Takayama or Gero

I am planning a stopover from Kyoto to Tokyo to either Gero or Takayama. Would appreciate any advice which would be a better option. What are the interesting things to do at these places. Thanks

The only thing Gero has to offer are hot spring baths:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5990.html

Takayama has a wealth of things to see and do:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5900.html

For sight-seeing, it's definitely Takayama which gives you a feel of traditional rural Japan. Most of the sites are within walking distance from the JR station. Worthwhile places to visit include Hida Kokubun-ji, Takayama Jinya, San-machi Suji district, Yoshijima-ke Jutaku, Inro Bijitsukan Museum, Takayama Yatai Kaikan, Shiroyama-koen with Shoren-ji, Mahikari-kyo Main World Shrine, etc. If you have another half a day to spare, you can even go on a side-trip to beautiful Shirakawa-go. If not, a short bus ride is Hida-no-Sato folk village which also have some unique and photogenic gassho-zukuri farmhouses.

Staying a night in Takayama is highly recommended so that you can go to one of its two interesting morning markets which starts at 7.00. The one by the river has picturesque colour cloth-covered stalls selling everything from fresh farm products to local crafts. Also in town don't forget to try out its popular Hida Beef, cheaper than Kobe Beef but taste just as good. Also remember to take home Takayama's famous souvenir, a lovely �gmonkey baby�h doll called Sarubobo. It's a faceless doll in various colours said to be a charm for good and trouble-free relationships.

http://www.hida.jp/english/index.htm

Agree with Uji�fs and William�fs reply. Go for Takayama, there are more things to see.
However, you can also do a morning at Gero enroute to Tokyo.( Gero & Takayama atation are along the JR( Wideview) Hida line, about 4 sations apart )
At Gero you could visit the gassho-zukuri thatched farmhouses, which is about 20 mins walk from the JR railway station. Along the way to the thatched houses there are free footbaths and also a hot spring bath just beneath a bridge.

Thank you very much for all your suggestions and advice. I heard so much about Hida beef. Can i check whether it readily available in restaurant in Takayama (if yes, any recommendation for reasonable priced meal) or is it mainly found in meal plan together with the accommodation booking ?

Regarding the day traip to Gero,I guess I have to go it a miss,especially when I have the luggages with me once we leave Takayama.

Arising from other posting, Kiso Valley was recommended as an option to Takayama / Gero, so I am evaluating the 2 option. My group has 5 kids ranging from 5 years to 16 years. Any recommendation whether Takayama or Kiso Valley is more interesting for kids. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

Definitely Takayama. Great place to wonder around, lots of cool stuff close to the station. Gero's more for you and friends to go enjoy the onsen.

For Hida Beef, most of the restaurants in Takayama will serve it because it is famous and very popular. Highly recommended by a friend who ate there, we went to the following restaurant and had grilled beef. My wife who is a fairly good cook said she had the best value grilled beef ever there. Kobe Beef is of course good too but my wife said it is overpriced. The restaurant is only about 5 min walk from the JR station and is easily identified by a big bronze cow in a glass cage at the entrance. But be warned, it is very popular, go early and expect a queue as early as 17.00.
http://www.hidagyu-maruaki.co.jp/

Kiso Valley is a good destination for a taste of old Japan, especially if you hike the 9-10 km of the old Nakasendo route between Magome and Tsumago. A visit to Tsumago will bring you back in time to the Edo era. But that aside, there isn't much else in the region. It is doubtful if kids will enjoy the stay there.

In Takayama there is a bit more in variety. Besides enjoying a Hida Beef meal, in the San-machi Suji district you can take a rickshaw ride. In the Takayama Yatai Kaikan you can see some of the colourful yatai floats which are put on parade during Takayama's summer and autumn festivals. There is also the Shiroyama-koen where kids can play while enjoying the town view, and the morning markets may also appeal to them. We did not go but we learnt of a Teddy Bear Eco-Village. Enquire at the tourist info. centre if you want to bring your kids there.

