Hakone Free Pass and Romance Car

Hello, We will be arriving in Hakone from Takayama next month. I already purchased Romace Car Tickets for our trip to Tokyo following our Hakone 2 night stay.

1. For the Romance Car I was unable to print the confirmation, but I did receive an email which does shows I have paid and have reserved seats, but it does not have a confirmation number or QR code. Do I just present the email to access the train? It does show our reserved seats. It indicates we need to purchase additional regular fare tickets.

2. If we purchase the Hakone Free pass will this allow us to travel to Tokyo or do we need an additional train ticket for this leg of the trip?

3. Is it possible to buy the Hakone Free pass in advance and get an actual ticket? I'm old school and would prefer a paper ticket than relying on a digital version. Thank you in advance for any advice. We will be spending 2 nights in Hakone, so it seems we should get the 3 day pass?

1. For the Romance Car I was unable to print the confirmation, but I did receive an email which does shows I have paid and have reserved seats, but it does not have a confirmation number or QR code. Do I just present the email to access the train? It does show our reserved seats. It indicates we need to purchase additional regular fare tickets.

You don't need to show your seat reservation ticket to anybody unless you get asked by the conductor on board of the train (but they don't usually ask unless you sit in a seat that is not supposed to be taken). In order to pass the ticket gates, you need a base fare ticket, which can be either a paper ticket purchased at a ticket machine or an IC card, such as Suica, Pasmo or Icoca (or a Hakone Free Pass).

2. If we purchase the Hakone Free pass will this allow us to travel to Tokyo or do we need an additional train ticket for this leg of the trip?

The Hakone Free Pass for use from Tokyo includes a round trip from Tokyo. But because you are coming from Takayama rather than Tokyo, is better not to use the free pass that includes the round trip from Tokyo. Instead, you buy it in the Hakone region and use a regular ticket or IC card to get to Tokyo.

3. Is it possible to buy the Hakone Free pass in advance and get an actual ticket? I'm old school and would prefer a paper ticket than relying on a digital version. Thank you in advance for any advice. We will be spending 2 nights in Hakone, so it seems we should get the 3 day pass?

You can buy paper tickets at Shinjuku Station, Odawara Station and several other locations around Hakone. I think you can buy it in advance, but it would require you to visit one of these sale locations.

Thank you. Can I just use the suica card, or do I need a different ticket?