OK, so I’m a scooter/public transpo and occasionally taxi guy.
Never been behind the wheel in Taiwan.
OK?
So I got some in-laws in NeiLi. When we go to visit, we take the bus to Main Station (MRT is way less convenient), that’s about 40 minutes.
Then we hump it to the platform and wait, that’s 20 minutes minimum.
Then we get on the stupid fucking commuter train and may likely have to stand there in the crowded obnoxious car for, like 90 minutes or so.
Then we got to hump it to the in-laws’ place from the station, another 20 minutes.
Time wise, we’re looking at roughly 2 1/2 to 3 friggin hours, one way.
And, considering what a miserable fuckin experience the commuter train is, AND what an utter shithole Nei Li is to walk through (I’ll stay away from my personal feelings about the visitees), most of the excursion is decidedly unpleasant any friggin ways.
Now I know, by car, it’s a lousy 50 minute hop.
My question is this, could it really be that much worse by scooter (not counting weather, of course)?
Like, really?
My daily scoot commute is 45 minutes to an hour one way, and I find it quite pleasant when it ain’t raining.
Neili is the half way point between Taoyuan and Zhongli, a travellers paradise! Hakka cultural center . Land of rich ex-rice farmers.
I spent my first very wet winter whizzing past Neili every morning and evening. Not fun times.
I’m glad to see it has(not) gone up in the world.
As to how to get there faster, need to know where you are based. There may be a better bus route.
I wouldn’t recommend scootering from Taipei to Neili as it’s going to do your head in (possibly literally) but am very interested to know if ant skinflints/madmen who do this regularly out there ?!?
No wonder I’ve never heard of or met anyone from Neili.
I guess it not to be a great scooter experience since I’ve only rode big motorcycles outside of Taipei and it’s not convenient going that direction.
The new airport express train would be more comfortable but not sure how much longer. Take airport express quickly to airport with limited stops, then 3 more MRT stops to Huanbei Station. Then “hump it to the in-laws’ place”.
Yeah, I’m specifically asking about scooting it.
Given its unique placement, the current nightmare is the optimum public transpo scenario.
Sorry, I should say it’s technically possible to HSR to Taoyuan and taxi (which we’ve done a couple times), but it’s not really faster, and stupidly expensive, although considerably more comfortable.
This:
am very interested to know if ant skinflints/madmen who do this regularly out there ?!?
Just a long bloody scooter ride in the heat and the rain along with the traffic.
If I recall rightly it’s on the provincial no.1, the old North south highway.
Another solution is to just not go to Neili. Seriously. Skype with the in-laws, or invite them to Taipei and cook them a nice meal or something. Life’s too short for humping to and from Neili (and spending time there). If you really must go there, can’t you borrow or rent a car and drive? That’s way beyond comfortable scootering distance…at least when in-laws are waiting on the other end.
I really don’t think that’s bad, people look at me funny whenever I say I’m walking more than 10 minutes away. But 20 minutes walking really isn’t that bad. And I spend about an hour an a half one way using the bus and MRT to my current job. So, personally, the only complaint I would have is I hate taking the trains here.
Last train ride I recall, the first door was packed pretty full. So my wife and I walked to the next one and went in, rendering it (as we saw) full. A couple stops later, an elderly couple decides F that, we’re fitting in this area. So there shuffles nearly everyone, with hardly anything to hold onto and everyone’s rocking around like bowling pins after a strike. In a final F you, the elderly husband let out the most atrocious disgusting wretched fart I’ve ever smelled. Nearly everyone in the general area was gagging.
Obviously I’m not griping about a 20-minute walk (although if I was going to choose someplace to do it it probably wouldn’t be there), I’m talking about a 5 to 6-hour round trip in shit conditions to go basically 50 km.
My god-mother’s son-in-law commutes every day by scooter from Nanshijiao to Hsinchu (Xinzhu). Just happened to ask him on Sunday if he still does it and how long it takes him. He told me it’s about 90 minutes one way.
If it’s once couple of months, I would bear it and just scoot out there. You can choose when you need a break at a 7-11 and continue on when you’re regenerated.
The main issue I see here is, which would you rather deal with? Multiple transfers and crowded train stations/local train OR scooters/buses/cars on the road?
As far as I know, you don’t want any of that, but it’s a lesser of two evils.
