Work-in-progress itinerary

Proposed driving itinerary for January 2011 for my wife and I :
---Jan 29, arr Nagoya Cen Japan airport 20.55, overnight at airport hotel--I hope there is one or any place convenient to our itinerary. Have no particular interest to visit Nagoya city. Looking for a business hotel for 2 persons under y13,000 with or without breakfast, any suggestions ?
---Jan 30, lunch in Gujo-Hachiman, then overnight in Shirakawago (need to arr at minshuku by 1730 latest). Understand it takes approx 3 hrs (driving slowly) from Nagoya airport to Shirakawago with a 4 hr stopover for lunch in Gujo-Hachiman.
---Jan 31, onsen + lunch in Shirakawago then leave for Matsumoto via Takayama but not stopping there as have visited Takayama before. Overnight Matsumoto (would it be possible to overnight instead at Bessho onsen--in this scenario, I know it will be too late to dine at ryokan, are there many restaurants in Bessho if choose to stay at a hotel. I have been to Matsumoto before)
---Feb 1, visit Bessho onsen (+ maybe visit snow monkeys if have time), overnight Nozawa Onsen
---Feb 2, ski and overnight Nozawa Onsen
---Feb 3, ski and overnight Nozawa Onsen
---Feb 4, drive from Nozawa Onsen, visit snow monkeys unless done above, arr somewhere near Toyota to stay the night.
---Feb 5, Toyota factory tour in the morning, then back to Nagoya airport for our flight at 1650. I think the factory tour starts and 11am and ends at noon ??? Would this be too tight ?
---If there are places of interest we could fit in, please feel free to suggest. Are there any fruit farms within our itinerary, prefer peaches, apples and cherries.

Overnight Matsumoto (would it be possible to overnight instead at Bessho onsen--in this scenario

Yes, but it would add more driving time.

I know it will be too late to dine at ryokan, are there many restaurants in Bessho if choose to stay at a hotel.

I doubt that there are any restaurants that are open late. But at least some ryokan should be able to serve dinner a little bit later, say from 8pm. You are not planning to arrive later than even that, are you?

---Feb 5, Toyota factory tour in the morning,

February 5, 2011 is a Saturday, when no tours are held:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3308.html

Are there any fruit farms within our itinerary, prefer peaches, apples and cherries.

These fruits are all way out of season! Even for strawberries it might be too early.

Thanks Uji for so smartly noticing Feb 5, 2011 will be a Saturday, have revised our itinerary as follows, only changes are on Jan 31st and last day:
---Jan 30 (Sunday), arr Nagoya Cen Japan airport 20.55, overnight at airport hotel--I hope there is one or any place convenient to our itinerary. Have no particular interest to visit Nagoya city. Looking for a business hotel for 2 persons under y13,000 with or without breakfast, any suggestions ?
---Jan 31, morning visit to Toyota factory, then lunch in Gujo-Hachiman, then overnight in Shirakawago (need to arr at minshuku by 1730 latest). What is the distance between Toyota factory and Gujo-Hachiman so I can see if we have sufficient time for a lunch stopover in Gujo-Hachiman ? I take it most of the journey will be exp'way.
---Feb 1, onsen + lunch in Shirakawago then leave for Matsumoto via Takayama but not stopping there as have visited Takayama before. Overnight Matsumoto (would it be possible to overnight instead at Bessho onsen--in this scenario, I know it will be too late to dine at ryokan, are there many restaurants in Bessho if choose to stay at a hotel. I have been to Matsumoto before)
---Feb 2, visit Bessho onsen (+ maybe visit snow monkeys if have time), overnight Nozawa Onsen
---Feb 3, ski and overnight Nozawa Onsen
---Feb 4, ski and overnight Nozawa Onsen
---Feb 5, drive from Nozawa Onsen straight to Nagoya airport for our flight at 1650. You estimated previously this could comfortably take about 3.5 hours with no stopovers ? I take it there should not be traffic jams NORMALLY along this route.
---How about apple farms ? This past (early) February, we were able to buy apples from an apple farm just outside Numata in Gunma.

drive from Nozawa Onsen straight to Nagoya airport for our flight at 1650. You estimated previously this could comfortably take about 3.5 hours with no stopovers ?

Sorry, I made a mistake. The 3.5 hours only include the drive along the expressway between central Nagoya and the nearest expressway exit to Nozawa. I forgot to include the section from the nearest exit to the actual town of Nozawa, which is another 30 minutes or so. Furthermore, you will also have to add time for the section between Nagoya and Nagoya's Central Japan Airport.

So, for the entire trip, you can probably do it in 4.5 hours. And then I would add an hour or two for breaks, and eventual other delays, such as eventual traffic jams or getting lost (especially in the expressway networks around Nagoya). So I would calculate at least five hours in total.

And now I just noticed that you travel in mid winter! In mid winter there is a chance of bad road conditions, which could cause severe delays to your travel times, for example, if there is a heavy snowfall on your day of travel or the day before.

I take it there should not be traffic jams NORMALLY along this route.

There is always a certian risk, especially around Nagoya. It could be due to heavy traffic or an accident. Or due to snow conditions, as mentioned above.

Thanks for your estimate of the time from Nozawa onsen to Nagoya Centrair airport.
What's the toll and roughly how long to drive from Shirakawago by expressway via Toyama and Joetsu ?
You said above "...or getting lost (especially in the expressway networks around Nagoya)." If say I've driven 3 times from Narita through the Tokyo to the Kanetsu expressway and then back again on the return leg, including through peak hour Tokyo traffic, would you say I should be able to cope with the expressways around Nagoya as this would be my 1st time driving from Nagoya ?
By the way, any apple farms along my above revised itinerary ? We bought 2 dozen apples this past February from an apple farm just outside Numata in Gunma and they made great omiyage back home so we would like to do the same next year.

What's the toll and roughly how long to drive from Shirakawago by expressway via Toyama and Joetsu ?

To Nozawa? About 3.5 hours and 5450 yen.

If say I've driven 3 times from Narita through the Tokyo to the Kanetsu expressway and then back again on the return leg, including through peak hour Tokyo traffic, would you say I should be able to cope with the expressways around Nagoya as this would be my 1st time driving from Nagoya ?

I know from my own experience that finding yout way from Narita onto the Kanetsu is quite a challenge. If you mastered that challenge, I think you should have no problems in Nagoya.

And I am afraid I am not sure about the apple farms. There are hundreds of them around Numata. But the apples are certainly not in season in February.

What is the distance along the expressway ONLY from Shirakawago IC to the nearest IC for Nozawa driving via Toyama and Joetsu ?
Uji thank you for all your help.

Its roughly 250km on the expressway.

http://www.driveplaza.com/dp/SearchTop#search_map

I have come across the driveplaza site before but since I don't understand Japanese, I was unable to use it. Is there something similar in English ?

I haven't seen any English ones, but google maps will do a good job of mapping the route and telling you distances and times, however they don't include toll information.

I searched "google map japan english" and either the links don't work or in Japanese. The only workable link I could find is the "diddle finger" site but that only gives distance as the crow flies and no routing which is insufficient for driving purposes. Do you have a better link ? Actually I have searched google maps for Japan in English before and found nothing suitable. Would appreciate your help here.