Itinerary Tokyo and outskirts (12D 11N)

Hi there,
I'm planning a trip to Tokyo with 2 elderly parents and my itinerary as follow:
1. Gala Yuzawa (2N)
2. Kanazawa / Nagoya (3N)
3. Kawaguchi and Hakone (2N)
4. Tokyo City (4N)
- will side track to Yokohama and Kamakura

For destinations 1-3, I'm planning to drive from Haneda airport and will return the car at Tokyo station. For balance of 4 days at Tokyo City, we will use the public transport. Kindly advise if this itinerary is doable. Pls feel free to comment.

Thanks
SL

1. Gala Yuzawa (2N)
2. Kanazawa / Nagoya (3N)
3. Kawaguchi and Hakone (2N)

So you f I understand you u correctly all this will be done by car. Why???

The �gbeauty �g of Gala Yuzawa is that this is a ski resort with a Shinkansen station. If you insist on a car, I would choose an other ski resort that is harder to get to by public transport. (Assuming you are going in winter, as I can�ft imagine a lot of reasons to go to Gala Yuzawa if there is no snow).

Tokyo - Kanazawa has a Shinkansen as well , although it�fs a different line than the one to Gala Yuzawa.

What do you want to do in Nagoya? Do you plan to stop in Takayama or Gokayama on route??? If no, I would skip Nagoya. And just head back by Shinkansen from Kanazawa to Tokyo.

I think we need a bit more detail on what you are actually planning but car for large distance, large cities and when a good train connection is available makes mostly no sense in Japan as driving is much slower, plus you need to pay for parking and express ways on which anyway you can go only at about 110 km/h (if I remember correctly).

Also driving in winter conditions from Kanazawa to Nagoya or to Gala Yuzawa is only advisable if you have experience driving in snow and appropriate tires.

None of them are on the outskirts of Tokyo. Maybe 6-8 hours on a car from Tokyo.

All have great public transports options that will be quicker than a car.

Hi there,

My travel dates will be mar 11-23.
My parents are 70 plus and I'm looking for flexibility for them and save the train activity when return in Tokyo city. Our group is 4 persons.
Ok I think I will drop Nagoya.

1. Gala Yuzawa (2N). I think there will not be heavy snow but I'm just bringing them to resort for more on sight seeing for snow mountain. The snow should have stop right?
2. Kanazawa (3N)
Will visit toyama, shirakawago and Takayama
Gokayama was not in my list but if its interesting I will plan to visit.
3. Lake Kawaguchi and Hakone (2N)
Mount Fuji; Gotemba, Fuji lakes
4. Tokyo City (4N)
- will side track to Yokohama and Kamakura
- Asakuasa, Shinjuku, etc.
- this will be travelling by train.

Pls feel free to comment.

Thanks
SL

Hi there,

My travel dates will be mar 11-23.
My parents are 70 plus and I'm looking for flexibility for them and save the train activity when return in Tokyo city. Our group is 4 persons.
Ok I think I will drop Nagoya.

1. Gala Yuzawa (2N). I think there will not be heavy snow but I'm just bringing them to resort for more on sight seeing for snow mountain. The snow should have stop right?
2. Kanazawa (3N)
Will visit toyama, shirakawago and Takayama
Gokayama was not in my list but if its interesting I will plan to visit.
3. Lake Kawaguchi and Hakone (2N)
Mount Fuji; Gotemba, Fuji lakes
4. Tokyo City (4N)
- will side track to Yokohama and Kamakura
- Asakuasa, Shinjuku, etc.
- this will be travelling by train.

Pls feel free to comment.

Thanks
SL

The cherry blossoms are expected to bloom in 2020 on March 21. I think that it is good to assume the famous place of cherry blossoms in the second half of the stay in Tokyo though it is forecast

🏠

Hi!

Please be aware it is a minimum of 5 hours between Kanazawa and Fuji Five Lakes and if you try to do it without tolls you're looking at closer to 9 hours at a minimum. Neither time is inclusive of bathroom breaks, snack breaks or gas breaks, this is just driving times. You will not be able to go a lot faster without risking getting a ticket and I would not personally want to risk a driving ticket in a foreign country.

Assuming you are 4 adults, make sure you rent the right size car. Sure, 4 adults can fit in the smallest sized car, but you'll have a hard time holding 4 carry on bags in the trunk let alone anything else. I've only rented a car in Japan twice, but the size I rented (the smallest and cheapest) would not have been able to handle luggage for 4. We had no problem with our luggage, but we were 2.

Be aware gas and tolls can really add up, like a lot. I just drove from Koriyama to Ononimachi one of the times I rented a car last time I was in Japan. I paid about 2000 yen in tolls, 4000 yen for the car and another 1000-2000 yen more in gas. So while I had the freedom to come and go as I please vs. the once an hour (or less) local train, I paid about 7000-8000 yen more.

