Driving Kanazawa-Matsumoto-Kiso Valley?
Aug 18th, 2008, 04:50 PM
#1
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Driving Kanazawa-Matsumoto-Kiso Valley?
We're going to visit Magome and walk the Edo Road a bit.
Our idea is to train from Kyoto to Kanazawa and drive a rented car down through the Alps to Matsumoto , return the car and train on down to Narai on the Edo Rd. and work our way down to Magome and stay 2 days before returning to Kyoto.
We'd love some advice on this plan, and a great route to drive that catches the main sights.
Thank you someone.
Our idea is to train from Kyoto to Kanazawa and drive a rented car down through the Alps to Matsumoto , return the car and train on down to Narai on the Edo Rd. and work our way down to Magome and stay 2 days before returning to Kyoto.
We'd love some advice on this plan, and a great route to drive that catches the main sights.
Thank you someone.
Aug 27th, 2008, 08:27 PM
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Why are you bothering to rent a car for that little stretch? The rental rate for a one-way car will be horrendous and you can look at the scenery better if you aren't driving.
(1) One way to get from Kanazawa to Matsumoto is to go to Toyama (less than an hour from Kanazawa), then do the Kurobe Alpine Route over the mountains to Matsumoto (extremely scenic but kind of expensive).
(2) Another way is to go from Kanazawa to Takayama by train, which is very pretty and interesting mountain scenery, and then onward by bus to Matsumoto, which is pleasantly scenic. If you have time, you could stop in Takayama a day--there are lots of nice ryokans there, some not very expensive.
(3) Another way is to go from Kanazawa to Takayama by bus via Shirakawa-go, where you can stop off, too. This is similary pretty scenery to taking the train as described above in (2).
In either (2) or (3) you can also go Takayama-Matsumoto by train, but that's the same route you'll go along to get to the towns on the Nakasendo, so you would be doubling back (although it might be dark as you go over that portion the first time anyway).
(4) You can also go from Kanazawa to Matsumoto by train via Nagano, which is at least partly very scenic (I only know about the part closer to Nagano).
I don't how much time you have, but you can make it from Kanazawa to Matsumoto in one V-E-R-Y L-O-N-G day by train if you really want to, and it's scenic all the way except for a little while as you touch the outskirts of Nagoya (which is still interesting IMO).
If you really want to drive, options (2) and (3) would be good routes to drive, also. The roads are good and the scenery is excellent.
(1) One way to get from Kanazawa to Matsumoto is to go to Toyama (less than an hour from Kanazawa), then do the Kurobe Alpine Route over the mountains to Matsumoto (extremely scenic but kind of expensive).
(2) Another way is to go from Kanazawa to Takayama by train, which is very pretty and interesting mountain scenery, and then onward by bus to Matsumoto, which is pleasantly scenic. If you have time, you could stop in Takayama a day--there are lots of nice ryokans there, some not very expensive.
(3) Another way is to go from Kanazawa to Takayama by bus via Shirakawa-go, where you can stop off, too. This is similary pretty scenery to taking the train as described above in (2).
In either (2) or (3) you can also go Takayama-Matsumoto by train, but that's the same route you'll go along to get to the towns on the Nakasendo, so you would be doubling back (although it might be dark as you go over that portion the first time anyway).
(4) You can also go from Kanazawa to Matsumoto by train via Nagano, which is at least partly very scenic (I only know about the part closer to Nagano).
I don't how much time you have, but you can make it from Kanazawa to Matsumoto in one V-E-R-Y L-O-N-G day by train if you really want to, and it's scenic all the way except for a little while as you touch the outskirts of Nagoya (which is still interesting IMO).
If you really want to drive, options (2) and (3) would be good routes to drive, also. The roads are good and the scenery is excellent.
Aug 27th, 2008, 08:34 PM
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One more thing--you mentioned Narai and Magome but not Tsumago.
I think Tsumago is the nicer place to stay overnight in--it's still the original old buildings, whereas Magome was rebuilt in the recent past, and you can tell the difference. I thought it was much easier to imagine the old road and people on it in Tsumago.
I assume you know you can walk between Tsumago and Magome and the tourist office will transport your luggage for you?
I think Tsumago is the nicer place to stay overnight in--it's still the original old buildings, whereas Magome was rebuilt in the recent past, and you can tell the difference. I thought it was much easier to imagine the old road and people on it in Tsumago.
I assume you know you can walk between Tsumago and Magome and the tourist office will transport your luggage for you?
Aug 28th, 2008, 10:53 AM
#5
I recommend using a bus or a car: Kanazawa- Shirakawago- Takayama- Kamikochi- Matsumoto. By car you can stop along the way, like at Gokayama, or Hirayu Onsen.
Another route I might consider is to go to Toyama then to Takayama (then over to Shirakawago and back through Takayama). The train route between those two towns (partly detoured by bus, still, I believe) is supposed to be very scenic. It might be a nice drive. Could be windy and tiring, though, like US 50 across West Virginia.
Another route I might consider is to go to Toyama then to Takayama (then over to Shirakawago and back through Takayama). The train route between those two towns (partly detoured by bus, still, I believe) is supposed to be very scenic. It might be a nice drive. Could be windy and tiring, though, like US 50 across West Virginia.
