Tokyo to Hiroshima overnight, train questions
 

OK, a spanner has been thrown into my trip planning; DH would like to go to Hiroshima.

I've found a 'tour' through Japanican which consists of return tickets on bullet train, overnight in triple room in Hiroshima and Hiroshima pass.. for 90,300 yen or around $1000.
Can we do this more cheaply using a JR pass. We would also like to visit Hakone and have a total of 5 nights in Japan to work with.

Open to overnighting somewhere other than Hiroshima if advisable.
Trip is in April 2011.

Thanks for any advice!

Japan Rail Pass is Yen 28,300 for ordinary car , and Yen 37,800 for Green Car ( Business Class ) for a week.
You do not mention how many people are travelling on your group, and if that price of Yen 90,300 is total cost, or just per person.
With the Japan Rail Pass, you can travel anywhere in Japan for a week on a Japan Rail train. If you were to stay in Tokyo only, the Japan Rail pass would be a very expensive waste of money.
If you travel from Tokyo to Hiroshima and return, you are way ahead, by using a Japan Rail pass. An ordinary seat from Tokyo to Hiroshima is approximately Yen 19,000,so, the return trip would cost you approx. Yen 38,000. The Rail Pass pays for itself alone on this trip.

Whats a HIROSHIMA pass ?
FYI.. I lived in Japan from 1993 to 1997, and have travelled extensively around the country on business there, up to 2008.
All by train BTW. In fact, its only slightly slower going by train to Hiroshima (on the NOZOMI), than it is to fly, due to all the associated time involved in geeting to Haneda airport, checking in, security, flying , travel by bus from Hiroshima airport to central Hiroshima.
Train is nice and relaxing..The flying is stress.

Thanks! The total of Y90,300 was for 3 return train tickets plus a triple room in Hiroshima. I've no idea what the Hiroshima pass includes as I haven't looked into it any further (I'd guessed it covered entry fees?)

I'll look into a JR pass.

The Nozomi from Tokyo to Hiroshima is 18550 each way so if you figure roundtrip plus the hotel listed on japanican seems to be the New Hiroden - it has a double room for about 15000 yen - doesn't say anything about a triple......the total for 3 people would be about 111,000 yen so it seems like a good deal if I got my math right....
You could probably do it a bit cheaper with the Jr Pass but then you couldn't take the Nozomi so the trip would be around another 40 minutes and you'd have to change trains.....
It really depends on the rest of your plans - whether the JR Pass would come in handy for other rides.....and how tight your budget is.....

Sassy_Cat,

Well, that Yen 90,300 for 3 equals Y30,100 each. I presume that you are travelling from Tokyo to Hiroshima and return.?

I have been to Hiroshima on numerous occasions for work and for pleasure. The places to see are A BOMB DOMB, PEACE PARK and the MEMORIAL. Thats about it.

You can take a local train from Hiroshima JR station to the MIYAJIMA rail station .Its about 15 minutes or so from memory, then the ferry to MIYAJIMA ISLAND..Very pretty place,and you can spend a few hours wandering around there. If you have JR Pass, you take the JR Ferry for free as well.

5 nights in Japan is a very rushed trip..

Thanks Mara,
Thanks for your calculations. We'd also like to go to Hakone and we are still in the process of planning and haven't booked any accommodation yet.
I can see we have some tough decisions to make with only 5 nights.

gearsau, we have 5 nights in Hong Kong before we get to Tokyo. I hope this won't be our only trip to Japan and so some things can wait till next time!

Well, if you are going from NRT to Tokyo to Hakone to Hiroshima and back to Tokyo within a five day period, then you could make good use of a seven day Pass....you would just need a Hakone Free Pass to travel around that area when you get to Odawara....

Thanks again Mara. I think we might have to fit in a day at Tokyo Disney too.

Here's my stab at the revised itinerary

tues arrive NRT@ 8pm (from Hong Kong)
wed Tokyo (Disney?)
thurs Hakone
fri Hiroshima
sat tokyo
sun fly home from NRT@4pm

So actually seven day JR pass would cover most of our travel over this 6 day period?

You will love the inside of the shinkansen, such a remarkable train

Aloha!

Thanks HT, Looking forward to it!
I'll be petrified of getting on the wrong train but thankfully DH is better at that kind of stuff.

