Shirakawago, Takayama, Gero lodging in June
May 4th, 2006, 11:40 AM
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Shirakawago, Takayama, Gero lodging in June
Hello Fodorites,
I am planning to go to Takayama, Shirakawago and possibly Gero for about 4 days in late June. Will be traveling with a 12 year old and my mom and aunt (both in their mid 1970s). I have seen many of the helpful postings here, especially by KimJapan, but some are a little old. If any of you can recommend some nice hotels/ryokans/minshukus that you have stayed in, I would love your recommendations. Would like to stay somewhere that is nice with very comfortable bedding, but need not be luxurious ( I know some ryokans in Japan can be exorbitant). Good food and bath would be a plus. One concern that I have is that we will traveling in the muggy rainy season. Will most ryokans and minshukus in the areas have air conditioning? My family used to live in Japan and speak Japanese, so we can stay anywhere. Thanks for your anticipated help!
I am planning to go to Takayama, Shirakawago and possibly Gero for about 4 days in late June. Will be traveling with a 12 year old and my mom and aunt (both in their mid 1970s). I have seen many of the helpful postings here, especially by KimJapan, but some are a little old. If any of you can recommend some nice hotels/ryokans/minshukus that you have stayed in, I would love your recommendations. Would like to stay somewhere that is nice with very comfortable bedding, but need not be luxurious ( I know some ryokans in Japan can be exorbitant). Good food and bath would be a plus. One concern that I have is that we will traveling in the muggy rainy season. Will most ryokans and minshukus in the areas have air conditioning? My family used to live in Japan and speak Japanese, so we can stay anywhere. Thanks for your anticipated help!
May 4th, 2006, 03:24 PM
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Id recommend the Rickshaw Inn in Takayama, especially if you have a child with you - theres a lovely sitting area with sofas, Tv and tables for eating where you can spread out and mix with other guests and a small kitchen for preparing your own meals. Its well located halfway between the station and the main part of town ( for tourists) with restaurants and a konnbeni very close. Well priced too though I recommed dealing direct through their website. ( iwent through Welcome Inns site and am sure I paid more than I should) Good English signage and spoken at reception. You can buy breakfast and internet available. There are stairs though and I believe the Western style rooms book out quickly.
I gather all the accommodation at Shirakawago is in minshuku. I stayed at Yokichi where I had a lovely spacious room, two lovely meals, very clean and I was on the ground floor. Very basic but perfctly adequate for my needs.
cant help with gero but from the traian I could see many "resort" style hotels.
Help - during the night my computer instaled some updates and now it wont let me use the apostrophe. Whats going oooon?
I gather all the accommodation at Shirakawago is in minshuku. I stayed at Yokichi where I had a lovely spacious room, two lovely meals, very clean and I was on the ground floor. Very basic but perfctly adequate for my needs.
cant help with gero but from the traian I could see many "resort" style hotels.
Help - during the night my computer instaled some updates and now it wont let me use the apostrophe. Whats going oooon?
May 5th, 2006, 05:28 PM
#6
eventually, probably. No, I didn't see it. Was interesting on Sunday, taking the train south. The cherry trees were in bud in Takayama but 45 minutes away in Gero they were in full bloom but by Gifu they were all fallen.
I stayed at a place in Gero but forget the name. It is near the station but a bit too far to walk. There was a car/driver waiting for me at Gero station. Nice bath on the top floor and a rotenburo on ground floor. It is a fairly large tourist hotel. Small room like a business hotel. But it served it's purpose at a decent price. In your research of Gero hotels if you find one that has a top floor bath then that is probably it.
I stayed at a place in Gero but forget the name. It is near the station but a bit too far to walk. There was a car/driver waiting for me at Gero station. Nice bath on the top floor and a rotenburo on ground floor. It is a fairly large tourist hotel. Small room like a business hotel. But it served it's purpose at a decent price. In your research of Gero hotels if you find one that has a top floor bath then that is probably it.
May 6th, 2006, 01:42 PM
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Thanks all fot the info. I have also looked at other posts and now have some more questions. Since Shirakawago is apparently about a 2 hour bus drive from Takayama, do you think it would be a very bad idea to do a day trip from Takayama? I am leaning towards spending 2 nights in Takayama and 1 night in Gero but really want to see S-go. Although I would like to stay one night in S-go, it is a little bit of a pain to stay in 3 places in 3 nights. Also, S-Go minshukus and ryokans appear not to have private bathrooms, which is a hassle whe one has a child and elderly relatives in tow. I should mention that I will be in Japan for only 12 days, flying into and out of Narita. Would appreciate your thoughts on this. Thanks.
