Odawara Places Of Interest

I will be staying in Tokyo for 2 days then Odawara for 5 consecutive days. Any suggestion on places of interest worth going? I have no specific itinerary but plan to go to Mt Fuji/Hakone. How should I go about these 2 places? Is it worth buying a JR rail pass just to travel from narita-tokyo-odawara-tokyo-narita, with day trip in between?

Besides the Odawara Castle, I think there is not so much to see in Odawara itself.

But it takes only about 15 minutes to get from Odawara to Hakone. If I were you, I would explore all the different hot springs of Hakone and enjoy the mountainous region.

If you have an accommodation in Odawara, I recommend to visit Hakone in day trips, i.e. return to Odawara at the end of the day. I recommend to buy a Hakone Free Pass (or Weekday Pass if applicable) to explore Hakone:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html

As for Mount Fuji, I assume you want to visit the Fuji Five Lake region. The easiest way to go there is by JR trains to Gotemba (via Kozu, 1 hour, 740 Yen) and take a Fujikyu bus to Kawaguchiko from Gotemba Station (80 minutes, 1470 Yen).

In any case, a Japan Rail Pass will never be justified by this short-distance trips, especially since it is not even valid on most of the trains and buses in the Hakone and Fuji Five Lake regions. In order to justify the Japan Rail Pass, you must at least travel from Tokyo to Kyoto and back or something similar.

More details about Hakone:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5200.html

More details about Fuji Five Lakes:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6900.html

Uji san, thank you for your feedback. Besides Hakone/Mt Fuji, is there any other place I can go for day trip? 7 days for 2 places seem too much. How far is Odawara from Tokyo? How much is the fare?

Tokyo, Yokohama, Kamakura and the Izu Peninsula are just a few of the easy day trip destinations from Odawara which come to my mind.

By Odakyu Railways it takes 95 minutes and 850 Yen to get to Tokyo (one way). Alternatively it takes about 70 minutes and 1450 yen by JR rapid trains.

More info on Yokohama (45 minutes, 950 Yen):
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2156.html

About Kamakura (40 minutes, 740 Yen):
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2166.html

Is there some particular reason you are planning 2 days in Tokyo and 5 based in Odawara? That is not how I'd do a 7 day trip. You could include the Hakone region and Fuji and not be based in Odawara for 5 days.

The trip is plan this way because of free accomodation. I will probably be taking the train to Tokyo when I'm done with Hakone and the surrounding town...

"free" is good. I agree w/Uji, I would go to Yokohama and Kamakura also. Yokohama would give you a nice contrast to Hakone. There is a good Chinatown there, and MM21, etc. And Kamakura gives you the temples.

What is MM21?

By the way, since I will be shuttling between places e.g. Odawara-Tokyo-Odawara or Odawara-Yokohama-Odawara etc, is there any way to safe on the transport? A day pass?

What is MM21?

Minato Mirai 21 in Yokohama:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3200.html

By the way, since I will be shuttling between places e.g. Odawara-Tokyo-Odawara or Odawara-Yokohama-Odawara etc, is there any way to safe on the transport? A day pass?

The fare for regular tickets for a round trip is 1900 Yen to Yokohama Station and 2900 Yen to Tokyo Station.

If you go to Tokyo, I recommend the "Tokyo Jiyu Joshaken", which gives you one round trip from Odawara to Tokyo and unlimited usage of local trains in central Tokyo for 2770 Yen.

If you happen to be in Japan during the Seishun 18 Kippu season, you can could use the Seishun 18 Kippu, which gives you five days of unlimited usage of non-express JR trains nationwide for 11500 Yen, i.e. 2300 Yen per day. Here are more details on the Seishun 18 Kippu:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2362.html

As for the round trip to Yokohama, I cannot find any discount ticket.

As for the round trip to Yokohama, I cannot find any discount ticket.

Wrong! I just found the Yokohama Free Kippu, which gives you the round trip to Yokohama plus unlimited usage of JR trains in central Yokohama for 1880 Yen.

Thank you for the info. It is very useful. Where can I get those ticket you mentioned? At any railway station? Is there any website where I can locate other discount ticket info? Since you recommended Kamakura and the Izu Peninsula, I might pop by.

Unfotunately I do not qualify for the Seishun 18 Kippu as I will be in Japan on last week of May. :(

Where can I get those ticket you mentioned? At any railway station?

You can get them at JR Odawara Station.

Is there any website where I can locate other discount ticket info?

There is not much information in English. Here is some:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2357.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358.html

Uji san, you are right. There isn't much info on the 2 website you provided. Can I trouble you again to look for discount ticket to Kamakura and the Izu Peninsula, round trip from Odawara?

Can I trouble you again to look for discount ticket to Kamakura and the Izu Peninsula, round trip from Odawara?

For the Izu Peninsula: the Odoriko Minami Izu Free Kippu introduced on the before mentioned page is also available for a trip starting at Odawara (7600 Yen), however, this is a discount ticket for non-budget travelers, and going there by regular tickets on local trains is actually much cheaper:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_005.html

Also, if you have a driver's licence, I would recommend exploring the Izu Peninsula by rental car (just avoid weekends):
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2024.html

Depending how many you are, a rental car does not have to be more expensive than public transport if you use a cheap service like Club Tocoo:
http://www.japan-guide.com/ad/coocom2.html

As for Kamakura, I can't find a discount ticket to be used from Odawara.

Uji San, Domo Arigato Gozaimatsuta!

There is someone that can tell me what are walking distance from Odawara and Hakone Yumoto station. I would like to visit area by foot but I don't want to die before arrive.....
Thanks in advance

I would like to know if Odawara Castle and related museum are included in Hakone Freepass and if not how much is it?
I read about a discount that can be obtained on web site "www.city.odawara.kanagawa.jp" on joshi koen facilities section. It is wrote that this discount is available for "up to 5 people". We are 4 friends...so we can use this discount, is correct? Thanks

distance Odawara HakoneYumoto is about 7 km and castle entrance fee is not included in Hakone Free Pass

Thanks Peter.....how can I reach Hakone yumoto once I visit Odawara area and which are prices to do that? thanks