There are buses available from the train station which will take you to the main sites, but that's not recommended since you'll be herded like cattle. We rented scooters from Hualien (~400 TWD per scooter) and scooted our way (~30-45 minutes) to Taroko Gorge. When renting scooters, BE SURE to get a helmet with a visor and bring a raincoat. It rains almost everyday, but it shouldn't be an issue on the scooter since the weather is so mild. I was extremely nervous about renting a scooter, but my friends talked me into it and it was the best idea ever.