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Alpine Route with Baby 2019/10/21 15:41
Hi,

I'll be travelling to Japan for 11 days in the 1st week of November. We are 2 adults, a 6yr-old, and an infant (8 mnths). Alpine Route is in our itinerary hoping to see the new snow and autumn colors in lower area. My questions are...
Have any of the travelers here taken an infant to Alpine Route?
Would the weather up there be OK for an infant in early November?
Can we bring stroller or do I have to settle with baby carrier?

Here's our itinerary. We're combining JR pass with SUICA, option ticket, and (maybe) Kansai area pass. Hopefully it's not too ambitious and still manageable.

Day 1: Night arrival in Osaka, stay in Namba area
Day 2: Stroll around Osaka (Aquarium/Kids Plaza?)
Day 3: Travel to Tokyo (activate JR Pass), Showa Kinen Park in the afternoon
Day 4: Day trip to Nikko (Okunikko area)
Day 5: Disneyland
Day 6: Stroll around Tokyo or half-day trip to Fuji in the morning
Day 7: Travel to Alpine Route via Nagano - Ogizawa in, Toyama out, then to Kanazawa to stay for 1 night
Day 8: Short trip to Shirakawago, back to Kanazawa, then travel to Osaka
Day 9: Day trip to Kyoto
Day 10: Another day trip to Kyoto or day trip to Nara/Kobe
Day 11: Stroll around Osaka and depart from KIX in the night
by sukmac  

Re: Alpine Route with Baby 2019/10/21 16:14
Strollers are horrible to use in Japan. Use a carrier. Not just at the Alpine route. But all other locations.
by Hakata14 (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Alpine Route with Baby 2019/10/21 22:46
Hi!

It will be crowded, but strollers are regularly used in Tokyo Disney. It made it hard to walk sometimes as someone without a stroller, but they are very popular with families there and they are available for rental.

Do you have a lot of warm things to bundle your baby in or are you more concerned with the change in altitude. I can't speak for the latter, but people in colder climates just bundle up their children well when taking them out in the cold. If we didn't we would be stuck in our houses for months on end.

Good luck!
by rkold rate this post as useful

Re: Alpine Route with Baby 2019/10/22 00:20
Alpine route is basically 9-10 hours on buses. I would not expect your baby or your 6 year old to enjoy the bulk of it very much. A very small infant may sleep the whole time, but and 8 months old will want to be rolling/sitting/crawling around and will not be patient sitting for so long. The 6 year old will probably enjoy the unique trams and ropeways on the trip, but not the long treks in between.

Strollers are fine in Japan, just make sure it is lightweight and can easily fold. And don't try to push it through a busy subway station at peak times or anything like that. You may consider a wearable baby sling for the more dense areas of the city.

Personally, I think your trip has far too much travel for young kids. Even excluding the Alpine route.

Day 1: Night arrival in Osaka, stay in Namba area

Long flight that will be tough for the kids

Day 2: Stroll around Osaka (Aquarium/Kids Plaza?)
Day 3: Travel to Tokyo (activate JR Pass), Showa Kinen Park in the afternoon


3+ hours of travel

Day 4: Day trip to Nikko (Okunikko area)

4-5 hours round trip of travel time

Day 5: Disneyland

Fun but very tiring day for the kids

Day 6: Stroll around Tokyo or half-day trip to Fuji in the morning

"half-day" trip to Fuji? It takes half a day just to get there and back! 4-5 hours round trip travel,

Day 7: Travel to Alpine Route via Nagano - Ogizawa in, Toyama out, then to Kanazawa to stay for 1 night

This is 10+ hours of travel

Day 8: Short trip to Shirakawago, back to Kanazawa, then travel to Osaka

"short trip" to Shirakawago is 4 hours round trip, then 3 hours to Osaka.

Day 9: Day trip to Kyoto
Day 10: Another day trip to Kyoto or day trip to Nara/Kobe
Day 11: Stroll around Osaka and depart from KIX in the night


Finally a few reasonable days!

I think you need to spend a lot more time in one location with kids, who will definitely want a nap mid day at the hotel.
by TW (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Alpine Route with Baby 2019/10/22 13:27
Been to Tokyo once with our then-3 year old. Using a stroller was indeed challenging. I heard that all train stations have elevators, but either there weren't any clear signs, or they were just at the very end of each platform. It was a bit of a chore to move around when it was just myself and the kid in the stroller. The baby carrier will surely be a better choice for your infant.
by CC (guest) rate this post as useful

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