If I did leave Tokyo a day earlier and the next day took the train from Hakone to Matsumoto, then I would not buy the Free Pass that included the roundtrip transportation to/ from Tokyo, correct? I would buy the Free Pass for just the local transport and pay the train fare each way on my own? Or would I get the Free Pass including roundtrip transport, return to Shinjuku station and then take the Azusa to Matsumoto on a seperate ticket?

You can check hyperdia.com to see which would work the best for you - I started with Hakone Yumoto to Matsumoto to see different choices - you have to change twice and then I added Shinjuku as Pass1 in Search Parameters to see how it would work that way - it seems there would only be one change - as far as the cost I didn't figure that out....and the times varied somewhat as well.

Will you have a JR Pass - I don't remember your earlier posts...sorry....I am thinking not...

That's why I always do a spreadsheet for each trip - it helps keep track of train names, times, costs et al....

Just doing the Round Course one-way is 6300 yen so getting the transport from Shinjuku and the HFP for two days at 5000 yen is a bargain. Plus you can use for your transport to JR Odawara from your hotel for the Shinkansen ride your day out.

The Romance car would cost an extra 870 yen if you wanted that train instead of an express from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto
From Odawara use your JR pass or buy tickets.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html

Aloha!

Thanks Mara and HT. Found a train leaving Odawara at 2:57 getting to Matsumoto at 6:34 with 2 switches. Lots to think about-overnights, 1 week or 2 week JR Pass, hotel reservations.

It is complicated, isn't it, Shelley? I think this is one of the most complicated trips I've planned!

Thanks for the feedback Kathie. I thought it was just me feeling that way.

Well at the Hyatt you can cancel up to 24hrs before without penalty. You can also bookmark and check this site for weather while your in Japan. Pretty accurate, will give you one week forecasts and I use it all the time when in Japan.

http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html

Just a rough summary of your train travel shows me you need a 14-day JR pass and the freedom it will afford you not having to worry about buying tickets, you can literally fly by the seat of your pants with a pass. Hop on whatever train to where ever you want to go in two weeks. Your itinerary as I see it from this thread...

Odawara to Matsumoto ¥7360-9020 depending on train taken

Matsumoto to Takayama ¥7860

Takayama to Kanazawa ¥5440 with some lower fares at random times

Kanazawa to Hiroshima ¥14950

Hiroshima to Kyoto ¥10590

Total ¥46200

Cost of 14-day JR Pass ¥45100

Aloha!

HT- My main reason for going to Hakone is to see the scenery, do the loop, and visit the Open Air Museum (which should take about 2 hours). Anything more would be a bonus.

Could you provide a little more information re the Hyatt, specifically how to reach it from the train station and how long it takes? As some of the loop transport closes at 4 in Nov. I would not want to waste time getting to the hotel until the end of the day. Also, how would I get from the hotel to the Open Air Museum if I chose to do the Museum the day I leave? I am concerned about the time "wasted" getting to/from the Hyatt from loop transportation. I am aiming to make a 1:52 train at Odawara.

There is a Hotel Fujiya that I was considering because it looks more centrally located than the Hyatt (walking distance from a ropeway stop), but it gets very mixed reviews. Do you have any other recommendations for a centrally located good hotel in the area?

If you have a free Hyatt night, it would sure be tempting to use it at Hakone!

Free is good, but we will be arriving at the hotel in the dark, and leaving the next morning. I would not want to take time away from sightseeing to be at the hotel. So a convenient location may trump free for me in Hakone. Too bad it gets dark so early in Nov.

The Hyatt is located a short walk down the road off the second to the last funicular stop(Kami Gora). Or you can call the Hyatt shuttle to pick you up from the Gora train station.....real easy. Just because its dark when you arrive does not mean you can't enjoy the free drinks and onsen. There is also a free shuttle from the Hyatt to Odawara Station(where you would catch the shinkansen towards Matsumoto). You would take the 11:30 am or 12:15 pm shuttle from the Hyatt. See here for details:

http://hakone.regency.hyatt.com/en/h...portation.html

HT-Thanks for all the info. I really appreciate your taking the time to answer my questions.

do itashimaste !!

I will be in Japan for 17 days in November. While Nikko sounded interesting, I included Hakone in my itinerary for many of the reasons already mentioned. I couldn't imagine going to Japan and not (at least trying) to see Fujisan. The volcanic hot springs, the onsen, the cable car over the valley and all the scenery just sound incredible. I am keep crossed fingers of seeing Mt. Fuji while there. I ended up booking a two day tour from Tokyo (my only tour-dependent days of my trip) for both ease as well as to be with other tourists as I'll be traveling alone during my trip.

shelley, I missed your question on how to get to the Open Air Museum from the Hyatt. The Open Air Museum is located one stop down from the Gora station on the Tozan line. Just take the Cable Car down to Gora station or have the Hyatt shuttle drop you off at Gora station and walk down one stop to the museum. Thats what we did, its only a 5-7 minute walk downhill or one stop if you want to wait for the train. We took the train one stop back uphill though ;)
The Open Air Museum is fantastic and it was a bright sunny fall day when we went. Just be ready for hiking up and down the hillside as that is where this museum is built, along a hillside.

Aloha!