Travel in Chubu

Will be arriving in Narita at 8 am on 26 May and heading straight to Chubu area. Will appreciate assistance on following:-

1) Planning to buy 3D JR East Special Pass to travel to Kawaguchiko / Nagano area. Can I confirm that this pass can be bought in Japan and the ticket office should be open when we arrive?

2) Am debating whether to go to Kawaguchiko (via Otsuki) and stay overnight or to go straight to Nagano and stay at Shibu Onsen to see the monkeys at Yamanouchi. Can anyone advise if Yamanouchi is worth visiting in late May.

3) From Kawaguchiko / Nagano, will be heading to Matsumoto (castle, wasabi, kamikochi) and Alpine route subsequently. Was thinking of doing the Kurobe Gorge train ride also from Toyama but from forum, seems as if best time is autumn. Is it worthwhile to go in late May?

Planning to buy 3D JR East Special Pass to travel to Kawaguchiko / Nagano area. Can I confirm that this pass can be bought in Japan and the ticket office should be open when we arrive?

A maximum of one pass can be purchased per person if you buy them in Japan. It is a temporary offer:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_02.html

The ticket office will be open.

Am debating whether to go to Kawaguchiko (via Otsuki) and stay overnight or to go straight to Nagano and stay at Shibu Onsen to see the monkeys at Yamanouchi. Can anyone advise if Yamanouchi is worth visiting in late May.

I think it is worth at any time of the year, although winter is definitely the best time. There won't be any snow anymore.

Was thinking of doing the Kurobe Gorge train ride also from Toyama but from forum, seems as if best time is autumn. Is it worthwhile to go in late May?

I imagine it to be very attractive in late May. The fresh green leaves should be providing a very nice scenery.

Thank you Uji-san for your clarifications.

I will really like to cover as much as possible and am wondering whether the following is feasible:-

Day 1 - Arrive Narita at 8am. Take train to Nagano and to Yudanaka. Visit Zenkoji and Yamanuchi snow monkeys and stay at Shibu Onsen.
Day 2 - Yudanaka-Nagano-Matsumoto by train. Rent car and drive to Kawaguchiko. Overnite in Kawaguchiko.
Day 3 - Kawaguchiko-Matsumoto by car. Visit Kamikochi, wasabi farm and Matsumoto castle.

How far and how long does it take to drive from Matsumoto to Kawaguchiko? Was thinking of train but the journey seems too time consuming.

The drive from Matsumoto rail station to Kawaguchi-ko rail station is about 2 hrs 5 min at a distance of 139 km.

A daytrip from Matsumoto to Kamikochi and Daio Wasabi Farm is very rush especially if you still need time for Matsumoto Castle and not to mention the 2+ hrs driving time back from Kawaguchi-ko. By public transport you have to coordinate the bus + train schedule to Kamikochi as well as the train + walk, bike or taxi to the wasabi farm. If you drive, note that you can't drive directly into Kamikochi. You have to leave your car at a designated parking lot and take a connecting bus for the last leg into Kamikochi.

Can anyone advise the estimated toll charges for driving from Nagano to Lake Kawaguchiko based on route below? Thanks!

(http://www.mapcrow.info/cgi-bin/driving_directions7.cgi?exact1=zenkoji...)

4950 yen for a regular car without ETC card.

You could save 900 yen by getting of at Ichinomiya-Misaka and take a toll free road from there.