Accommodation in Taipei
For those who arrive earlier or depart later and wish to spend a night in Taipei, we have the following hotel recommendations:
Howard Civil Service International House: the usual choice for visitors at National Taiwan University. It is close to campus and relatively well-located within the city center.
See location and homepage.
Caesar Park Hotel Taipei: close to Taipei Main Station with a reasonable price.
See location and homepage.
Train from Taipei to Hualien on January 11, 2026 (Sunday)
We will book a group train ticket to go from Taipei to Hualien on Sunday. We will take the Taroko Express236, departing from Taipei Main Station at 15:30 and arriving in Hualien Station at 17:47. If you plan to join the group train ride, please let us know with an email by December 12, 2025.
For alternatives, you can visit the Taiwan Railway website. Feel free to contact us (pnunez@ntu.edu.tw or wkpoon@ncts.ntu.edu.tw) if you need our assistance to book an alternative train. Some practical advice:
There are two types of trains going from Taipei to Hualien: local and express.
Only express trains allow for seat reservation (some of them also require seat reservation). You can book a seat from the Taiwan Railway website, but individual seats can be booked only up to 28 days in advance.
For local trains and most express trains, you can pay with an EasyCard.
If you are receiving funding for travel within Taiwan for us, and are taking an alternative train to Hualien, please keep a receipt, so that we can reimburse you afterwards.
High speed train from Zuoying to Taipei on January 16, 2026 (Friday)
To go back from Zuoying to Taipei, the most convenient option is the Taiwan High Speed Rail. A good option, for example, is the train departing from Zuoying THSR Station at 18:35. This train stops in Taoyuan HSR Station (20 minutes away from TPE airport by public transport) at 20:09, and in Taipei Main Station at 20:33.
Tickets can be booked up to 29 days in advance. You can book the ticket from the Taiwan High Speed Rail website or from the T Express App. You can also buy tickets at the station counter directly, but most seated tickets will likely be sold out if you buy it on the day of the train ride and you might have to stand up for the whole ride. Feel free to contact us (pnunez@ntu.edu.tw or wkpoon@ncts.ntu.edu.tw) if you need our assistance booking a high speed train ticket.
If you are receiving funding for travel within Taiwan for us, please keep a receipt of your high speed train ticket, so that we can reimburse you afterwards.
Cycling logistics
To facilitate a smooth and safe cycling trip, we will arrange the following:
Cycling leaders: they are familiar with the route and they will also be in charge of controlling time and pace, to make sure that we reach our destination on time for the afternoon schedule. We will hire 1 cycling leader for every 10 cyclists.
Support vans: each support van can accommodate 8 cyclists. They will carry luggage, water and free snacks, and they can help with quick repairs if necessary. If anyone wants a break from cycling, they can load their bicycle onto the roof rack and ride in the van.
Tentative schedule
*The talk venues will be open and available for maths discussions from 13:00 every day.
Tentative talk venues
Our talk venues, all within a walkable distance from a train station, are open to our participants from 13:00 to 18:30.
Day 1 Ruisui: 花蓮縣立瑞穗國中 Hualien Jui-Sui Junior High School
Day 2 Guanshan: 關山工商 National Kuan-Shan Industrial and Commercial Professional School
Day 3 Jinlun: 金鑽溫泉飯店餐廳 Jinzan Hot Spring Hotel Restaurant
Day 4 Fangliao: 枋寮高中 Pingtung County Fangliao High School
Day 5 Zuoying: 三民家商 Kaohsiung Municipal Sanmin Vocational High School of Home Economics & Commerce
Accommodation
We will be staying in relatively small towns along Taiwan's east coast. By default we will book accommodation from Day 0 (check-in on Sunday) to Day 4 (check-out on Friday), for a total of 5 nights. But we can also book an extra night of accommodation at Zuoying on Day 5 upon request.
Below are the tentative hotels that we will be booking:
Day 0 Hualien: F HOTEL 花蓮站前館
Day 1 Ruisui: 虎爺温泉飯店 Hoya Spa Hotel
Day 2 Guanshan: 山水居飯店 Shan Shuei Jyu Hotel
Day 3 Jinlun: 台東太麻里城堡溫泉會館 Taimali Castle
Day 4 Fangliao: 枋客文旅 FangLiao Hotel
Day 5 Zuoying : 塔木德酒店Classic 高雄愛河館 Talmud Hotel Kaohsiung LoveRiver
Food
There are plenty of small traditional restaurants in the cities that we will be visiting. They are usually very affordable (10 USD would already be considered an expensive meal here). It is relatively easy to find vegetarian food but hard to find vegan food (for religious reasons).
Our supporting vans will provide water and light snack to the cycling participants. It is also possible to get food and drinks from the few convenience stores along the cycling path.
Sightseeing
After three days of cycling we will arrive in Jinlun, which is known for its natural hot springs. So feel free to bring a swimsuit!
Other sightseeing recommendations coming soon.