Kaohsiung Car Rental: Choosing Between Kaohsiung Main Station, HSR Zuoying and KHH Airport + How Pickup Works

Kaohsiung Car Rental: Choosing Between Kaohsiung Main Station, HSR Zuoying and KHH Airport + How Pickup Works

Whether you arrive in Kaohsiung by train, by high-speed rail or by plane, the easiest plan is to pick up your car right where you get off. GoodCars has 3 pickup points in Kaohsiung: Kaohsiung Main Station (高雄車站), HSR Zuoying Station (高鐵左營站) and Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH, 小港機場). This guide covers which one fits your trip, how the self-service parking-lot pickup at Kaohsiung Main Station works, what to watch for when driving in the city, and how pricing works. For sightseeing ideas, see Kaohsiung Self-Drive Tour: 5 Routes and Driving from HSR Zuoying Station.

The new Kaohsiung Main Station, where TRA trains and the Metro Red Line meet (Unsplash, location tagged Kaohsiung)

Which station fits how you arrive?

• By TRA train or Metro Red Line → Kaohsiung Main Station. The new station's canopy and sunken plaza are open; TRA platforms are on B1–B3 and the Metro Red Line (R11) is on B4 (Kaohsiung City Government, Takao magazine, 3 March 2025).
• By High Speed Rail → HSR Zuoying Station. The HSR station sits next to TRA Xinzuoying Station and Metro Zuoying Station (R16).
• By air → KHH Airport. There is also a Metro stop (R4), but if you are already at the airport, picking up there is fastest.

Comparing the three pickup points

Driving between them (Google Maps, traffic permitting): Main Station ↔ HSR Zuoying about 19 min; Main Station ↔ KHH Airport about 23–29 min (fastest via National Freeway 1, with ETC tolls); HSR Zuoying ↔ KHH Airport about 20–21 min.

Downtown Kaohsiung and the harbour: most city sights are within a 30-minute drive of the Main Station (Unsplash, location tagged Gushan District)

Kaohsiung Main Station: full pickup guide

This is GoodCars' most central pickup point in Kaohsiung. It is a self-service parking-lot location bookable from 00:00 to 23:55, so you can still get a car after a late train. There is no counter to queue at: documents, payment and the contract are all done online.

Step by step

GoodCars' official instructions: at pickup, "staff will drive the vehicle to the designated parking lot, and you can walk to the parking lot to pick it up"; at return, "you can leave the car key inside the vehicle, and staff will lock it remotely."

1. Book online with Kaohsiung Main Station (高雄火車站) as the pickup point.
2. Finish paperwork before you travel: upload your documents, pay and sign the e-contract as instructed after booking.
3. Check your booking confirmation: the designated parking lot and where the car is parked are given there.
4. Walk to the designated lot after leaving the station; the car is already waiting.
5. Photograph the car (all sides, wheels, odometer) and make sure the fuel card is in the car. Call +886 7-801-1122 if anything looks wrong.
6. Return: park in the lot you were told to use, take photos, leave the key inside; staff lock the car remotely.

New to self-service rental? Read the Self-Service Pickup & Return Guide first.

Driving in downtown Kaohsiung

• Light rail crossings: the Circular Light Rail runs at street level and shares intersections with cars; signals give trams priority. Never stop on the tracks while waiting at a red light. Fines for running a red light or turning right on red at these intersections are double the normal amount (Kaohsiung City Traffic Adjudication Office).
• Scooters everywhere: check your right-side mirror and blind spot before turning right or changing lanes.
• Set your GPS before leaving the lot: the station is a hub for trains, Metro, city buses and intercity coaches, so traffic around it is busy.
• Street parking: in paid roadside bays a payment slip is tucked under the wiper; you can pay it at any convenience store.
• For general road rules, see Taiwan Driving Rules for Foreign Drivers.

Kaohsiung's light rail shares street-level crossings with cars (Unsplash, location tagged Wenwu Temple Light Rail Station, Kaohsiung)

Within 30 minutes of Kaohsiung Main Station

• Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (衛武營國家藝術文化中心): about 14–16 min.
• Kaohsiung Music Center (高雄流行音樂中心): about 15–16 min.
• Lotus Pond, Dragon and Tiger Pagodas (蓮池潭 龍虎塔): about 15–16 min.
• Pier-2 Art Center (駁二藝術特區): about 16–17 min.
• British Consulate at Takao (打狗英國領事館文化園區): about 19–20 min.

Liuhe Night Market (六合夜市) is a 19–23 minute walk; Cijin (旗津) is about 33–40 minutes by car because you have to drive around the harbour. Route ideas are in 5 Kaohsiung Self-Drive Routes.

Source: Google Maps driving/walking routes from 高雄市三民區建國二路318號, checked on the evening of Fri 25 Sep 2026 with light traffic; daytime and weekends usually take longer.

