I am stopping in Hakone for an overnight (and exploring there the next day) on the way from Yokohama to Kyoto. I read on another thread about the Yunessun resort, which has indoor and outdoor baths where bathing suits are worn (good for my 14 yr old son who does not want to bathe nude). I am interested in staying in a hotel on Lake Ashi, but I am having trouble figuring out how it will be getting from the train to a hotel on the lake and then to the Yunessun and back to the hotel (or from the bus/train to the Yunessun to the hotel if we go straight to Yunessun). I am looking at the Palace Hotel, where I can get an incredible special rate of 15,000 yen for two (not per person), and it looks nice. The Yunessun webpage says that the Yunessun is 20 min from Hakone Yumoto Station by bus. Another site says that from Odwara Station to Yunessun, you get an Odakyu train to Hakone Yumoto (about 15 min) and change there to Hakone Tozan line (short train ride up into the mountains) and get off at Kawakidani station (2 stops from end of line, about 30 min from Hakone Yumoto). The Palace Hotel site says to get to the hotel, from Odwara Station take the Hakone Tozan Bus via Hakone Yumoto, about 50 min. Does anyone know from this if it is feasible to stay in that hotel if going to Yunessun? There is another hotel closer to Yunessun, but rates are alot higher and it isn't on the lake.

Do you have a link for the hotel? The two directions to Yunessun seem a bit contradictory.

The Odakyu webpage says to take a bus 20 min from H-Y bound for Moto Hakone or Haknone Machi. That corresponds to what you said the Yunneson page said. Kowakudani is in a different direction, I think, see:

http://www.odakyu-group.co.jp/englis.../hakone_01.htm

The directions to the hotel "50 min by bus from H-Y probably puts the hotel on the south side of the lake, i.e. Moto Hakone/ Hakone Machi area. May be the same bus that goes by Yunesson.

The clear implication of all of the directions is that Yunesson is on the tourist route. I would wager that the hotel is also near the on/near the route. Meaning that you can use your Hakone Free Pass to travel between the two.

mrwunrfl,I am smiling because I got the link to the hotel from a post you did commenting on this hotel (2/24/04, post started by Mumper4, titled "Hakone&quot
The link is http://www.hakone.palacehotel.co.jp/
The set of directions that included the notation on the Kawakidani(note the spelling)stop is from a post by a poster named Uji on the japan-guide.com forum; I have found him to be pretty reliable but perhaps this is a mistake.
I found another map that helps somewhat at this site: www.hakone-elegance.com.map_e.html (It shows the Hakone-Tozan railway at least.)

I thought that place sounded familiar!

Please go to the link above and take a look at the map. The three pink lines coming out of Hakoneyumoto are bus lines. The top line goes around via Sengoku to Togendai. The hotel has a bus stop on that line, probably walking distance down to Togendai. From there, you can take the tourist route via Owakudani and Gora to Kowakudani or the bus back around to Gora and then the Tozan Line for two stops.

Your directions from H-Y to "two stops from the end of the Hakone Tozan line" puts you at the station after Miyanoshita. That's Kowakudani. Now, there is a bus line on the map from H-Y that goes near Kowakudani and on to Moto Hakone and Hakone Machi. That might be twenty minutes from H-Y to Kowakudani on that line. So, it is possible that the directions correspond to Uji's.

But I really think that the Odakyu directions are talking about the bus from H-Y to M-H amd H-M that goes via Hatajuku. If Yunesson is over there, then you just take the pirate ship across the lake and then the bus. Need a map showing Yunesson.

Ok, found some half-decent maps at the Hakone town tourism webpage. It is Kowakidani station. Looks like the station is on a bus line. Kowakudani is down the road from Kowakidani station on the way to Moto Hakone and H-Y.

Bus times from Togendai to M-H to Kowakidani looks to be 35 min.

The Hakone town page is:
http://www.kankou.hakone.kanagawa.jp/

The map page is:
http://www.kankou.hakone.kanagawa.jp/youkoso/map-e.html

Many thanks for time and effort spent on helping me w/this. I will sit down soon to review the maps and routes, but it is sounding more and more like it is definitely doable. It will be much nicer to stay on the lake, and to be right there where we will want to be doing activities the next day- and at that 15K rate for two it is a great deal. I owe you one (another one I should say, just put it on the tab).

OK I don't know about the maps online but here's what we did as part of our Hakone day (we used the freepass map and Frommers guide):

First, from Hakone Yamoto we took the cog rail way up the mountain. If you look at the Hakone Free Pass suggested itinerary it is the first line of transit. We got off at the stop before the open air museum. Yunnesson was actually on the map we picked up with our free pass. From the station, we jumped in a waiting taxi and pointed at the picture in the brochure. It was raining really hard and we didn't want to look for a bus. Taxi cost five dollars or so. On the way back, we caught a bus from right outside Yunnossen that took us back to the cog railway stop we got off. There was also a bus going back to Hakone Yumoto but we wanted to continue on the tour.

From there, we basicly did the rest of the circle: to the top of the cog railway, up the funicular, over the mountain the tram, and then across lake Ashi on the pirate ship. When you arrive at the other side of the lake (there are two boats going to different side of the lake although they are linked by a 5 minute bus ride) there is a big bus stop at each with waiting busses and taxis to transport you to your hotel! There is also a bus from there that will take you back to Hakone Yumoto- it took about 30 minutes or so (we were staying near Yumoto).

We struggled with trying to figure out where everything was before we left, but once we arrived it became very clear and it is really easy to get around! FYI you can buy a free pass for all this transport right at Hakone Yumoto station.

Let me know if you have any questions!

OK, Punky, now I am really more at ease about the whole thing. The whole area sounds very interconnected. i'm sorry it rained on your day, but am glad you ended up at Yunessun and shared it w/us. I'll report back in my trip reports.