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Tokyo - Matsumoto - Fukuchi Onsen in one day 2017/7/18 05:09

We have been planning on taking an 8 or 9am train from Tokyo to Matsumoto, visit the castle for a couple hours and then take a 2pm bus to Fukuchi Onsen where we will spend one night in a very nice Ryokan.
As I look at the train and bus schedules it looks like the options are limited and the connections might be kind of tight when you figure in the time spent dropping off our luggage and finding our way to the castle and the bus stops.
The latest we can check into the Ryokan is 5pm, it is expensive and we want to have enough time there to enjoy it.
I'm starting to wonder if this is too much to do in one day and if we are running the risk of missing connections and messing the whole thing up. My travel partner vetoed the idea of renting a car in Matsumoto. It will be our first trip to Japan and neither of us speaks Japanese.
Any thoughts?
Thank you!
by Heidisueelvus  

Re: Tokyo - Matsumoto - Fukuchi Onsen in one day 2017/7/18 12:56
I checked the bus schedule from Matsumoto to Fukuchi onsen and found that the only suitable one departs Matsumoto at 14:55 and reach Fukuchi onsen (there are some bus stops around Fukuchi onsen) around 16:40. Note that this bus is seasonal (only in summer).

http://www.alpico.co.jp/access/express/matsumoto_takayama/

You can go to Matsumoto from Tokyo via Nagano (by Shinkansen) or Shinjuku (by Chuo line Limited Express) and either way you will be at Matsumoto before 12:00. So you will have 3+ hours in Matsumoto. You can walk from Matsumoto station to the castle (20 min one way) or take taxi (5 min, 700 yen). The only problem is your luggage. If you worry about the luggage you might better send it to the Ryokan at Fukuchi onsen via Takkyubin.
by frog1954 rate this post as useful

Re: Tokyo - Matsumoto - Fukuchi Onsen in one day 2017/7/18 13:33
Thank you for your reply Frog1954. It looks to me that Nohi has a bus leaving Matsumoto at 14:05 and arriving in Hirayu Onsen at 15:30. I would then need to transfer to the bus that runs from Hirayu to ShinHotaka which stops at Fukuchi Onsen.
Here is the link: https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/highwaybus/matsumoto.pdf
Would you mind taking a look at that and tell me if I am mistaken? It looks like there are some buses that run summer only but others that run year round.
Thank you.
by Heidisueelvus rate this post as useful

Re: Tokyo - Matsumoto - Fukuchi Onsen in one day 2017/7/18 15:22
Would you mind taking a look at that and tell me if I am mistaken?

No, you are not mistaken. I thought you will travel soon so that you will be in the time frame between 15th Jul and 20th Aug. If you are not, you can only use 14:05 bus as you mentioned. Even in that case, you will have 2+ hours which is enough to see Matsumoto castle.
by frog1954 rate this post as useful

Re: Tokyo - Matsumoto - Fukuchi Onsen in one day 2017/7/19 05:44
Thank you!
by Heidisueelvus rate this post as useful

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