hi all! iād like to take my dad to taroko when he visits next month. since i donāt drive, and heās never ridden a scooter, it seems that renting a car would be best. he got his international driverās licence in the mail last week, so weāre all above board. iām thinking we should take the train to hualien (driving from taipei would clearly be too much stress for a man used to canadian roads!!!), and rent a car when we arrive in hualien. does anyone have any specific information about where this could be done. phone numbers would be amazing. since we donāt have tons of time, iād like to arrange it in advance if possible. thanks,
Christata, I advise you to be cautious about what you sign. Quite a few local car rental companies have a contract that basically says: āIf you crash the car or if itās stolen, you pay the WHOLE market value of the car.ā
The best car rental company that I have found here is Gordon Boyceās āCentral Auto Rentalā. See my post about them here: forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopi ā¦ 886#496886
They are efficient, have good vehicles, and offer better insurance coverage than most other rental companies in Taiwan. Bear in mind, though, that even this insurance might be considered minimal by the standards of most western countries.
Hi everyone,
Has anyone ever rented a car in Taipei and which company did you use? We are a two car family, but have visitors over and need to rent something bigger!
THanks in advance
Iāve rented from åé (I think theyāre Taiwanās largest car rental company) a couple of times. Iāve found their service to be professional and reasonably priced, and theyāll try to accommodate special requests (they once let me pick up a car in Taitung and return it in Taipei).
Iāve used Central Auto Rental before, and recommend them. The insurance policy isnāt great when compared to policies in the West, but itās better than that of most other companies here. And theyāre English-language friendly.
Thought Iād update this old thread. I recently used Formosa Car Rental (ä¹é¾ļ¼in Hualien for 3 day trip. Their office is behind the train station. I found their service to helpful and responsive and they were easy to contact. The check-in and check-out process was quick and easy. The vehicle was in good condition. The prices were reasonable. I did not have any problems with the car that would have caused the insurance or deposit issues to arise so I canāt speak to that. Overall a good experience.
Thanks for sharing. One of my favorite things to do is take a train to Hualien or Taidong, then rent a car in the area, then drop it off and take the train back to Taipei.
I am an experienced driver (in US), but have never driven in Taiwan. I am planning to do so first time on east coast with the assumption that it would be far more easier to drive than in Taipei.
I have a California Driver License. And a car rental company has said that all they need is my passport and my California license. I donāt have International Driver License.
I have read mixed opinions online about whether I am legal to drive in Taiwan or not. I am within my 30 days of entering in Taiwan.
Questions:
Has anyone else driven a car with that paperwork here in Taiwan, and been stopped by police. Will that pass the muster?
Are their any tips/gotchas specific to driving from Yilan down south and back?
Is there any good resource for understanding the road signs? My Chinese is Beginner+.
Thanks! I am already in Taiwan, and want to do this soon. So, getting an IDL is not an option now. Are you saying that California DL is not sufficient within first 30 days of being here?
others may know, as some states in the U.S. have reciprocal agreements with Taiwan on drivers licenses, where you donāt need a Taiwan license.
If a rental car agency is willing to rent you a car, then you are likely okay.
Get all the proper add-on insurance (stolen, collision, etc.), just like Hertz or Avis would offer you in the US
i got an IDL last year, i was pretty happy to be able to do things by the law. but then i found out it doesnāt matter anyway, some people will rent to you and others wonāt, they donāt really care about the permit. the most important law seems to be donāt get in trouble.
Donāt know why start in yilan instead of Taipei. Can be public transport headache to/from Yilan at times. Similar headache, driving a car through the tunnel requires a minimum amount of passengers during certain hours
Go all the way to Taitung along the coast. Incredibly beautiful. Some agencies also have one way rentals. Relax on train
I sometimes take a train to Hualien, Taitung, or Kaohsiung, rent a car, and then drop it off one way rental at one of the others. Can drive north from Hualien to see cliff areas, then back towards South.
Just please be careful driving the mountain road to Hualienā¦lots of crazy drivers trying to pass you on the curves.
Actually, I hate driving that stretch from Hualien to Yilan so try to not go on Friday or Sunday and hit the road early. Scenery is greatā¦drivers (small cars, buses, trucks) are terrible.
While driving in eastern Taiwan is much more relaxed and safe than in Taipei and other cities along the west coast, there are a few things you should always be prepared for:
Scooters coming out of nowhere, especially turning right in front of you without looking.
In the countryside there are always dogs lying on the streets, lots of them.
Rockfall, there is always a chance, especially during heavy rain and during an earthquake, or a combination of those two. Taroko Gorge is notorious for falling rocks. Always be alert.
Gravel trucks, loads of them in eastern Taiwan, cause lot of gravel is sourced from the riverbeds there. Always look in your back mirror and let them pass once you have the chance.
People overtaking on winding roads. Be prepared for people from the opposite direction coming over into your lane.
The reciprocal agreement is that you can use the US license to apply for a Taiwanese license (rather than take the written test if your state has no reciprocal agreement with Taiwan). But you still need a Taiwanese/international license to drive in Taiwan.
Listen to Hannes aboveā¦many things to note in Hualien area.
Do not be surprised if must stop for up to 45 minutes (traffic allowed to flow 15 minutes per hour) for more major work clearing or patching up the mountainside due to rock slides.
