So me and my gf want to take a mini vacation in Taiwan. At first we were looking at kenting but I realized the HSR doesn’t go down that far. Any ideas because I don’t drive. So like a resort thats on a stop of the HSR or easy to get to would be good.
You can go to Kaoshioung by HSR and then take a bus from there to Kenting.
Now, Kenting is an extremely windy shithole full of people. Without a scooter that must be Hell.
If you’re thinking about this trip over the new years holiday, you might as well wait for after. Surge prices and just…people everywhere.
If it’s not, try Silks Place in Taroko National Park. Train down to Hualien and the resort has a private shuttle bus that picks you up.
I heard it’s not that bad. People are going home to their families?
Yeah, I been told Hualien probably my best option
Less and less people are leaving Taipei for new years now that grandparents and parents have passed. I’ve been staying in Taipei for the past four Lunar New Years and I can see an increase in cars/scooters/people every year.
However, I have to assume that’s the minority of the population. Lots of young people live/work in Taipei, but are from the south.
To my knowledge, you cannot pre-book HSR tickets for the first few days of CNY. They only sell non-reserved. Unless you’re traveling first class.
I’ve heard of trains on the east coast also getting a little packed, but not as bad as the west. Doesn’t hurt to try your luck, but you still have to worry about finding a hotel!
By air perhaphs. Train tickets southeast bound are impossible to book on holidays. Also on weekends. And weekdays.
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For fun, I just now tried getting a ticket for the HSR, Taoyuan to Tainan, any time, standard or business class. For this Thurs and Fri 1/26 and 1/27, there was only ONE train available, leaving Taoyuan at 21:10 on Friday. All others sold out. There were tickets available, though, on Saturday.
Hmm are there any resorts like maybe a hot spring one close enough to taipei where I can maybe get a car driver to drive us.
Yangmingshan on the Yingshan side? I had one recommended with a spa and private cabins with great food.
Do you have the details?
Could be this one. But there are several on the way to Jinshan that are the bomb… in good company. 
陽明山天籟渡假酒店 (Yangmingshan Tien Lai Spa And Resort)
Address: 208, New Taipei City, Jinshan District, 重和里名流路1-7號
Phone: 02 2408 0000
A few reviews may help:
Please note most Wulai hot springs are kaput, taken away by last year’s typhoon. So I would not recommend Wulai. Yilan is also mission impossible due to traffic.
Yilan shouldn’t be too bad of a car ride for a quick spa/hot spring retreat. If you want an adventure, you can take the car/bus to Keelung and swap onto the train.
There is a bus from Xindian, all the way to Suao, but the problem is the highway and tunnel crossing. Too many cars, too many vacationers. Could be a bit better now that the Mainlanders have receded, but weekends I know from experience you wil end up stuck in Sheushan Tunnel. And that ain’t nice. Nor romantic.
Train is standing room only.
Yes agreed.
If Andrew wants to take car to Yilan, best is to leave in the middle of the night. If bus, take the last scheduled bus leaving Taipei. You have to make sure the hotel takes late check-ins though!
When it comes to Hotsprings, YMB/Beitou is far better than Jiaoxi. And I’ve spent more time in Jiaoxi than in YMS, but because it’s closer to the part of the coast that I like. However, I like that putrid water better. There’s a bunch of places to choose from, some are better than others… for about 1,000 NT you can get a private cabin with like 3 pools and a massage bed and shower, for 2 hours. For 300 you can book a simple private one for an hour, still relaxing.
Guys, he wants a classy retreat with his Italian girlfriend, not a hurry before they harge us more or middle of the night escapee.
Romance, guys, like petals on the way to the bed and stuff.
A quickie and then a more relaxed session 
At least one of the hotspring “resorts” in YMS has beds. I can recall one that is located close to Jinshan, on the left side of the road as you do down YMS. But once you get to the end of the road, there are more, but they look less authentic and more… expensive.
yeah, something nice, price isn’t really the issue.
He is buying a 6000 ntd teddy bear for his girl. He can afford another 6k on a New Year vacation.