May 6th, 2006, 10:23 PM
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A day trip to Shirakawago was perfect for us: we spent 4 lovely hours there (including lunch).
IMHO it would be a shame to miss the gardens in Kanazawa and do the 2 hour backtrack on the bus. I don't know where you will be coming from to get to Takayama (Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo?). We visited:
Tokyo (4hour train) to Kanazawa (1 night) then (1.5-2hour bus) Shirakawago (4 hour visit) then (2 hour bus) Takayama (3days for the festival).
I think 2 days in Takayama is too much time, especially since you will miss the gardens in Kanazawa (I still regret missing Matsumoto....) but that's just me.
The Japanese room we had at the Rickshaw Inn had a private bathroom and an air conditioner (we used the heater though). Beware that there are stairs there: about 10 to the reception desk, then normal flights to the 1st and 2nd floors.
IMHO it would be a shame to miss the gardens in Kanazawa and do the 2 hour backtrack on the bus. I don't know where you will be coming from to get to Takayama (Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo?). We visited:
Tokyo (4hour train) to Kanazawa (1 night) then (1.5-2hour bus) Shirakawago (4 hour visit) then (2 hour bus) Takayama (3days for the festival).
I think 2 days in Takayama is too much time, especially since you will miss the gardens in Kanazawa (I still regret missing Matsumoto....) but that's just me.
The Japanese room we had at the Rickshaw Inn had a private bathroom and an air conditioner (we used the heater though). Beware that there are stairs there: about 10 to the reception desk, then normal flights to the 1st and 2nd floors.
May 7th, 2006, 01:44 PM
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Moxie,
Thanks for your reply. I also just read your wonderful trip report and was impressed by how well-planned and organized your trip was, especially as Japan is not that easy to negotiate when you don't speak the language. Anway, I will now look into Kanazawa as you and others have had nice write-ups on the town. FYI, I am actually a Tokyo native (born and raised there til I left for college). I am traveling from LA (where I now live) to Tokyo (where my brother lives) and will be in Japan for just 11 days. I'm hoping to include a 3or 4 day trip to see part of the country that I haven't been to, but don't want to be on a stressful schedule with elderly people and a child. Under these circumstances, do you still think I should squeeze in Kanazawa? Based on the geography, I guess the itinerary would be Tokyo-Kanazawa-Shirakawago-Takayama-Gero-Tokyo, with justa day trip in S-go. Would appreciate further help or advice from you or others. Arigato.
Thanks for your reply. I also just read your wonderful trip report and was impressed by how well-planned and organized your trip was, especially as Japan is not that easy to negotiate when you don't speak the language. Anway, I will now look into Kanazawa as you and others have had nice write-ups on the town. FYI, I am actually a Tokyo native (born and raised there til I left for college). I am traveling from LA (where I now live) to Tokyo (where my brother lives) and will be in Japan for just 11 days. I'm hoping to include a 3or 4 day trip to see part of the country that I haven't been to, but don't want to be on a stressful schedule with elderly people and a child. Under these circumstances, do you still think I should squeeze in Kanazawa? Based on the geography, I guess the itinerary would be Tokyo-Kanazawa-Shirakawago-Takayama-Gero-Tokyo, with justa day trip in S-go. Would appreciate further help or advice from you or others. Arigato.
May 7th, 2006, 02:12 PM
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Thanks! I really loved Japan, if only I understood the people and the signs 
With your crowd, I guess I would say take it easy and just visit the gardens in Kanazawa, maybe cut down the visit in Shirakawago to 2 hours (just the outside museum and a quick foray to the shops) then you will have more time in Takayama (or Kanazawa) to see the old districts.
In Kanazawa there is a great loop bus; in Takayama it's smaller but you need to walk everywhere so it depends on your group's stamina.
With your crowd, I guess I would say take it easy and just visit the gardens in Kanazawa, maybe cut down the visit in Shirakawago to 2 hours (just the outside museum and a quick foray to the shops) then you will have more time in Takayama (or Kanazawa) to see the old districts.
In Kanazawa there is a great loop bus; in Takayama it's smaller but you need to walk everywhere so it depends on your group's stamina.
