Hello!
I will be making my first trip to Japan this fall with my husband and had a few questions about the rail, times between cities, and other general first timer info.
We plan to be there for 19 days, starting and ending in Tokyo. Here are the cities we would like to visit and explore: Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka, Naruto, and Hiroshima (day trip). Currently, we are planning them in that order, spending 2 nights per city the first 1.5 wks then ending in Tokyo and spending several days there, with closer day trips planned.
Do you have any other recommendations for the order of visiting these areas?
Would you recommend any other northern or southern areas that would be more worthwhile for a first timer?
I have read that travel time from Tokyo to Kyoto can be close to 3 hours. Do you have any estimation as to length of time between the other cities?
Also, we are currently looking to do a 7 day pass to start, but contemplating getting the 14. If we spend the last half of the trip mostly exploring Tokyo and doing smaller day trips, would it be more beneficial to get the 14 day, or not?
Lastly, what are the best methods of transport from HND airport to Tokyo if it is early morning/late at night and the JR is not running?
Thank you!!