Hi Again,
After taking your previous advice and doing a lot more research through your forum and online, we've revised our itinerary as follows.
Please advise if this is do-able and any input is very much appreciated. Please confirm that the 21 JR Rail Pass is worthwhile for this travel - I'm pretty sure it will be and that we will do a bit more travel using the pass during this trip. I would envisage we start the 21 day pass on Day 5, this will then take us all the way to the airport on the way home.
Day 1 - BRISBANE – TOKYO
Day 2 - TOKYO
Day 3 - TOKYO
Day 4 - TOKYO
Day 5 - TOKYO - NIKKO - TOKYO
Day 6 - TOKYO – ENOSHIMA / KAMAKURA – TOKYO
Day 7 - TOKYO – NAGANO - YAMANOUCHI
Day 8 - YAMANOUCHI - JIGOKUDANI SNOW MONKEY PARK - NAGANO
Unsure about the best option for Days 9 to 12, from Toyama should we stay at Takayama or Kanazawa, then sightsee the surrounding area and travel to Osaka - I read in another forum that you mentioned - "traveling to Takayama via Nagoya as this is a very beautiful train ride" - would this apply if we travel from Takayama to Osaka ??? Your feedback here is required :)
Day 9 - NAGANO- SHINANO-OMANICHI –ALPINE SCENIC ROUTE –TOYAMA - ?? TAKAYAMA OR NAKAZAWA ??
Day 10 - ? TAKAYAMA OR NAKAZAWA ?
Day 11 - ? TAKAYAMA OR NAKAZAWA ? – SHIRAKAWA-GO - TAKAYAMA OR NAKAZAWA ?
Day 12 - ? TAKAYAMA OR NAKAZAWA ? - OSAKA
Can we leave our luggage at Osaka/major train station for a few days whilst we travel to Hiroshima to avoid carrying luggage whilst visiting Koya-San, Himeji & Kurashiki or should we take luggage?? I understand there is luggage transfers but this is only useful when arriving the same day - is that correct or will the transfer company deliver the luggage on a certain day??? Hope you can assist with this query - appreciate it.
Day 13 - OSAKA
Day 14 - OSAKA – KOYA-SAN
Day 15 - KOYA-SAN – OSAKA – HIMEJI - HIROSHIMA
Day 16 - HIROSHIMA – MIYAJIMA - HIROSHIMA
Day 17 - HIROSHIMA
Day 18 - HIROSHIMA – KURASHIKI – KYOTO
Day 19 - KYOTO
Day 20 - KYOTO – NARA – KYOTO
Day 21 - KYOTO
Another query - we considered Hakone (but with the recent seismic activity this may not be a good option), we are thinking of basing ourselves either at 5 Lakes - Lake Kawaguchiko or Fujisan - what would you recommend?
Day 22 - KYOTO - ?? 5 LAKES - Lake Kawaguchiko OR FUJISAN ??
Day 23 - 5 LAKES OR FUJISAN
Day 24 - 5 LAKES OR FUJISAN – TOKYO
What area in Tokyo is the Airport train's direct line/stations - we would like to book the last night in a Tokyo hotel near the direct Airport train line to avoid transfers and delays.
Day 25 - TOKYO - BRISBANE (late PM flight)
Thanks for any/all advice offered.
FYI - We are 2 adults in our 50's travelling from 11 October so hoping to sight some beautiful autumn foliage during our travels, and will purchase the JR Pass when the time is right as at the moment it is still too far away to arrange.
Many many thanks guys :)