Yes, it will cover most of your travel - not in the Hakone area - only to and from Odawara - don't know anything about Disney access, sorry.
You do know that you need to buy the exchange order for the JR Pass outside of Japan, right?
Then you will change it into the Pass at Narita and use it to go into Tokyo.

"How do you catch a cloud and pin it down"
It was a rhetorical remark.

Getting on the train will be the easy part of this itinerary.

If you are really going to do this mad dash across Japan may I suggest you do this to maximize your time and also catch a glimpse of Kyoto.

tues arrive NRT@ 8pm (from Hong Kong)
wed Tokyo (Disney?)
thurs Hakone from tokyo early morning, do the loop then take the shinkansen to Kyoto arriving late afternoon, overnight there. Take in a temple in the morning then off to Hiroshima about 11:00.
fri Hiroshima, when you arrive drop your bags at your hotel then head to Peace Park.
sat tokyo, tour whatever else in Hiroshima in the morning then head to Tokyo after lunch
sun fly home from NRT@4pm

You and the shinkansen will be one after this trip, good luck!

Aloha!

HT, I'm not sold on the mad dash across Japan...but I had figured out overnighting in Kyoto would be a possibility! ;)

I'm only researching the possibility of Hiroshima as my DH asked could we fit it in.
My daughter really wants to visit Disney.
Disney and Hiroshima barely a day apart? A literal rollercoaster followed by an emotional one?
My vote is just Tokyo and Hakone.

My DH will probably try to squeeze in a business trip in Tokyo and then he will have to accept that Hiroshima ain't gonna happen this trip.

You have the time to do this itinerary, but it is nuts. Skip Hiroshima, or bring pillows and blankets, as you will need to do your sleeping on the night trains if you want any time to actually see anything/

tues - arrive NRT@ 8pm (from Hong Kong)
wed - visit Hakone & spend the night there
thurs -breakfast or longer in Hakone. Head toward Disney Sea. Enjoy surrounding area.
fri - Whole day at Disney Sea.
Sat - Tokyo all day. After dinner, head for hotel in Narita town.
Sun: - Explore Narita town, then fly home from NRT@ 4pm

Of course I think you are trying to cover too much territory in five days. Be that as it may, I don't agree with lcuy's suggestion that you spend the night in Narita town. If your flight leaves at 4pm, you still have the morning to do something in Tokyo.....

Lucy, I'm now fully convinced and DH has agreed so we will skip Hiroshima this trip.
Thanks for telling me it's nuts! I didn't want to wimp out of an aggressive itinerary if other experts thought it was fine but I appreciate your down to earth reply.
HT had hinted heavily ;) that this would be a mad dash so we are happy to have your confirmation.

A couple of questions on your suggested itinerary..
Disney Sea? My daughter had looked at both websites and was leaning to Disneyland. I do know that this is the only 'disney sea' but can you tell me why you'd pick that over Disneyland?

We might make Hakone a day trip. My daughter is 13 and will not consider an onsen experience (way too much teenage angst) so rather that push the issue we're thinking day trip instead. Thoughts, anyone? Overnight worthwhile without onsen or daytrip?

Mara,
Thanks again, I really was asking questions before I'd considered the distances/logistics of fitting in Hiroshima. I now know that while it's possible it's not something we want to squeeze in.
I'd hope to stay overnight in Tokyo on our last night just to avoid a hotel transfer and to see more of the city so I'm glad to hear that's feasible.

Staying the night and next morning in Tokyo is a great way to do it.
I only sugested Narita, as it would feel like you'd gone somewhere else, is interesting in it's own right, and the hotel rooms are fairly cheap out there.

Hakone doesn't have to involve bathing nude in an onsen. Your room will have a bath of its own. it is the experience, service and the food that are the main draws for me.

I have not been to either Disney in japan. I love Disney land and can fully understand why you'd go though! I do know quite a few people who have gone to both and all said that Disney Sea is the one to do. It is all Disney, but the only one with a Sea theme.

If she is familiar with Disneyland in the US then Tokyo Disneyland would be the choice although personally I like the Disney Sea Park because it is a very different and unique Disney venue.

More familiarity with the rides are a plus though as all are in Japanese so knowing beforehand what the ride is all about helps. Singing Zippa dee do da in Japanese just doesn't seem right,lol.

Good to save Hiroshima for another trip, great idea ;)

Aloha!

