Nantou County area, you can use apps to hail a cab from 55688 Taiwan Taxi and Yoxi. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$1,725 and 2,600, 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 Nantou County, there are only about 340 licensed taxis. The taxi density is just 0.2% of that in the Taipei/New Taipei metro area, meaning it is 500 times more difficult to hail a cab on the spot compared to Taipei or New Taipei. Furthermore, some taxi drivers in Nantou County flat-out refuse to use the meter. Nearly 58% 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 Xitou Monster Village to Norden Ruder Hostel in terms of both price and service quality.

The quote on the website and the app already include the car rental fee, driver's fare, cost of gasoline, toll fee, insurance, and tips. Passengers don't have to pay for the driver's meals and accommodation fees. There is no other hidden fee. What passengers see on the website is the actual price.

Every order can only reserve one car, and it is easier for passengers to make any change or cancelation. Please make two separate bookings on the website or the app if passengers need a round trip. There is no particular promotion about a round trip for now, but it's welcome to use any coupon for each ride.

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 Xitou Monster Village to Norden Ruder Hostel, 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.

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.