We have planned a NRY -->4 night Tokyo -->train to Kyoto for 4 nights and departure from Osaka for late October. Reading the posts here I am considering a "splurge" ryokan night in Hakone and reducing Kyoto to 3 nights. We like to not kill ourselves rushing around and try to keep the travel time/being there ratio on the right level. Does this sound like too much? Should I just stick with the original plan and make life simple? Is Hakone worth the trip?

Thanks!

I would stay with the original plan and splurge for a night or two at a ryokan in Kyoto.Enjoy your trip!

Either way. Your original plan was good or the second plan or a a third plan: Tokyo for 3 nights, 1 Hakone, and four Kyoto.

Your original plan does not sound like to much, but I don't know that the "right level" is for you. You can make it easier by shipping your luggage from Tokyo to Kyoto. Then take to Hakone and on the trains only what you need for the one night.

If you want your ryokan to have an onsen bath then (given your choices) you would need to go to Hakone, not Kyoto for your ryokan experience. You can find a place with a nice rotemburo and go for a stroll in your yukata in the fresher air and starrier skies of Hakone. An onsen ryokan experience.

You can certainly have a great experience in Kyoto. Stay at a hotel for a couple of nights. Leave your stuff there and taxi or walk to the ryokan. Return to the hotel to get your stuff and/or stay another night.

The evening of the ryokan night in Hakone would be spent at the ryokan in the country. The evening of the ryokan night in Kyoto could be spent at the ryokan or out/about in Kyoto.

Tokyo-Hakone-Kyoto sounds like a good plan to me. Like mrw says I don't know how much is too much for you but I would certainly not hesitate to do that schedule.

I prefer a ryokan in the country, in an onsen town with rotenburo and beautiful scenery.

Hakone meets all of my prerequisites.

Aloha!

Thanks for advice. Although we are long time travelers with lots of experience, this is a first trip to Japan and we only have a week so I did not want to overbook the traveling part. We need to be in Tokyo for 4 nights so that is fixed. Great thoughts about the country side ryokan. Arigato.

My plan is similar to yours - 4 nights in Tokyo, 1 night in Hakone and 4 nights Kyoto. I plan on shipping my luggage from Tokyo to Kyoto and pack light traveling to Hakone. I'm also doing some major splurging on one night at an ryokan/onsen but it seems totally worth it from what I've read.

Anyway I've been reading up on some information and here is a website with information on traveling to Hakone:

http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/traffic/index.html

When are you going on your trip? I'm planning to go late October-November also.

We spent 4 days in Hakone in June and loved every minute, and are already planning our next trip.
http://www.hakoneho-kowakien.com/english/
This is the Hotel/Onsen we stayed at in a traditional Japanese room. It's directly across the street from the indoor/outdoor water park.
http://www.yunessun.com/english/
Also don't miss the outdoor museum. Get there 9am during the week to have the place almost to yourself for an hour or so.

You might try searching here for Yunessun (if that is the correct spelling). I think emd stayed there, you should find her t.r. if the above link interests you.

Atami Onsen would be worth considering.

Well, it has come down to this. We can go to Hakone and stay at the Ryokan Ginyu -- only their most expensive room is availalbe at 84,000 JYP which is way more than we had budgeted -- or go from Tokyo to Kyoto and stay at the Kikokuso ryokan for 36,000. As much as Hakone sounds fabulous and the Ginye amazing, I am still concerned about having us traveling too much relative to the time we will have in places and what could probably turn out to be $1000/night (with drinks and misc) at Ginyu seems very pricey. We will be there Oct 30. Any thoughts from you who have done these calculations too !

If you stay at Hakone Ginyu it will definitely be a splurge! But so far from the reviews I've read from other travelers the price is well worth it. Just think that you'll be getting breakfast, dinner and also your private onsen. For me, I'm allowing myself to splurge on Hakone on this trip.

You're going 2 days earlier than me...I'll be there November 1st. Either way I think you'll have fun!

BTW if you decide to go to Hakone for 1 night it may help to ship your luggage from Tokyo-Kyoto hotel (so you don't have to carry that much around), that's what I plan to do and a lot of people say the luggage service in Japan is very reliable.

Ok, it has come down to that, but of course those are not your only options. I read your last post as saying that you've decided to stay at the place in Kyoto.

Hakone is totally worth the stay. Ryokan is worth the stay. It is a great experiance.
Check out this sites:
www.hakone.or.jp/english/index.html
www.japantravel.jopin.com

We are doing the exact same thing. Tokyo 3 nights, Kyoto 4 nights and 1 night at Hakone Ginyu on the way back. We start out in Tokyo on November 1.