Where to stay before travel on to Takayama?

Hi, we arrive Narita 6.30pm and are traveling on to Takayama the following morning. Any suggestions on where to stay on the night of our arrival? Keeping in mind the most scenic train route to Takayama. We will have JR pass. Thankyou

I would stay as close to Tokyo station as you can. Tokyo station is where both the Shinkansen lines converge. You'll have the choice of taking the bullet train to Nagoya and switching to the Hida Express line north - or - taking the bullet train to Toyama and switching to the Hida Express south. Both routes are about 4-5 hours depending on transfers.

Agreed. If you want to treat yourself, take the NEX into Tokyo and stay at the Tokyo Station Hotel which is pretty amazing, though leave yourself plenty of time for breakfast there (get the breakfast package) before hopping downstairs to catch the shinkansen to Nagoya. Otherwise there are plenty of not quite as expensive hotels within walking distance of Tokyo Station, same thing - shinkansen to Nagoya.

Then it is on to the Wideview Hida for my favorite train trip in Japan, just a spectacular journey through the mountains to Takayama. It is a little disconcerting in the beginning because it goes backwards for the first 10 minutes or so.

If you were really enthusiastic you could potentially get to Nagoya the night you landed, but it would mean changing at Tokyo Station and really you probably wouldnt be at Tokyo Station until 8.30 at the earliest and after a day on the plain you might be wrecked.

The alternative is the shinkansen to Toyama and the widdeview Hida back to Takayama, but the trip isnt as nice IMO.

Thanks to Me2 guest, remind me of getting to Takyama can go via Toyama!

Tokyo - Toyama - Takayama using Japan Rail Pass no doubt more expensive than below (A) plan but each sector travel time shorter & can stop by Toyama station for lunch then catch next train to Takayama, less hectic I guess....

(A) Shinjuku - Matsumoto - using JR east pass (Nagano, Niigata) & Take Nohi Bus to Takayama

we arrive Narita 6.30pm and are traveling on to Takayama the following morning. We will have JR pass.

I would suggest Nagano which is on the way from Tokyo to Toyama.

http://www.hyperdia.com/en/cgi/en/search.html?dep_node=NARITA%20AIRPOR...

The last JR NEX is 19:50 but if you miss this train you can still catch 20:47 Keisei Skyliner. As mentioned, Toyama to Takayama seems to be less spectacular than Nagoya to Takayama, but you will enjoy Mountainous scenery from Nagano to Toyama.

I would avoid Toyama to Takayama if possible. I did the reverse, Takayama to Toyama and while in theory it takes the same amount of time as Tokyo to Nagoya/Nagoya to Takayama, there are a lot more Hidas between Nagoya and Takayama than between Toyama and Takayama. If I had to do it over again, I should have just looked into how much the bus would be to Matsmoto and seen if that was a faster route to reach Nagano. Takayama and Toyama stations (while beautiful and clean and modern) are also devoid of many shops/restaurants/convenience stores, so if you are stuck at either you have limited options without leaving the station and in June there was no food available for purchase on either Hida I took.

I like Nagano, it's very friendly and very walkable. We stayed at the relatively new Dormy there. It was cheap and close to the station, though being a business class hotel, the room was small. But I still regret going through Toyama to Takayama. I'd rather visit Nagano to just see Nagano.

If money is not an issue, I adore the Tokyo Station Hotel. It's quite possibly the nicest luxury hotel I've ever stayed at. While not everyone appreciates the service, I love that they will meet you at your NEX and take your bags for you as well as when you check out help you get your bags to whatever JR line you are taking next. I travel alone with a child, so for me this is a lovely service and can save me the cost of takyuubinning. The breakfast is my favorite in Japan, though I usually pay for it separately as the packages charge more for children vs. paying out of pocket. I also like the hours they serve breakfast. I've been one of the first people there when I have jet lag and one of the last people there when I'm adjusted to Japan time.

Personally, where you pick to stay would depend a little on where you are coming from and possible jetlag. I think Tokyo is better if you know you are likely to have jetlag (aka coming from the US or Europe) if coming from somewhere in the same time zone or only 1 or 2 time zones different it might be worth it to travel onto Nagoya.

Thank you all so much for your help. I have decided to stay in Tokyo, I would love to be able to stay at the Tokyo Station Hotel but unfortunately way out of budget! Will go via Nagoya to Takayama considering it's a more scenic route. Thanks again