Staying in 1 hotel in 1 city, not each city?

Instead of staying in the cities an making accommodations, I was considering finding one accommodation in Kobe, and just making multiple trips for each day I plan to explore the other cities considering they are each about 30-60 minutes away.

I figure it might be cheaper than trying to book a hotel, give me some levity when it comes to carrying luggage to and from every couple days, as well as be a relatively short trip either direction. I guess I don't mind being on a train for 30 minutes to 1 hour considering a bus commute for me in a regular work week can be 1.5 to 2 hours.

Anyone recommend otherwise, or can let me know if I'm being absurd in my thinking?

What is your holiday time worth to you? If you want to cut out 10-20% of your daytime sightseeing hours by adding in extra train travel (with its direct cost), you might be looking at a false saving. Yes, you might save some time not shifting each few days, but not that much.
Also, if you can spend a certain amount in one place versus another then there is no saving there either. If I think about places with 60 minutes of Kobe and comparable levels of comfort/quality, I would probably spend the same in Hiroshima, Kyoto or Osaka.

You are not absurd in your thinking at all. Many people, myself included, prefer to have a �ghome base�h in one city and make day trips to other areas. Hotel changes are a nuisance, and there are other benefits to keeping the same hotel for a number of nights.

However, you really have to be strategic about it. For starters, you are going to want to pick a hotel that is very close to a JR station (typically one on the shinkansen line, if you plan to take long-distance trips). Presumably you intend to use a rail pass? (Otherwise the daily round-trip train fares can get very costly.) Where were you planning to stay in Kobe? The area around Shin-Kobe station (where the shinkansen stops) is not the most interesting area of Kobe to stay in. Also, it helps if you plan your sightseeing so that you don�ft have to spend a lot of time on transit in your destination cities.

The approach you are proposing is a good one, although you really have to do your research. I have been traveling this way in Japan for many years now and am a strong poponent of it. (And I often take day trips with train rides that are considerably longer than an hour each way.) But it�fs not for everyone. It helps if you see long-distance rail travel in Japan as a generally enjoyable experience, rather than as a necessary evil. You can make efficient use of time if you take at least one of your meals (breakfast and/or dinner) on the train instead of sitting in a cafe or restaurant. Lots of great grab-and-go options are available for dining on the train.

In some areas it really makes sense to move around if there is not too much near that particular location (think Hokkaido). However - the sites in the Kinki region are so closely packed that it does make sense if you are travelling locally.

It's true that costs can add up quickly with train tickets - but also moving luggage during peak hour can be a pain.

I do question your choice of Kobe though - as it's a little bit more further away from Kyoto and Osaka.

I personally like locations near Kyoto Station as it also opens up Lake Biwa. If you book a business hotel early enough - there are some pretty cheap options at the moment unless it's in the middle of fall colours or cherry blossoms.

Yes, generally staying in one Location and doing daytrips is a good plan, also because it allows more flexibility eg to account for a day of rain (Museum) vs a sunny day. However as PPs said you need a hotel close to a convenient train station. What IS convenient will depend on the type of day trips you plan.
Btw, if staying on a Shinkansen line station, probably Kyoto is the best, as that station is IN the city. While Shin Osaka (and per PP also Shin Kobe) are in an area of the city that is not interesting at all.

Thanks for the feedback y'all! I decided on Osaka as my main hub, because its sort of the center between Kyoto, Kobe and Nara and it would let me focus on maximizing my time. I definitely don't want to waste my days coordinating travel with my things and checking in, settling in, then attempting to make a day of things.

I found a hotel in Osaka that is about 10-15 minutes south from the shinkansen and I think will make for easier time. Interestingly, it sort of averages all the times out so its 45 minutes to each location from my hotel.

I think I'll be okay without a rail pass, and I'll just have to deal with the transportation fees. my guess is about 15,000 Yen for my entire time there, not including the shinkansen to actually GET there, but that's a different issue.

If the locations you are trying to get to are Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka and Nara, you are really possibly better off staying near Kyoto Station since that would put you near the Kintetsu line to Nara, it's convenient for sightseeing Kyoto and it's easy to get to Osaka. The longest trip you will have is to Kobe.

I would not stay near Shin-Osaka Station, it's boring and you better be getting an amazing deal to be 15 minutes walk from it, because there is nothing there and the area is full of super cheap business hotels much closer to the station. I say this as someone who has stayed in Shin-Osaka pre-child when I tried to keep hotels much lower priced. If you really want to be in Osaka, I could see staying near Osaka Station/Umeda Station, but not Shin-Osaka.

