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Itinerary Suggestions

wishartt
wishartt
over 7 years ago
4 responses

Hello,
I am trying to make plan for a possible family vacation to Japan in March 2017 on a budget.

My main destinations (unless you have new suggestions of where else to go) are Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Hakone.

I am planning to stay maybe 3 nights in Tokyo and more nights in Osaka since I prefer the older city charm.

1) After Tokyo, would you suggest for me to travel to Hakone first with maybe an overnight, then a day trip to Nara, to Kyoto on the same day? Or should I go straight from Nara to Osaka? Stay in Osaka for 4-5 nights, and travel on JR rails in the close-by area, including day trip to Kyoto?

2) Or would it be better to go from Tokyo to Osaka, and travel from there to Kyoto and surrounding areas. Then, day trip to Nara when on the way to Hakone?

3) We will be there for 13 nights, with maybe 4-5 nights in Osaka, 1 night in Hakone. The rest are pretty much open, and I am not sure where else to go. We will probably not want to spend too much time in Tokyo, but maybe the last 2 nights (total of 4-5 nights). Any suggestions?

4) Do you suggest for a 7 day or 14 day JR pass?

Thank you.

avatar
Daniel-san
18830 posts
over 7 years ago
Expert

Hi there,

1 and 2.) I think option sounds better here. I would visit Hakone on the way back from the Kansai region to Tokyo. This way you can explore the busy city life of Osaka and Kyoto, then relax and unwind in Hakone before returning to Tokyo.

3 and 4.) These questions are very much related. I would suggest a 7 day JR Pass if you can return to Tokyo within its validity period. You could also look at a 14 day JR Pass for added flexibility but I would recommend adding a bit more travel to your plan. For instance a side trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima could be well worth it. Alternatively, you may like Kanazawa.

Hope this helps,
Daniel

wishartt
wishartt
4 posts
almost 7 years ago

Hello, Daniel-san,

How are you?
I will be going to Japan for 10 days, and I just purchased the 7-day JR pass as suggested by someone.

I am trying to find all the instructions of how to transfer trains in between stations while I travel from Tokyo to Osaka. My host for Airbnb assumes that I would get-off at Nipponbashi, but when I put the locations on Google map, it suggested for me to get-off at Shinsaibashi Station.

What would you suggest if my start location is around Via Inn Akihabara to Shimanouchi Library (near Dotonbori)?

Thank you!

Theresa

wishartt
wishartt
4 posts
almost 7 years ago

Hello Daniel-san,

My other question is how do I get from Shimanouchi Library area to Nara(day trip) with my JR Pass?

Then, from the same area to Kyoto (day trip)?

Thank you!

Theresa

avatar
Daniel-san
18830 posts
almost 7 years ago
Expert

Hi Theresa,

I'm good, hope you are having fun planning your trip.

It would depends on the address of your AirBnB. Generally, I tend, to trust directions from my accommodation over Google maps. As those are written by a local.

I would take the train from Akihabara station to Tokyo, there use the Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka and use local JR lines or the Osaka Subway from there to youra ccomodation.

There's not really a JR station close to your accomodation (Shimanouchi Library). The best way to make day trips is to use the subway to Osaka station (Umeda) and from there use the JR to Nara and Kyoto.

Hope this helps,
Daniel

wishartt
wishartt
4 posts
almost 7 years ago

Hello,

I will be leaving for Tokyo in 2 days, and I just found out that there is a Fuji Shibazakura Festival. I can't seem to be able to find a direct instruction of how to get from Tokyo Station via Shinkansen to the festival, how long will the total trip take, etc.

I am considering of either doing a side trip while in Tokyo if I have time, or on my way from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. Would you think it is doable to squeeze in the Festival and a side trip to Nagoya on the way from Tokyo to Osaka?

Hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you!

Theresa


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