I honestly have no idea what you are going to do in Toyama. I've only been there for an hour or so, but it didn't seem particularly compelling to me. I know what you won't be doing though. You will not be doing the Alpine Route as the full route isn't open until April 15th and the partial opening isn't until April 10th.

Make sure you know where you are going to be parking and if there are fees for parking. In my case, I only took my rental car(s) to places where parking was free. I suspect parking near Kenrokuen and possibly at hotels in Kanazawa it is not free. I think for most people the attraction of Hakone is the loop and I am unsure where you can park for it . If you're planning to keep the car at your accommodation while traveling about make sure you're allowed to post check out.

Good luck!

Hi rklod,

May I check with you is Kanazawa worth to make trip there? If no might opt for other options.
Most probably will skip Toyama.
Takayama and shirakawago and Lake Kawaguchi is beautiful so this would be my must go list.

Pls help to comment.

Hi!

This is personal opinion. I have been to 4 of your locations: Kanazawa, Takayama, and Shirakawa Go. I've been skipping Kawaguchiko because traveling 2 hours one way for a view is not my cup of tea. I am going to go eventually to either climb Fuji-san (in season!) or to visit Fuji Q Highland, but I'm waiting until my kid is over 10 for both.

So in order of which I would visit again I would definitely do: Kanazawa, Takayama, Kawaguchiko and Shirakawa Go dead last. Takayama, Kanazawa and Shirakawa Go are all near each other so they make sense to do together, but I have zilch desire to visit Shirakawa Go ever again.

But you need to decide what makes sense for you. I can't tell you that. Maybe you like just looking at scenery and like driving.

Good luck!

I do not know what is your travel experience in general, but based on my experience (and i have not travelled much at all compared to somebody else) i would say that both Kanazawa and Kawaguchiko are not in my top 20 regarding the places where i have travelled. And i have not visited any so called paradise islands, Macchu Picchu or New Zealand etc.

IMHO if you want to see mountains and there are no alternatives for Japan, then maybe Nagano is a better option than Gala Yuzawa? Using a combination of shinkansen, local train or bus or taxi should provide better experience for your parents. I do not know the fitness level of your parents but i would say that even the trail from the bus station to the monkey park is not that technical, long or steep. In theory maybe even Hakuba could be considered; yes it is a long train ride from Tokyo but has probably a better alpine feeling?

Kawaguchiko is just a dull city with a lake, which pales in comparison to Morskie Oko in Poland or Lake Maggiore, Como and Garda in Italy. With good weather you might get a quite nice view of Mt Fuji; but no need to rent a car for that. Using a train from Shinjuku with transfer at Otsuki and finally using a taxi to get to the base of the small hill with a viewing platform should be considered.

Also i do not get the hype that Kanazawa gets, mainly for its garden. Maybe the may was not the best season and, but IMHO it is probably possible to find smaller but less touristy gardens around not so well known temples or shrines.

Last point - pack light! Do not plan to take 1 large suitcase and 1 hand luggage per person on your trip! Japan is crowded and have to monitor also your parents so carrying a lot of luggage is not good idea at all. You probably have to manage to move them through the ticketing gates, verifying that they use their IC card or rail pass properly etc etc.

But i agree with Rkold - you have to do the homework and decide - why do you travel and what do you want to see, hear, taste and experience. Good luck!

BR,
Lauri

Having lived in Japan for 21 years, for my parent's visit we preferred the convenience and comfort of a luxury spaceous car. This way we could visit where we wanted, for as long as we liked, before moving to the next place.

https://www.jomoncarrental.com/our-vehicles/Toyota-Alphard-SUV - was very good for our needs as 6 people, but it would make a great vehicle for 4 to travel in, with plenty of luggage space too. The beauty of having a car is that every occupant gets to see a lot more. Inside a train, it's not always all that scenic or interesting to be on a journey. And then there's the waiting and timetables...
For us, Jomon Car Rental fitted winter tyres, but that was at the end of January. I think by end of March you're unlikely to find any snow on roads. This car was 4WD & Hybrid too.

My parents (Who are elderly) enjoyed it so much, they're coming back again in the beginning of April. I think if I'd had them take buses and trains, they wouldn't have enjoyed it nearly as much. Check out what they offer on www.Jomoncarrental.com - they have other 4WD vehicles and luxury station wagons, which will make touring a lot more pleasant than trains, plus other stuff for picnics and BBQ as well.

Hi there,

Thanks a lot for the opinions; has shed some lights on the places to go and how to travel. Will do more homework before my trip.

Thanks for comment on self drive. It will ease a little for my elderly parents. While in the city we will definitely be on trains.

I will be throwing questions for your opinions when I think of any.

Thanks you so much