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Please check my itinerary 2008/4/13 23:11
I made an itinerary for my upcoming trip to Japan. I know I have chosen many different places but because most of the travel distances are about or less than 3 hours, I think I have time enough for sightseeing in the afternoon and evening. Can you tell me if this is doable? Should I skip places (boring, too industrial, etc.), should I add other places? Should I stay longer in some? In advance I thank you for your help.

31-5 / Leaving from Rotterdam / Amsterdam
1-6 / arriving at Narita, train to Nikko
2-6 / Nikko
3-6 / Nikko to Aizu Wakamatsu
4-6 / Aizu Wakamatsu, daytrip to Kitakata
5-6 / Aizu Wakamatsu to Sendai
6-6 / Sendai, daytrip to Akiu Onsen
7-6 / Sendai to Nobira (Oku Matsushima)
8-6 / Nobira to Naruko Onsen
9-6 / Naruko Onsen to Morioka
10-6 / Morioka to Aomori
11-6 / Aomori to Hakodate
12-6 / Hakodate
13-6 / Hakodate to Toya
14-6 / Toya, daytrip Toya-ko?, Shikotsu-Toya National Park?
15-6 / Toya to Sapporo
16-6 / Sapporo
17-6 / Sapporo to Wakkanai
18-6 / Wakkanai to Rebun-to
19-6 / Rebun-to via Wakkanai to Otaru
20-6 / Otaru
21-6 / Otaru to Akita
22-6 / Akita
23-6 / Akita to Yamagata
24-6 / Yamagata to Gifu
25-6 / Gifu, daytrip to Gero
26-6 / Gifu to friends near Takamatsu
27-6 / friends
28-6 / friends
29-6 / friends
30-6 / to Kochi
1-7 / Kochi, visit some of the 88 temples
2-7 / Kochi, daytrip to Saga for whale watching, if returning the same day is not possible stay overnight in Saga
3-7 / Kochi (maybe Saga) to Osaka
4-7 / Osaka to Amsterdam / Rotterdam
by Trudy  

? 2008/4/16 13:36
Anyone, please?
by Trudy rate this post as useful

something different 2008/4/16 15:09
This is surely not the normal standard visit to Japan, but I think it is doable. Maybe just wondering why do you need three days with 2 different overnight stays for the Morioka to Hakodate leg? You will not use any shinkansen or express trains?
by Peter rate this post as useful

my opinion 2008/4/16 15:36
I hope that you will not be offended by my preliminary remarks. I want to give you my honest first impression of your itinerary, based on 7 trips to Japan and on many years of travelling in various countries by buses (including tour buses), cars, and trains (I was born in Europe by the way). You didn't say how familiar you are with Japan and that may change a bit my remarks. I find your itinerary both much too long and too hectic. Although your train trips may only last only 3 hrs each day on paper you will have to go from a hotel to a station at one end and from a station to the hotel at the other end. There may be several changes of trains per trip too (Narita-Nikko has 3 changes of trains plus some walking between stations) and some unexpected wait, so it will be longer than that you plan. In addition it get darker earlier in the evening in Japan than in Europe. The main problem is that you practically change hotels everyday. Believe me this is a huge hassle and after 2 weeks you will be dead tired. By staying only 2/3 of a day in most places you cannot get a real feel for any place. There is also the logistics of booking so many hotels in advance..I don't book in advance myself but stay in one area from 3 to 8 days so I have a choice of several towns and many hotels. I use a JR pass to explore the regions on day trips coming back in the same hotel at night.
by Auntie Bert rate this post as useful

@ Auntie Bert 2008/4/17 02:34
Of course I'm not offended, I asked for comment so I'm greatful with your remarks. I realise I travel a lot, not every day but many days (though there are several places where I stay more than one night). I'm used to travelling like this, I did it before in Japan (twice), in Sri Lanka, in Turkey (4 times), in many European countries. And probably I will change my itinerary during travel, I always do. But can you give me advise? Which places I should stay longer to avoid travelling so much? Which places you think I should skip to be able to stay longer elsewhere? Which places on my route I missed and left out of my itinerary? If you can help me, I'm very happy with that. Thanks in advance.
by Trudy rate this post as useful

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