Rental car in Aso city

Helloes.
While in Kyushu I wish to visit the Aso area, unless it is not accessable after the previous earthquake...

Read someone recommended to stay in Kumamoto and rent a car in Aso-city instead. Sounds like a good idea, as I also want to see Takachiho and possibly Oita/Beppu or Yufuin while in the vicinity.

Not sure about the trains from Aso to Kumamoto though. Last thing I heard they stop halfway from Kumamoto and a bus transport to Aso. Found this timetable:

https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/byarea/kumamoto/info/__icsFiles/afieldfile/...

But not sure if it will be up to date in March/April.

I expect to leave Takachiho in the afternoon, possibly arriving in Aso before the rental shop close (20:00).

But if there is no train/bus back, I would need to go all the way to Kumamoto again and back to Aso in the early morning to return the car.

Could this work out?

Yes, the Aso area is accessible. It is home to several ten thousand people. There are still some road closures, but everything is accessible.

Here is a current road map, showing closures in red:
http://d2bbxa7r541r3a.cloudfront.net/whatsnew/photo/1482498165.pdf

The current situation regarding the earthquake is covered here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/news/0035.html

In the Aso/Takachiho area, a rental car is the most convenient means of transport regardless of the recent earthquake.

Wow, thank you Uji-san.

Seems like most the roads up on Aso is closed.

Is it still worth it going the 15 km up to the lower ropeway station? I mean, since the way past is off limits?

Seems like most the roads up on Aso is closed.

The main one is open.

Is it still worth it going the 15 km up to the lower ropeway station?

For me: definitely. I love volcanoes, especially active ones.
For others: it depends on their interest in volcanoes.

I mean, since the way past is off limits?

I can't remember how the views of Mount Aso are from the lower ropeway station. But the views of the mountain from the Aso Volcano Museum and the adjacent Kusasenri grassland are specacular, as seen in the top photo on the following page:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4552.html

Rent the car in Kumamoto.

Still good view of Aso-san from 2km away. This travel blog from the front page of this website has good info and pictures of the journey you wanna take.

http://www.japan-guide.com/blog/schauwecker/161110.html

The drive from Kumamoto to Aso can take around a couple of hours. The first half of that it quite dull as it's mainly city and suburbs, with lots of stopping at traffic lights. Speed limits are quite low (to a European).

Once you get into the area nearer to Aso, then the drive becomes really nice (although you may find it's a lot nicer for the passengers, as the roads can become narrow and winding and you may find your concentration is more on the road ahead than on the scenery).

I figured driving from Kumamoto would be Long, hence the idea of renting in Aso instead, but it depends on car and rail service from Kumamoto... If the pdf file is correct I would be in Aso long before I would be arriving by car really.

Possibly returning it to Kumamoto instead to avoid any stress. But thats just an idea,not sure if it is realistic or not...

Noticed that Nobeoka city is closer to the areas I will go to later, including Takachiho. Still posdible to go to Aso. In fact I would not have to backtrack too much since I can drop off the car on the east side of Kyushu rather than west.

How does it sound?

The plan I think is to visit the infamous Totoro bus stop, Aso, Takachiho, possibly Yufuin or Kuju.

Headed for Shikoku later.

Depends on where you are coming from? Nobeoka is not a short quick train trip from anywhere of the easily accessible Kyushu cities.

Coming from Kagoshima actually so well yes I understand the hestitation... Or well Kagoshima airport to be precise.

As I thought of heading by ferry across to Shikoku I coulds save some backtracking but maybe I am just overdoing it.

Not sure how quick droven the rtoads are across Kyushu, I mean if google maps is worth trusting. But comparing the roads droven, Kumamoto, (Aso), Totoro bus stop, Takachiho, Aso, Kumamoto with the route fromNobeoka, Totoro bus stop, Aso, Takachiho, Nobeoka.

But then again, if this sounds unrealistic in case of the roads please let me know.

As you have been bouncing around Kyushu's various cities. Can you provide an itinerary? It is really difficult to give you good advice when you are bouncing around city names.

From Kumamoto to Aso, Milk Road is the current bypass, which tends to be high traffic on weekend. You'll be able to obtain access map to Aso at various road stations in Kyushu. I drove to Kusasenri one month ago. Ropeway has been closed for long due the volcano activity.
On my previous visit to Aso in December, I drove bypass road via Yame on the way to Aso and via Hita on my way back to Fukuoka, both of which took longer than usual.

I am sorry for being a bit vague in the itineary.

Anyway. My plan is to leave Yakushima by air, arriving with the afternoon flight. Heading off north to either Kumamoto or Miyazaki.

Alt 1
Kumamoto to Aso by rail/bus or rental. Then rental to Totoro bus stop, Takachiho. Stay the night, Takachiho explore then Aso and back to Kumamoto.

Heading off to Shikoku Matsuyama by either ferry (Kokura) or rail through Okayama or Onomichi (shimanami kaido).

Alt 2
Miyazaki to Nobeoka early morning. Rentral car to Totoro bus stop, Aso, Takachiho. Stay the night. Takachiho explore, back to Nobeoka. Stay the night.

Off to Beppu, Oita or Kokura and ferry to Matsuyama\Yawatahama.

Alternative 2 would work "if" you have some sort of JR pass. AS starting a finishing your car usage in Nobeoka would save rental costs.

"IF" you dont have a JR rail pass of some sort. Then you might as well just get a hotel in Kagoshima and get the rental car the next morning and go straight from Kagoshima to Takachiko or Asosan.

Aso cannot be reached from Kumamoto at the moment. Recovery schedule has not been announced yet.
Yawatahama ferry is connected to Beppu and Usuki on Kyushu side. The ferry operates 24 hours a day. You don't have to make reservation.

If you want to reach Matsuyama from Kyusyu, I recommend to take a ferry from Beppu port to Yawatahama port. It's really a nice sea trip experience.

@hakata14
I will not really have a JR pass at that part of the journey.
A JR Kyushu pass would not pay off unfortunately.
I am doing two local trips from Kagoshima on arrival, then off to Yakushima, no need for pass. Then from Kagoshima on to Kumamoto, Nobeoka, Beppu or Kokura. And that's probably within more than 3 days time.

Do you meant going by car from Kagoshima?


@KyushuLocal
Do you mean by public transport or by car?

Is there any information source I can look into for possible updates?


@...
I thought so too. It felt like a shortcut rather than going all the way through Okayama, possibly needing a stay night on the way too...

My second suggestion was to car it from Kagoshima to Aso. But after google mapping it. It may adding a lot of time for that day.

From Kumamoto is about 90 minutes vs 3 hours from Kagoshima and Miyazaki.

So probably back to my original suggestion. Rent car @ Kumamoto. Visit all the inland sights you wanna see. Return car @ Beppu. Ferry to Matsuyama.

Unless you have enough time after your flight to get a rental and start moving the same day as the flight? What time does you flight arrive?

KyushuLocal refers to trains. All other means of transportation can reach Aso from Kumamoto. (Purely theoretically it is possible even by train via Oita.)