HT, Oh, yes she's familiar with Disneyland in the US.
We visited DisneyWorld, FL in May. I think we'll just go with whatever park she chooses. Singing Zippa dee do da in Japanese will be a trip in itself!
BTW, I said 'no' to Disneyland Hong Kong as I heard that Tokyo was the better choice.

s_c - so have you decided on your final itinerary?

Mara, It's not cast in stone yet as I feel we have a bit of wiggle room before we book hotels for April 2011.

Here's my revised itinerary
Tues. Arr NRT @8pm - Tokyo hotel TBD

Wed. Hakone (daytrip or possible overnight)

Thurs. Disneyland (can we get here directly from Hakone if we overnight there?). Back to Tokyo? OR overnight Disneyland?

Fri. Tokyo
Sat. Tokyo
Sun. Fly home @4pm (leave for airport around 11am)

I've chosen the weekdays for the day trips as I thought they would be less busy than the weekend. Would you agree?

Do we still need the JR pass?

I've not planned an itinerary for our actual time in Tokyo. I need to do a bit more research before I can fine tune it but I'd like to see something of 'old Japan'/ a temple or two, Hello Kitty shopping, etc.

Thanks for any further input!

Here's how to access Hakone from Tokyo:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5206.html

The stop for Tokyo Disneyland is fifteen minutes from Tokyo Station according to the Disney website.

There is no need for a JR Pass with your itinerary - possibly the Suica/Nex package would work for most of your transport needs except the trip to Hakone.

Why hasn't anyone mentioned the overnight trains? They are available with the JR pass, and I believe the Sunrise Seto and Sunrise Izumo are still running...

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2356.html

(a bit late for the conversation at hand, but still worth mentioning.)

Actually Lucy did mention we'd have to sleep on the night trains to have time to fit in such an aggressive itinerary.

That's what convinced me to drop Hiroshima as I didn't want this trip to feel too rushed. Tokyo will be enough of a rush for me.

Thanks, Mara, I'm still studying japan-guide!

I would wait until you get to Tokyo to book Hakone as imo it's not worth the trip if it's bad weather.
You did the right thing dropping Hiroshima, it would be too rushed, leave it for a future trip, you'll love Japan.

Thanks Clark.. so it probably makes sense to keep Hakone as a daytrip then so we can at least book our hotels beforehand.

Bad weather suggestions?

Hi Sassy,

it was a small mention and easily missable. Having said that I love the night trains, and I always recommend them as an alternative, an alternative that many people with JR passes miss.

In your situation I would have done this. Catch the Sunrise Seto or Izumo in Tokyo- they leave around 9pm. Purchase a double berth, the price of which is an additional payment over the travel the JR pass gives you (not the full fare.) Enjoy a nice night as you proceed towards Okayama. My guess is that it'll get there around 6-7am. Lock your luggage away and catch the Shinkansen to Hiroshima. Enjoy a good 9 hours in Hiroshima. Catch the Shinkansen back to Okayama around 6-7pm to be ontime for the returning Sunrise train back to Tokyo, and enjoy another nice night on the train. Arrive in Tokyo around 6-7am. A two night one day itinerary.

Thanks for the details Sydney2K,
Although the two night one day itinerary would feasibly be possible to squeeze in I suspect that the double berth wouldn't be big enough for the 3 of us!

My daughter will be with us and gets input into the planning process as this trip was originally her birthday gift.
We really want this trip to be less rushed and to prioritize her wish list.

Forget Hakone overnight. I looked into this, travelling with 2 x 16 year olds...(from Australia) and decided the ryokans were too expensive to waste on them. There is no guarantee you'll see Fuji (fog/mist) and most places do the kansai (sp?) set dinner, which our kids would not like.

Thanks for your thoughts mel1.

We're considering doing Hakone as a daytrip partly because it would mean we wouldn't have to change hotels and schlep our bags plus we wouldn't be tied by booked accommodation to a particular day. I was aware of the fog issues and maybe we'll get lucky with the weather!
My daughter would probably be game to try the food at a ryokan (more so than my husband!) but it's not on her wish list.

We're leaning towards spending the 5 nights in Tokyo with daytrips to Hakone and Disneyland as this seems the most flexible way to spend our limited time plus my husband can then arrange his possible business meeting in Tokyo more easily.

Thanks again for all the helpful replies.

Sassy_cat,
If you are going to base yourself in Tokyo, do not purchase a Japan Rail pass.
You will not get the value out of it, even with going to Hakone.
Just purchase tickets as required.
All the best...