The JR Special Rapids from Kyoto to Osaka Station will run you about 570 yen and run every 15 minutes. They're easier than trying to get between those stations than nearly any other method and take all over 2 minutes more than any of the limited expresses which cost more. The Special Rapid continues to Sannomiya and Kobe Stations (bypassing Shin-Kobe, which are the stations in Kobe you are likely to want to use depending on your plans.)

Kintetsu private line is the way to go to Nara from Kyoto Station if you are paying out of pocket since the station is more convenient to a lot of the sights in Nara.

Good luck!

I totally agree with @rkold to stay clear of Shin Osaka. I stayed there for several weeks on multiple business trips. It was convenient for me because my company was there but it us the most boring place imaginable. And if you need to walk 15 min to the station that is far in Japanese terms.

As said before I think around Kyoto station would make the best basis. If you cant find a reasonable hotel there maybe close to Umeda

@rkold, BTW, I took you up on your recommendation of the Dormy Inn in Nagano last WE ;-)

http://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com/2022/09/sw-d7-obuse-to-nagano.h...

And yes, liked it. The onsen with rotenburo and all was perfect. And my �gcompanion�h was allowed to stay all night in the cozy lobby out of harms way.

I would recommend it. Even more so if you have a JR Pass on hand!

That's what I did in 2015. I made Osaka my 'home base' during my time in the Kansai region. From which I did day trips to Kobe, Himeji, Kyoto, Nara, Amanohashidate, Uji, etc.
It does mean waking up earlier, to catch the earliest train possible, if you wish to maximise each day. However, the thinking that I used to justify having a home base Was thinking about how much time I was saving not having to pack my luggage, check out, travel to a new city and then leave my luggage at the new hotel.

I have also made considerations of doing the same for an upcoming trip to Kyushu. Where I am looking at making Kumamoto my home base. From which I will do day trips to Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Mount Aso & Nagasaki.
And also for northern Honshu and southern Hokkaido. Where I am still debating on either Hakodate or Aomori as my home base.

I think most of us aren't saying 1 city with days trips is a bad idea, I think most of us are questioning OP's choice of location or city.

Like @LikeBike said, 15 minutes walk to a station is considered a long walk. If you were looking to save money and actually move to Japan and your apartment was 15 minutes walk away, yeah, you might make that compromise. But unless you are getting some insanely low price, no, it's a far walk when there are probably other options at a similar price point much much closer. There are a ton of ~$30-40 USD business hotels a 5 minute walk from Shin-Osaka. Some have a sento. I've seen a few places for under $30 and the most expensive is a Courtyard by Marriott for about $100. Even if you are trying to book for New Years Eve, the prices only rise to $75-$120 a night for some place closer and those are two of the most expensive hotel nights of the year.

And once you start looking at places for $50-$60 a night, just stay in Kyoto near the station, since it is closer for two of your destinations than Shin-Osaka, and the trip between Osaka and Kyoto is super super easy. I've made the trip multiple times as I have a friend who lives in Osaka, but I prefer staying in Kyoto.

@LikeBike, thank you for the trip report and glad you enjoyed the Dormy. I also really like the Metropolitan, but I think they wouldn't necessarily let you bring your bike in, since the lobby is the most opulent part. Neither is luxury, but they're convenient, clean, safe and friendly. They were not giving out ice cream when we were there though. lol Overall, I just think Nagano is an underrated city. If you go back when the leaves turn Kawanakajima is a nice park you can bicycle to from the Station and I thought Matsushiro. I walked it, not biked it, but I expect you could easily bike it as well. :)

@rkold

Good call! Thanks for explaining that, I looked into it and you're totally right. The trains are almost identical from Kyoto Station to all 3 locations.

During my last trip I really fell in love with the Kyoto vibe. I'll be in Tokyo for a week prior and I would prefer the slower pace I think. I'm gonna rebook that hotel for a Kyoto stay instead!

Just make sure to stay somewhere on a subway or train line and a 7 minutes or less walk. Don't stay somewhere only accessible by bus. There are seriously so many options in Kyoto. I'm currently looking to book Kyoto for December, and there are just so many options. There are plenty of cheaper places too, Kyoto had a huge hotel building boom since 2010.

Enjoy your trip!