Tateyama Kurobe Alpine ticket

Hi everyone,

Would like your advice on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine ticket. Can I travel back and forth on the ticket or do I need to follow the route on the course? E.g. can I travel from Nagoya -> Toyama -> Alpine route -> Toyama (instead of Shinano-Omachi) –> Nagoya or do I need to follow the Nagoya -> Toyama -> Alpine route -> Matsumoto -> Nagoya route?

I am planning to visit Kamikochi and it seems easier to travel to Hirayu onsen by bus via Toyama. I will also spend more than 5 days in the region, hence the Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass will not work for my plan.

Tateyama Kurobe Alpine ticket websites:

https://www.nagoya-info.jp/en/tickets/files/alpine_route.pdf

https://railway.jr-central.co.jp/tickets/otoku_tateyamakurobe/

Thank you!

Hi,

The Tateyama-Kuobe Alpine ticket is one way and you can not back track. You can read more about it on this website:
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7551.html

For whether it is easier to get to Hirayu from Matsumoto or Toyama, that is up for debate. It would depend more on whether you can time for the Hida from Toyama to Takayama or time better for a bus from Matsumoto. Though if you're trying to go to Kamikochi there are direct buses as well as bus/train connection from Matsumoto and you don't need to go to Hirayu at all. I went to Kamikochi in June of 2018 from Matsumoto. During high season for Kamikochi there are even direct buses from Nagano to Kamikochi. Just be careful, Kamikochi closes on 11/15/19 for the season.

If you really want to go through Hirayu though, you can also reverse your Alpine ticket and start on the Ogizawa side and end in Toyama. This is recommended for travel in November, when the Alpine Route is sometimes partially closed.

I hope this helps!

Hi rkold,

Many thanks for the reply! This is really helpful. I didnft know therefs direct buses from Matsumoto and will look that up. :)

Hi!

This is the bus schedule from Matsumoto to Kamikochi:
https://www.alpico.co.jp/en/timetable/kamikochi/r-matsumoto-kamikochi/

Sometimes you do need to take the train from Matsumoto to Shin-Shimashima Station for the bus to Kamikochi. It is very straightforward though. My first night in the Kamikochi area I stayed at Nakanoyu, and the ryokan had a free transfer from Matsumoto Station at I think 14:00. The ryokan then offered a free trip to Kamikochi the next morning (I am unsure of pick-up service as we only stayed 1 night there) at 7:00 am. I stayed 1 night in a cabin in Kamikochi and the next morning took the bus to Shin-Shimashima and then the train to Matsumoto before heading to Nagano. We had plenty of time to see the castle before heading out. (We had spent time in Matsumoto before going to Kamikochi as well.)

While it is back tracking, you could technically go: Matsumoto to Kamikochi to Hirayu to Takayama to back to Nagoya, or you can do Matsumoto to Kamikochi roundtrip and take the train back to Nagoya from there. It really depends on what you want to do.

Good luck!

Note that although the JR section is one-way, meaning you can't backtrack, the Alpine-route section from Dentetsu Toyama toTateyama to Alpine route to Shinano-Omachi is "unlimited rides" meaning you can backtrack as many times as you like. So theoretically you can backtrack from Shinano-Omachi to Murodo to Tateyama to Dentetsu Toyama and then take bus from Toyama to Hirayu-Onsen (and then to Kamikochi). Of course Toyama to Hirayu to Kasmikochi is outside of the Alpine route so you must pay for it.

Hi rkold and frog1954,

Many thanks for your inputs! Both of you have provided the answers to what I really wanted to know and unable to find elsewhere.

The ryokan looks amazing and noted on the Toyama-Hirayu Onsen bus not on the Alpine route. Looking forward to my visit to the Alpine route and Kamikochi!