Luodong Station Car Rental Guide: Pickup at the Back Station, Opening Hours & Nearby Drives

Luodong Station Car Rental Guide: Pickup at the Back Station, Opening Hours & Nearby Drives

Luodong (羅東) is the natural base for exploring southern Yilan, and the easiest way to do it is to arrive by train or bus and pick up your car right at Luodong Station. You don't have to drive the congested Snow Mountain Tunnel stretch yourself — you only start driving once you are on the Lanyang Plain. This guide focuses on one thing — starting your trip from Luodong: GoodCars' Luodong Station branch is on the back-station side, so we cover how to walk there from the platform, which pickup and return times you can book online (09:00–21:00) and what to do if you arrive at night, how long it takes to drive from Luodong to the night market, Dongshan River, the National Center for Traditional Arts, Sanxing, Su'ao, Nanfang'ao and Taipingshan, plus parking at Luodong Night Market and how the pricing works. For a full Yilan itinerary, follow the links to our Yilan overview and 5 self-drive routes.

Rice fields line the railway on the Lanyang Plain — ride the train to Luodong and start driving from the station (Unsplash, location tagged Luodong, Yilan)

Why rent your car in Luodong rather than in Taipei?

The big unknown when driving from Taipei to Yilan is weekend traffic in the Snow Mountain Tunnel on Freeway 5, which can back up in both directions. Taking the TRA train to Luodong avoids the tunnel traffic entirely; an intercity bus still uses the tunnel, but at least you are not the one driving through the jam. Collect the car on arrival and your driving day starts on time.

Luodong sits in the southern half of the Lanyang Plain. Dongshan, Wujie, Sanxing, Su'ao, Nanfang'ao and the road up to Taipingshan are all closer from here than from Yilan City — and these places are spread out with limited bus service between them, so a car is what ties them together. If your plans centre on Luodong Night Market, Dongshan River, the Traditional Arts Center, Sanxing and Su'ao, Luodong is the most efficient pickup point.

• By train: Luodong is a major station on the TRA Yilan Line, and the branch is a short walk from the exit.
• By bus: the new Luodong Bus Transfer Station (羅東轉運站, No. 2 Luorong Road), opened in September 2024, is also on the back-station side; intercity and local buses stop there.
• Heading north instead (Jiaoxi hot springs, Toucheng, Yilan City)? You can pick up at Yilan Station or Jiaoxi Station — see our Jiaoxi car rental guide.

Getting from the platform to No. 88 Yangming Road

Luodong Station is an elevated, cross-track station: the front exit faces Gongzheng Road (downtown and the night market side) and the back exit faces Zhandong Road (站東路). Both sides are linked through the second-floor concourse, where the ticket gates are. GoodCars is on the back-station side, so after the ticket gates, head down to the back-station (Zhandong Road) exit.

1. Leave through the back exit: on the 2F concourse, follow the signs for the back station (後站) and go downstairs.
2. Open your map app: enter 宜蘭縣羅東鎮陽明路88號. Google Maps shows a walk of roughly 200–300 m, about 3–5 minutes, via Zhandong Road and Chuanyi Road Section 3 onto Yangming Road.
3. Find the branch: the official store map places it on Yangming Road near Chuanyi Road Section 3. During staffed hours, just walk in and check in.

Arriving by bus at the new Luodong Bus Transfer Station? Google Maps puts it about 400 m, a 6-minute walk from the branch — same side of the tracks, no need to cross the railway.

Luodong Station's front and back exits connect through the 2F concourse; the GoodCars branch is on the back-station side (Unsplash)

Pickup and return times: book online for 09:00–21:00, call ahead for night-time

The Luodong Station branch's online-bookable pickup and return times are 09:00–21:00, when staff are on site. It lists self-service outside business hours (21:00–09:00), but that can't be booked online — if you need a night-time pickup or return, call first to confirm (+886 3-956-0505). Either way, complete your booking, upload your documents, pay and sign the e-contract online before you travel, and pickup on the day is quick.

The full self-service steps (book online → upload documents → pay and sign → collect the car as notified → photograph it → return as instructed) are explained with pictures in our self-service pickup and return guide — worth a read if it's your first time. Whether a night-time pickup or return can be arranged, and the exact spot and details, depend on what the branch confirms by phone and your booking notification.

Driving times from Luodong Station

The table below uses the Luodong Station branch (No. 88 Yangming Road) as the starting point, based on Google Maps driving routes. Times show the range across the suggested routes and will vary with weekend traffic and weather. We keep each spot to one line here — for complete itineraries see Yilan self-drive tour: 5 routes and our Yilan car rental guide.

Source: Google Maps driving routes from No. 88 Yangming Road, Luodong, checked on 25 September 2026. Routes via Freeway 5 incur ETC tolls.

The old street at the National Center for Traditional Arts, about 12–15 minutes' drive from Luodong Station (Unsplash)

The "30-minute circle" you can cover in half a day

Luodong Night Market, the Forestry Culture Park, Dongshan River, the Traditional Arts Center, Meihua Lake and Sanxing are all within 30 minutes' drive, so you can mix and match: for example Meihua Lake in the morning → lunch in Sanxing → Dongshan River or the Traditional Arts Center in the afternoon → back to Luodong for the night market. If you want the sea, put Su'ao Cold Spring and Nanfang'ao on the same day — they are close to each other.

