Hualien Car Rental: Picking Up at Hualien Station, 3 Drives from the Station + One-Way to Taitung

Hualien Car Rental: Picking Up at Hualien Station, 3 Drives from the Station + One-Way to Taitung

The easiest way to explore Hualien (花蓮) is to take the TRA train to Hualien Station and pick up a car when you arrive. GoodCars' Hualien branch is at Hualien Railway Station, with self-service pickup and return at the station parking lot. This guide covers four things: how pickup works at Hualien Station, what to do if you arrive late or early, how long it takes to drive north, south and down the coast, and how to pick up in Hualien and drop off in Taitung. For the gorge itself see our Taroko National Park self-drive guide; for the valley route see the East Rift Valley self-drive guide.

Qixingtan is only a short drive from Hualien Station (Unsplash, location tagged Qixingtan Beach, Hualien)

Why take the train to Hualien and rent a car there?

Driving yourself from Taipei means Freeway 5 through the Snow Mountain Tunnel and then Provincial Highway 9, the Suhua Highway. The highway is open, but the Highway Bureau's notices list several work zones along it — some with single-lane alternating traffic and some with short full closures late at night (Highway Bureau notice updated Wednesday 23 September 2026, reposted on the Taroko National Park website). The Bureau also warns that mountain roads are prone to rockfalls after earthquakes and asks drivers to avoid them in heavy or prolonged rain.

The TRA train runs from Taipei to Hualien on the Yilan and North-Link lines, so road works and traffic don't affect it; check TRA for timetables. The low-stress plan: ride the train to Hualien, collect the car at the station, and only drive within Hualien County.

Hualien's sights spread in three directions: north to Qixingtan, Taroko and the Qingshui Cliffs; south along Highway 9 through the East Rift Valley; and south-east along Highway 11 on the Pacific coast. Buses between them are limited, so a car is what ties them together — and Hualien Station is where all three roads start.

Take the train into eastern Taiwan and drive from the station (Unsplash, location tagged Taitung)

How pickup works at Hualien Station (self-service parking lot)

GoodCars' official instructions say that for pickup, staff drive the car to the designated parking lot and you walk there to collect it; for return, you leave the key inside the car and staff lock it with the remote locking system. Step by step:

1. Book online: choose Hualien Station, then your dates, times and car. Online you can choose pickup and return times between 09:00 and 21:00 (for other hours, see the next section).
2. Upload documents, pay and sign the e-contract before pickup, as the system instructs — no paperwork on the day.
3. Read your booking confirmation: where the designated lot is and where the car is parked are whatever your confirmation says.
4. Walk from the station to the lot — the car will already be waiting there.
5. Photograph the car all round and the odometer before you leave, and check the fuel card is inside. If anything looks wrong, call +886 3-956-0505 first.
6. Return: park back at the designated lot before your booked return time, take a few photos, leave the key in the car, and staff lock it remotely.

First self-service rental? Our self-service pickup and return guide walks through each step with pictures.

Arriving late at night or early in the morning?

Hualien Station can be booked online for 09:00–21:00, and the booking page's time menus only offer that range. To pick up or return outside opening hours (21:00–09:00), call the branch first on +886 3-956-0505 and they will arrange it for you. So if your train gets in after 21:00 (or before 09:00), phone ahead with your arrival time and the branch will set up the pickup — or, if you prefer, stay in Hualien City that night and collect the car after 09:00 the next morning. Returns work the same way: online return times are 09:00–21:00, and for a late-night or early-morning train out, call first and an out-of-hours return can be arranged. Delays or changes: call +886 3-956-0505.

Driving times from Hualien Station

Three highlights per direction, with the range across Google Maps' suggested routes from Hualien Station. We checked on the evening of Friday 25 September 2026 (the first night of the Mid-Autumn long weekend), so daytime weekend traffic may be slower.

North: Qixingtan, Taroko, Qingshui Cliffs

Trail details and day plans are in our Taroko self-drive guide — but always go by the park's latest notice.

The Qingshui Cliffs, currently partially open, are about 35 minutes from Hualien Station (Unsplash, location tagged Ch'ing-shui Cliff, Xiulin)

South: the East Rift Valley on Highway 9

The valley road carries on to Chishang and Guanshan — see the East Rift Valley guide for two- and three-day plans.

