Written/Compiled and Reported by Wei Ruyu
Jointly organized by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and Giant Travel Agency, the “East Rift Valley Two-Rail Leisure Tour” has received an enthusiastic response. The second batch is now open for registration today (October 11) until noon on October 24, with departure scheduled for October 29. Each batch has limited spots and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested individuals are advised to sign up online as soon as possible to avoid missing out.
Liu Xilin (right), Deputy Director-General of the Tourism Bureau, and Ho Youren (left), General Manager of Giant, are key driving forces behind the event. (Photo by Wei Ruyu, ScenicSpots.com)
The Tourism Bureau is promoting a low-carbon green transportation service system, integrating railway, road, and tourism leisure resources to market Eastern Taiwan. With a new recreational format combining cycling and rail travel, the “Taiwan Bicycle Festival ~ East Rift Valley Two-Rail Leisure Tour” was held from September to December 2011, comprising 12 batches. Participants can bring their own bicycles or rent one at any of the seven designated train stations—Xincheng, Hualien, Shoufeng, Ruisui, Yuli, Guanshan, and Taitung—where bike rental stations are set up. Bikes can be returned at any of these stations, eliminating the need to return to the original rental location, allowing for “rent at one station, return at another.”
Participants in this event enjoy a 30%–70% discount off the original price, depending on whether they choose the bike-and-rail combo or two-rail ticket option, with slight variations between weekdays and weekends. The cost per person is approximately NT$450–NT$790. The organizers also provide additional services such as roadside assistance, luggage forwarding, and hotel booking.
Cycling across Taiwan has become an increasingly popular national activity. (Image provided by MK Editing Room)
There are currently three more batches available (October 29–30 / November 26–27 / December 24–25). During the Bicycle Festival period (November 5–13), an additional eight batches will be added. Each batch opens for registration 18 days before the event, with exact timing subject to website announcements and spots filling up quickly.
It is particularly important to note that participants under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Due to limited bicycle sizes (restricted to riders over 145 cm tall), tandem bikes, youth bikes, children’s bikes, family bikes, or electric bikes are not provided. Available bike sizes are determined on-site. For more details, brochures, and registration forms, please visit taiwanbike.tw directly.