Nanfang'ao Fishing Harbor is about 25–30 minutes' drive from Luodong — easy to combine with the Su'ao Cold Spring (Unsplash, illustrative)

Heading up to Taipingshan? Five things to know first

Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area is the furthest drive from Luodong — Google Maps shows about 62–65 km and 1 hr 50 min or more, with the second half on mountain roads. Our advice:

• Start early: fog and rain often roll in during the afternoon; visibility drops and so does your speed. Go up in the morning and come down early.
• Check road controls: the park's official notice (updated 22 Sep 2026) lists a single-lane, two-way traffic-light section on the park access road (宜專一線), and vehicle caps may apply in peak season. Check the latest news on the official Taipingshan website before you set off.
• Winter cold snaps: official notices warn that higher sections can ice over or see snow during strong cold fronts, with temporary traffic controls on the access road — always confirm conditions in winter.
• Fuel: filling stations are scarce in the mountains, so top up with the car's fuel card before you head up — you don't pay for the fuel yourself.
• Choose the right car: with more people, luggage or long climbs, a model with a bit more power and space is more comfortable.

Yilan's mountains still carry the legacy of its forest railways — check conditions and notices before driving up (Unsplash, location tagged Yilan County; illustrative)

Parking at Luodong Night Market: do you even need to drive?

Luodong Night Market is right in town, about a 13–16 minute walk from the Luodong Station branch (roughly 950 m–1.1 km on Google Maps). On weekend evenings the nearby car parks fill up fast, so the easy options are:

• On your return day: drop the car back at the branch first, walk to the night market, then walk back to the station for your train — no parking needed.
• Staying in Luodong: leave the car at your hotel and walk over.

If you do drive, the Luodong Township Office's tourism website (羅東觀光旅遊網) lists these public car parks near the night market:

• Luodong Multi-storey Car Park (羅東立體停車場, No. 35 Xingdong Road — right next to the night market)
• Gongzheng Elementary School Underground Car Park (公正國小地下停車場, No. 47 Zhonghua Road)
• Minsheng Building Car Park (民生大樓停車場, No. 6 Minsheng Road)
• Nanmen Underground Car Park (南門地下停車場, No. 33 Qingtan Road)
• Cangqian Car Park (倉前停車場, No. 41 Cangqian Road)

The same site shows live free-space counts for these car parks and live junction cameras. The rule of thumb: arrive early, park on the edge and walk in, and don't stop or double-park around the market. Fees and hours are as posted on site.

How pricing works: rental + mileage fee + fuel card

GoodCars keeps it simple: rental fee + mileage fee.

• Rental fee: depends on the car and dates (weekday, weekend, holidays); check live prices for Luodong on the booking page.
• Mileage fee: charged by the kilometres you actually drive, with no cap on distance — drive to Taipingshan or Su'ao without worrying about limits.
• Fuel card: every car comes with a dedicated fuel card. Swipe it at the pump and you don't pay for fuel yourself — fuel is covered by the mileage fee — and there's no need to top up before you return the car.
• Forgot to use the card? If you paid for fuel yourself, keep the receipt and it can be fully offset against your mileage fee.
• Other: freeway ETC tolls are charged separately according to the website's terms.

For how the mileage fee works, see the mileage fee page and our mileage charges explainer; for typical price ranges by car type and how to book smart, read How much does car rental cost in Taiwan.

Which car? For 2–4 people staying around Luodong, a 5-seat economy car (Vios or Yaris class) is easy to drive and park; for 5 or more people or lots of luggage, go for a 7–9 seater. See our 5-seater and 7–9 seater fleet pages — the cars actually available at Luodong on your dates are whatever the booking page shows.

FAQ

Q1. What documents do I need to rent at Luodong Station?

Visitors need their passport and home-country driving licence, and for most nationalities an International Driving Permit (IDP) as well; Japanese visitors can use a Japanese licence plus an official Chinese translation (not an IDP) thanks to the Taiwan–Japan reciprocity arrangement. You'll also need a credit card in the booker's name. Taiwan residents need their national ID, a valid licence and a credit card. Documents can be uploaded for review online once your booking is confirmed, which speeds up pickup.

Q2. Can I pick up at Yilan or Jiaoxi Station and return in Luodong?

GoodCars supports one-way rentals between branches: choose different pickup and return locations on the booking page to see whether it's available and what it costs — any one-way charge is shown there. See our one-way rental guide with 10 routes. Rule of thumb: northern Yilan plans suit Yilan or Jiaoxi Station, southern plans suit Luodong.

Q3. Can I rent a scooter at the Luodong branch?

Scooter numbers in Luodong are limited; whether one is available, and which models, is whatever the booking page shows at the time. See our scooter rental guide for what to know.

Q4. My train gets to Luodong after 9 pm — can I still pick up a car?

Not through online booking: the Luodong Station branch's online-bookable pickup and return times are 09:00–21:00. The branch lists self-service outside business hours (21:00–09:00); if you need a night-time pickup, call first to confirm (+886 3-956-0505). If you can switch stations, Yilan Station and Jiaoxi Station are bookable 00:00–23:55, so a late arrival can still book online there. The self-service guide walks you through it.

Q5. Are 7–9 seaters available?

Yes — GoodCars has 7–9 seat models (see the 7–9 seater page), but each branch has a different fleet, so the large vehicles you can book at Luodong are whatever the booking page shows. They go fast over holidays and summer, so book early.

Q6. Do I have to add fuel before I drop the car off?

No. Every car comes with a fuel card, fuel is covered by the mileage fee, and you don't need to top up before returning — just bring the car back at the agreed time or park it where instructed.

Q7. Is the branch far from Luodong Station?

No. It's on the back-station side at No. 88 Yangming Road — about 200–300 m, a 3–5 minute walk on Google Maps — and roughly 400 m (6 minutes) from the new Luodong Bus Transfer Station. Leave by the back exit and follow your phone's navigation.