I'm a little like a headless chicken, with less than a week to go before we leave and with a To Do list as long as my arm, most of which I need to get done beforehand!

We'll be travelling to Hakone from Yokohama, not Tokyo.

Specifically from Bashamichi Station in Yokohama, to Miyanoshita Station nearest to Hakone Ginyu.

I realise there won't be any special inclusive tickets from Yokohama, especially as we'll be departing Hakone to Hikone, not back to Yokohama, after our two night stay.

So I assume I'll just buy singles for the train journey to Hakone.

I have thoroughly confused myself about the Hakone Free Pass, and whether I should get one, and where to buy it. We're planning to do most of our sightseeing on the full day we have there, 2nd April but may do some on the 1st as well.

There is also the Fuji Hakone Pass which from 1 April covers more than it did previously (so says Japan Guide) but is double price of the other, and not sure we'd need this?

Any help and advice for a confused Kavey?
x

>>So I assume I'll just buy singles for the train journey to Hakone.

Yes. Tokyu train to Yokohama station ¥180 and then JR Tokaido Line to Odawara ¥970.

You don't need the Fuji Hakone Pass unless maybe if you want to go to Fuji Five Lakes region around Kawaguchiko. I don't think you want to do that.


The Hakone Tozan Railway ¥580 from Odawara to Miyanoshita. So it would be ¥1160 that you will pay in the HFP region. With the HFP at ¥4000 it really matters how much more use of the pass you would get.

japan-guide says that the Hakone loop would be Y6300, so that pass is a good deal if you do that. If you don't get the pass but do the loop then you would be out Y2300.

But if you bought the HFP and only used it to get to Miyanoshita and back to Odawara you would be out Y2,840.

Either way the difference is not big bucks and you can get the HFP at the last minute at Odawara station.

So, you don't need to sweat about this now. Maybe your head will be clearer when you arrive at Odawara.

I did just this from Yokohama but went all the way up to Gora. Mrw has it right as usual using the trains. I just took a taxi from my hotel to Shin-Yokohama station where we took the next Kodama shinkansen to Odawara. Bought our Hakone Free pass upstairs in the Odawara station from the Odakyu office then had some lunch in the station before heading up to Gora. Easy and painless

Aloha!

If that long explanation didn't help with your confusion then here is the short answer:

Don't worry about it now. You can decide about the HFP (Hakone Free Pass) when you arrive at Odawara.

Brilliant, thank you both so much.
Sometimes I tie myself up in knots trying to wade through too much info in what is (now) too little time!