Xueshan Trailhead Parking→TRA Luodong Station

To take the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Xueshan Trailhead Parking to TRA Luodong Station, HSR is quick but pricey and has difficult taxi access. From the earliest departure at 06:05 to the latest at 23:03, there are up to 103 high-speed rail from Taichung to Nangang each day. Assuming you depart from Xueshan Trailhead Parking (Heping District, Taichung City) and head to the nearest Taichung HSR station, a taxi ride would cost about NT$1,800 and take approximately 70 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 54-81-minute (68 min on average) HSR ride from Taichung Station to Nangang HSR Station. The ticket price is NT$750 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 68 minutes with a fare of NT$1,800, you will arrive at your destination at TRA Luodong Station (Luodong Township, Yilan County). The entire journey, including transfers, takes a total of 3 hours and 56 minutes. Assuming 4 people traveling together, the average cost per person for the HSR and transfers is NT$1,650. In suburban and rural areas, taxis are already limited. Unlike in big cities, rural drivers don’t actively drive around to look for passengers. So if you need a taxi on the spot, you may have to wait a long time—or you simply won’t find one nearby.. Even if you are lucky enough to hail a cab, 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$1,530, and the journey takes 4 hours and 4 minutes. For long-distance travel, the HSR is indeed faster than a car by 8 minutes, but it comes with an extra transportation cost of about NT$480. Therefore, for those who are not in a major hurry, booking with Tripool is the more cost-effective option. 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 are considering renting a car, unfortunately, there are likely no rental companies in the vicinity of Xueshan Trailhead Parking. If you do not want to spend extra time traveling to a nearby city to rent a car, nor spend NT$6,275 on a taxi to TRA Luodong Station, then a direct Tripool private car is your best option.

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.. Based on the meter, the estimated fare is between NT$6,275 and 9,400, but you could save up to NT$3,300 by booking with Tripool instead. Please be aware that since the Xueshan Trailhead Parking is in a remote area, taxis do not cruise the streets. You are unlikely to be able to hail one directly. Taxis here typically only accept pre-bookings by phone, and calling for one on the spot may result in a significant waiting time. If you plan to make a return trip on the same or next day, be aware that taxis are even harder to find in TRA Luodong Station (in the Yilan County area), as Yilan County has only about 749 taxis. It is recommended to plan ahead. 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 Xueshan Trailhead Parking to TRA Luodong Station in terms of both price and service quality.

Tripool provides private day tours and charter services all around the island, including TRA Luodong Station and Xueshan Trailhead Parking. 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.

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 Xueshan Trailhead Parking to TRA Luodong Station, it's better to reserve it now to secure the best price.

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.

Fewer travelers book hotels through traditional travel agents, and most go through OTAs (online travel agents). It is easy to filter areas, prices, types of rooms, special needs on OTAs' websites. Still, customers can also get a 20~40% discount compared to hotels' official websites. The most popular OTAs in Taiwan are Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia.com, and Trip.com. In general, travelers can make reservations on websites or apps. Once finishing the online payment, everything is set, and there is not necessary to double-check the reservation by phone. However, some hotels may oversell their rooms on multiple platforms. To avoid being rejected by hotels once you arrive, choose high-rated hotels with more reviews online or make a phone call to hotels to confirm again. For B&Bs (also called minsus), locals prefer to book rooms through B&Bs' websites or contact the hosts directly. Sometimes, the price is better than OTAs. The downside is that their websites don't accept foreign credit cards or guests have to do wire transfers. If you want to save all these troubles and find decent B&Bs, Airbnb and AsiaYo (a local brand) are the best alternatives.