help regarding itinerary

Hi All,

My parents (both senior citizens) and I are planning to visit my cousins at Hamamatsu. This is our first visit. I would like to ask help regarding our itinerary. My cousins are busy at work so I'm left to do this.

Here is a list of places that we would like to visit:
Hiroshima - Peace Memorial Park
Tokyo - Tsukiji / Shinjuku / Roppongi (the building with the viewing deck)
Kyoto - Kinkakuji

Target travel date: Apr 30-May 6

The following are my questions:
1. What do you think should be the order of our trip?
2. Would you recommend that we stay overnight in any of the places? If yes, around how much would that cost? We are on budget trip. I was just thinking of day trip since we only have less than a week stay.
3. How can we get from one destination to the next? I have read about the Japan Rail Pass but I'm confused on how to get it and use it. Will it be beneficial to our trip?

Thank you very much in advance!

What do you think should be the order of our trip?

How about:

Enter Japan through Osaka or even Fukuoka and leave through Tokyo. This might not be possible depending on where you are coming from.

The the order of places could be, followed by the approx. costs of travel by a) shinkansen and b) highway buses:
Osaka - Hiroshima - Kyoto - Hamamatsu - Tokyo (30,000 yen, 20,000 yen)

Or (if arriving late on the first day):

Osaka - Kyoto - Hiroshima - Hamamatsu - Tokyo (30,000 yen, 20,000 yen)

Or (if able to enter through Fukuoka):
Fukuoka - Hiroshima - Kyoto - Hamamatsu - Tokyo (30,000 yen, 17,000 yen)

If you travel by train, I recommend to use a 7-day Japan Rail Pass, assuming that you can complete all major trips within 7 days. If you travel by bus, note that travel time is considerably longer than by train, but on many routes you could opt for an overnight bus.

Would you recommend that we stay overnight in any of the places?

Certainly! I recommend to overnight in all the cities at least once. Multiple times in Tokyo and Kyoto.

If yes, around how much would that cost?

See above fro transportation costs. And other costs:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2410.html

Budget Travel:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2028.html

How can we get from one destination to the next?

See here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e627.html

The price of a Tokyo- Hiroshima trip cost 17850 (4hours 56min) and this is one way (Yen 35700 return).
a 7 days pass cost Yen 28300 and you can use it everyday for 7 days and go as far as you can everyday so yes it is a bargain. check www.japanrailpass.net/ to learn everything about the pass. basically you buy a voucher in your home country
(Asia, Europe, North America etc.) the site as all the addresses. Once in Japan you exchange it for a pass at a main JR ticket office, including any of the major airports. You can also use the pass on the Yamanote loop line that goes all around Downtown Tokyo. google "Yamanote loop line" to get a map and info.
As it will take you 10 hrs to go to Hiroshima and back it would make sense to go from Tokyo to Kyoto in the morning (3 hrs by train) take a bus from the Kyoto station to Ginkakuji or wherever you want to go then take another train to Hiroshima in the afternoon and stay in Hiroshima for at least one night. You could see the Peace Park only the next morning and go back to Tokyo in the afternoon. Frankly, the price of 3 passes and 1 night in a hotel is way too much for such a short trip especially if you are on a budget. Allow me to suggest that you do not go to Hiroshima and Kyoto and instead take day trips to Nikko and Kamakura, besides visiting Tokyo in more details. for exemple Odaiba, Ueno etc. You can have a great free view of Tokyo from the top of the Tokyo metro government building in West Shinjuku.
your cousins should help you re cheaper hotels but try www.japanhotel.net and http://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/

oops!!! As usual UJI is right! I confused the place your cousins lived with a place in Tokyo..in your case then you could be on the train a couple of days for day trips only. go to Tokyo twice, to Kyoto once, to Hiroshima once (a long day that one)... this would save you money by not having to stay in hotels and you sure would get your money worth from the passes. Uji itinerary(ies) makes sense and I would do that. My last suggestion is crazy but doable.

hi Uji and Red Frog,

Thanks very much for your suggestions and replies! =D

Uji, would just like to clarify the amount that you stated after the cities, are those approximate expenses per day per person?

These are estimated costs per person for train or buses respectively (major journeys only).

thanks Uji! =D

good day =D