South-east: the Highway 11 coast

A popular plan is "valley one way, coast the other", linking the two via one of the cross roads. For longer loops see our 7-day Taiwan road trip and how many days to drive around Taiwan.

Source: Google Maps driving routes from Hualien Railway Station (花蓮縣花蓮市國聯一路100號), checked on the evening of Friday 25 September 2026; place names and road kilometre markers from the Taroko National Park and East Coast National Scenic Area websites.

South of Hualien the Pacific stays beside you most of the way (Unsplash, location tagged Hualien City)

One-way: pick up in Hualien, drop off in Taitung

Both the Rift Valley and Highway 11 run north–south, so picking up in Hualien and returning in Taitung (or the reverse) means no backtracking — you can take the train home from Taitung.

• Taitung Station (台東車站, 台東市岩灣路101巷598號) also works as self-service parking-lot pickup and return (same official instructions as Hualien), bookable online 09:00–21:00; to return or pick up there outside opening hours (21:00–09:00), call the branch first and they will arrange it.
• Drive time: Google Maps puts Hualien Station to Taitung Station at about 3 hours without stops (about 166 km via Hwy 9 or 171 km via Hwy 11). With sightseeing, plan two to three days.
• How to book: tick the one-way option on the booking page, choose Hualien Station for pickup and Taitung Station for return, and you'll see availability and price — any one-way charge is shown there.

Starting from Taitung instead? Book a Taitung Station pickup. See also the Taitung car rental guide and our one-way rental guide with 10 routes.

Pick up in Hualien, drop off in Taitung and take the train home (Unsplash, the sign reads Taitung)

How pricing works: rental + fuel charge + fuel card

• Rental fee: varies by car and date; live quotes for Hualien Station are on the booking page.
• Fuel charge: you pay for the kilometres you drive, with no cap on distance — Taroko and back, or all the way to Taitung, is no problem.
• Fuel card: every car carries its own fuel card. Use it whenever you need fuel — it's already built into the fuel charge — and there's no need to stop for fuel before returning the car. On long mountain or coastal stretches, keep an eye on the gauge and use the card when needed.
• Paid at the pump yourself? Keep the receipt from within your rental period and it can be deducted from that rental's fuel charge (up to the full amount).
• Tolls: freeway ETC tolls are settled separately under the website's terms.

Details are on the fuel charge page; for rough prices by car type see How much does car rental cost in Taiwan. Browse the 5-seater and 7–9 seater fleet pages — what Hualien Station has on your dates is shown on the booking page.

FAQ

Q1. What documents do I need?

Foreign visitors: your passport and home-country driving licence; travellers from most countries also need an International Driving Permit (IDP). Japanese visitors use a Japanese licence with an official Chinese translation instead of an IDP. Foreign visitors also need a credit card in the booker's name. Taiwan residents: national ID and a valid licence; you can pay by card or in cash (at self-service parking-lot stations, pay online during booking). Upload your documents once the booking is confirmed. New to driving in Taiwan? Read our Taiwan traffic rules guide.

Q2. My train arrives after 21:00. Can I still pick up?

Yes, it can be arranged. Online bookings run 09:00–21:00, so later times can't be selected on the booking page — call the branch first on +886 3-956-0505 with your arrival time and they will arrange an out-of-hours pickup. Alternatively, stay in Hualien City and collect the car after 09:00 the next day.

Q3. Do I need to stop for fuel before I hand the car back?

No. Fuel is built into the fuel charge — pay with the car's fuel card if you need fuel on the road — and you don't have to top up before the return.

Q4. Can I rent a scooter at Hualien Station?

The booking page for Hualien Station currently lists only 5-seaters and 7–9 seaters — no scooters; go by what the booking page shows at the time. Note that GoodCars scooters are refuelled by the rider and don't come with a fuel card.

Q5. Can I pick up in Hualien and return in Taitung?

Yes — tick the one-way option, choose Hualien Station for pickup and Taitung Station for return. Availability and any one-way charge are shown on the booking page.

Q6. Is a 7–9 seater available in Hualien?

Hualien Station's booking page offers 7–9 seaters (models on the 7–9 seater page); which model is free on your dates is whatever the booking page shows. Book early for holidays.

Q7. Can I drive into Taroko Gorge now?

The Central Cross-Island Highway (Hwy 8) is currently "partially open" — timed releases on normal days and a nightly closure — and several trails remain closed. Check the park's Roads and Trails page on the day.