To further burn off some of the kids' energy, consider taking a short bus ride to the two following places in the suburb of Takayama. The first place is a craft workshop where you can have some hand-on experience in making local handicraft such as the popular �gmonkey baby�h dolls.
http://www4.ocn.ne.jp/~omoide/
The second place is called Kur Alp which is an onsen/water park where the whole family can enjoy.
http://www.hidanet.ne.jp/~kuralp/index.htm

Thanks Kurichan and William5 for your advice. Having read your suggestions, I have decided to go to Takayama. There seems so many interesting things to do within a day ! But a search for accommodation seems that most places charges above 10,000 yen per person. Appreciate any recommendation for cheaper accommodation.

William5 - thanks for your food recommendation. I will surely queue early to try the Hida beef restaurant as the kids love beef. Since I am also going to Sendai and the Bay area during the last lag of my trip, would appreciate it if you could also recommend some must try food or restaurant. Recommendation on interesting places to visit in Sendai is appreciated too.

Some choices in accommodation in Takayama: http://travel.rakuten.co.jp/group/tiku_en/03japangihutakayama.html

Will talk to you about Sendai later.

You can try kuwataniya minshuku.
This minshuku come with reasonable price and about 6 mins walk from Takayama Stn.
http://www.kuwataniya.com/english/english.htm

Actually I'll be staying here for 2 nights in Dec09. You can read the review for this place from http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Hotel_Review-g298113-d621205-Reviews-Minshuk...

Thanks tibbie, I have already made enquiry on your recommended minshuku, Seems to have very good review from tripadvisor.

For food, Sendai is famous for gyu-tan (ox tongues) and a lot of restaurants serve gyu-tan meals. From the tourist info. centre in the JR station, they have a gyu-tan restaurant map! A popular restaurant chain is this:
http://www.dategyu.jp/
They have branches all over Sendai, in town centre, in JR station and in basement of dept. stores. Without searching all over town, there is a Gyutan Dori on 2/F of JR Sendai station near the west exit. There are 3 or 4 restaurants there, one of which is the above chain. Next to the Gyutan Dori is a Sushi Dori with 5 seafood restaurants, one of which has daily fresh seafood specially shipped from Kesennuma which is famous for seafood in Tohoku. One thing to note is that the eating places in either Gyutan Dori or Sushi Dori are relatively small compared with downtown spacious restaurants.

For sightseeing in Sendai, it is better to take the Loople Sendai Bus and hop on-and-off between sites:
http://www.kotsu.city.sendai.jp/english/bus/loople/index.html
If time is limited, just do Zuiho-den (stop no. 4) and Aoba-jo (stop no. 6). The shopping street (stop no. 2) is also worth a look and it is actually walk-able from the JR station. It is beautifully lit up during evenings, but shops there may close early during winter.

Outside the loop bus route, there are a couple of places that are also worth considering if you have time. About 30 min by bus is Kamzaki Belle Factory with a colourful display of the giant paper floats used during the summer matsuri parade:
http://www.kanezaki.co.jp/belle_factory/05tanabata.html
The place also has a workshop where you can get some hand-on experience in making fish cake. The kids may like it:
http://www.kanezaki.co.jp/belle_factory/03juku.html

10 min by subway is the Tomizawa Site Museum, an impressive well preserved fossilized forest dating back 20,000 years ago:
http://www.city.sendai.jp/kyouiku/chiteinomori/

Sendai is the gateway for the beautiful region of Tohoku which is not yet fully explored by foreign visitors. You can spend weeks in Tohoku, but if you can only afford a short stay and do a couple of side-trips from Sendai, take a look at this recent thread for some suggestions:
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+68853

Thanks William5 for your advice again. Will look out for the food and places that you have recommended. These activities, together with your other post on Matsushima should fill out my 2 days in Sendai. One more question - since it is the oyster season in Matsushima and I read somewhere that the grilled oyster is fanastic and there are outlets with Eat-All-You-Can within a certain time limit, can you please recommend places where I should not miss for oyster in Matsushima. I believe prices should be reasonable since it is the season during this period.
Thanks in advance !

For the "all you can eat" oyster place, take a look at this thread:

http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+68478

Thank you so much for all your suggestions and answers to my queries !