Iām currently traveling around Taiwan after a couple of months in Southeast Asia. Iād like to rent a bicycle for a few days and travel up the east coast, however I have too much baggage. So Iād like to ship my big backpack probably from Taitung to Hualien, and then pick it up a few days later.
Iāve heard thereās a system here thatās similar to the Japanese takkyuubin service, where you can go to a convenience store, fill out a form, and theyāll ship it to another convenience store (or a home address) for you to get later. Does anyone know how it works in Taiwan? Would I be able to take it to e.g. 7-Eleven in Taitung, and then pick it up 3 or 4 days later at another one in Hualien? And if so, any idea around how much that would cost (15-20kg)?
There are convenient shipping services in Taiwan to ship nearly anything around the country. I havenāt used them personally.
Bike rental agencies are quite familiar with this and might even arrange for you at the bike rental shop. Especially if youāre doing a one-way bike rental.
Hotel or hostel might be able to arrange something also.
I suggest these options because itās could be quite familiar to them and they might even call a friend or company they already have a relationship with.
Can also take away the headache of trying to coordinate with someone at different locations in another language.
Iāve used that black cat shipping service (Japan also has it) scattered around Taiwan. Cheap and will move your stuff efficiently. I think I paid $300NTD for one suitcase if I remember correctly. Their website is not in English though https://www.t-cat.com.tw/
Another even cheaper option and less hassle for a backpack is to mail it. Iām not even kidding. I mailed a suitcase to myself once and it arrived the next day. You donāt even need to box it, literally they slap a mailing tag on it and away it goes.
Im pretty sure 711 has an arrangement with a shipping company but Iāve never tried it.
I didnāt know thatā¦ I guess he can get black cat delivery right at seven.
I walked my suitcase over to the black cat distribution point, guess I could have saved time and went to seven.
I came here twenty plus years ago so Iām not sure itās valid. I shipped my stuff by train. That included a motor scooter, bicycle and other things. Of course, I didnāt make the actual arrangements. Local friends did. Is shipping by train still an option? Of course, you have to pick it up at a train station.
Hmm, so on that page when I choose luggage, it only lets me choose to send by appointment or at a blackcat office, not at 7-11. It also then wonāt let me select either of the two delivery/pickup methods. I submit the form and tells me āē®åē”ę³é ē“äøę„å §ä¹éč²Øā (It is not possible to make a reservation for the collection within 7 days), even though it never had me choose a date. So Iām still lost haha
The confusing part is they have luggage separated as an option from their normal shipping service (TA-Q-BIN), as they do on their main shipping info page (é»č²å® ę„ä¾æ) but then clicking on it takes you to the regular TA-Q-BIN info page. If I choose TA-Q-BIN on that form, it lets me choose to ship from 7-11 and have it delivered to a home address (no 7-11 pickup).
Maybe I should just got to a 7-11 and ask them if theyāll do luggage.
Doesnāt the train still offer shipping?
I made a suggestion to use the train in an earlier comment but there was no response. Someone should check it out. It may be a good way to save money.
I ended up shipping a bag via Black Cat, and was able to drop it off at 7-11 (but you have to pick it up at the BC office). I think it was like 90nt or something, not bad. 1-2 days.
On the way back tho I decided just to take all three of my bags on the HSR. It wasnāt really that hard to get through the stations and stuff with three. Plenty of luggage space on the train as well.
If I use luggage shipping service - for example Pelican of that train station shipping - is it bad idea to leave my laptop in the luggage? I want to cycle along the eastern coast and I plan to ship my backpack, so basically no way of ālockingā it from curious hands.
Tip: put a lock on your luggage, but put the cable through the handle and then through the zipper things. They can still open the zipper with a pen but then they have no way of closing it back up to hide their theft