Hi,
I will be travelling to Japan for about 2 weeks in December. I have been to the Kansai region previously and hence will not be travelling to Kyoto and Nara. I would like to explore more of other parts of the region as well as Hokkaido.
This is a tentative itinerary that I have planned and I would like advice on a few things:
Day 1 - 2: Osaka
Day 3-4: Kobe
Day 5: Okayama/ Kurashiki
Day 6: Takahashi/ Fukuyama
Day 7 - 9: Hiroshima/Miyajima
Day 10: Fly to Sapporo
Day 11: Asahiyama Zoo/Furano
Day 12- 13: No plans yet
Day 14 - 15: Osaka
My questions are:
1) Is it worth getting JR Pass or JR West Pass for the journey from Osaka to Hiroshima? Should I just purchase a single trip ticket each time I travel since I am stopping by the different cities like Kobe and Okayama along the way? Are there other options or passes that I could consider?
2) Is it convenient to travel around Hokkaido without a car? I have been there previously but it was during summer and I did a road trip around central Hokkaido. I reckon it is not safe to drive around Hokkaido in winter as I have no experience driving in winter.
3) Do you have any recommendations on what attractions to visit in Hokkaido? Especially in winter?
I would really appreciate your help in answering my queries.
Thanks in advance!