Kaohsiung Music Center, about 15 minutes' drive from the Main Station (Unsplash, location tagged Kaohsiung Music Center)

HSR Zuoying Station: key points

Same self-service parking-lot process as the Main Station, bookable 00:00–23:55; the designated lot is given in your booking confirmation. It suits travellers coming down from Taipei or Taichung by HSR and trips to north Kaohsiung. Example: Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum (佛光山佛陀紀念館) is about 24–29 min from Zuoying (Freeway 10) versus 34–36 min from the Main Station. More in Driving from HSR Zuoying Station and Zuoying Car Rental.

KHH Airport: key points

The store address is 高雄市小港區中山四路19號, with parking-lot pickup and return; the official instruction is to contact staff when you arrive at the airport. Bookable online 09:00–23:55; for other times, call the branch first (+886 7-801-1122) and they will arrange it. It is the only Kaohsiung pickup point with trucks and scooters, and trucks must be returned to the same store. See also KHH Airport Car Rental.

For the Xiaoliuqiu ferry, the airport is at least 10 minutes closer to Donggang than the other two; for Kenting the fastest times are similar, but the airport route is the shortest. Plan your trip with Xiaoliuqiu Car Rental Guide, Kenting Self-Drive Guide or Kaohsiung, Kenting & Xiaoliuqiu in 3 Days.

Source: Google Maps driving routes from each pickup address, evening of Fri 25 Sep 2026. The Donggang routes showed a detour around a closure on Provincial Highway 17 at the time.

How pricing works: rental fee + fuel charge + fuel card

• Rental fee: depends on car type and dates; live prices for all three Kaohsiung points are on the booking page.
• Fuel charge: charged per kilometre actually driven, with no cap on distance.
• Fuel card: every car comes with a GoodCars fuel card. When refuelling, ask the station attendant to fill up and pay with the card (self-service pumps may not accept it), and you do not pay for fuel yourself (fuel is covered by the fuel charge), and there is no need to top up before returning the car.
• Paid for fuel yourself? Keep the receipt from within your rental period; it can be deducted from that rental's fuel charge (up to the full amount).
• ETC tolls: freeway tolls are settled separately under GoodCars' rules.

Details: fuel charge explained and How Much Does Car Rental Cost in Taiwan? Browse 5-seaters and 7–9 seaters; what is available at each Kaohsiung point on your dates is shown on the booking page.

One-way rentals

You can pick up and return at different points, for example HSR Zuoying pickup and KHH Airport return before your flight, or Kaohsiung pickup and return in another city. Select both points on the booking page to see availability and price; any one-way fee is shown there. This applies to cars (5-seaters and 7–9 seaters); trucks cannot currently be booked one-way online and must be picked up and returned at the same store (in Kaohsiung, KHH Airport). Contact the store for special requests. See One-Way Car Rental in Taiwan: 10 Routes.

FAQ

Can I pick up a car late at night at Kaohsiung Main Station?

Yes. Kaohsiung Main Station and HSR Zuoying are self-service and bookable 00:00–23:55. KHH Airport: Bookable online 09:00–23:55; for other times, call the branch first (+886 7-801-1122) and they will arrange it. So if you land in the small hours, just call ahead. Alternatively, pick up at Kaohsiung Main Station or HSR Zuoying, which can be booked online around the clock.

Where exactly is the pickup parking lot?

It is given in your booking confirmation. If you cannot find the car, call +886 7-801-1122.

Where can I rent a truck in Kaohsiung?

Only at KHH Airport. The truck rental page lists four light trucks: 菱利 1.3L manual, 菱利 1.5L automatic and 得利卡 2.4L manual (all with a canvas-covered cargo frame), plus a 得利卡 2.4L automatic with a canvas frame and tail lift; actual availability is shown on the booking page. Trucks also use rental fee + fuel charge with a fuel card; one-way truck rentals are not currently available online, so pick up and return at KHH Airport. Contact the store for special requests. See Truck Rental.

Can I rent a scooter, and do I refuel it myself?

Scooters are available only at KHH Airport and in very small numbers, so check the booking page. Unlike cars, scooters are refuelled by the rider and do not come with a fuel card; how scooters are charged is shown on the booking page. See Scooter Rental.

Can I get a 7–9 seater in Kaohsiung?

Yes, all three points take bookings for 7–9 seaters, but large vehicles are shared between stations, so availability depends on the booking page. See 7- and 9-Seater Rental.

What documents do I need?

Most visitors need a passport, their original home driving licence and a valid International Driving Permit (IDP) issued by a country that has reciprocal driving-licence arrangements with Taiwan (usable for 30 days after entry; for longer stays, the IDP must be endorsed by a motor vehicles office, valid up to 1 year — check the Highway Bureau's reciprocity list); Japanese licence holders use their Japanese licence with a Chinese translation instead. You will also need a credit card in your own name. Upload documents after booking. Full details: Ultimate Taiwan Car Rental Guide.