Hakone question
 

We have read that due to volcanic gases, the area around owakudani cannot be accessed and the hakone rope way is not operating along its entire length. Is there still enough to do in hakone and is it worth going to as a day trip or overnight?

We had originally intended to go there from Kanazawa, however the transportation time getting to hakone will take up most of a day.

We looked into an alternative route - going from Kanazawa to nikka, but that also requires a lengthy (6 hr) train ride. The train to Tokyo is only 4 hrs. So we are now wondering if it would be best to go directly to Tokyo and do nikka as a day trip instead.

What's nikka?

Do you mean Nikko?

When is your trip?

Areas of volcanic activity are not predictable. So what is closed today may be open next week, and to try to predict months out is impossible.

We went to Hakone when the volcanic are was open and the ropeway was open. We still were able to do the entire loop plus some short walks in a day trip from Tokyo. It's very doable.

Yes a lot to do in Hakone area. We were in Hakone last December and firmly ensconced in the Hyatt. This will explain the situation about the ropeway in detail.

http://www.hakonenavi.jp/topics/pdf/4730.pdf

Maybe this sight will give you more ideas on what to do in and around Hakone it the Japan Guide has let you down.

http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/

Yes travel to Hakone from Kanazawa would best be done with the direct shinkansen Kanazawa - Tokyo station then taking a Kodama(stops at every stop) shinkansen to Odawara station. From there you can either take a taxi or bus or trains to your ryokan/hotel.

http://tinyurl.com/jqlx79h

Aloha!

I just went to your trip planning three and realize you are going in October. I would't even look at whether the active volcanic areas are open/closed until September or so.

Kanazawa to Nikko is 4 hours or a bit more. Shinkansen transfer at Omiya and then a regular train from Utsunomiya to Nikko.

http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi/en/searc...d&sum_target=7

And Kanazawa to Tokyo is only 2.5 to 3 hours.

How did you come up with 6 hrs for Nikko and 4 for Tokyo?

And 4 hours or so for Kanazawa to Odawara and then some time to get into Hakone.