Izu - bookings DIY or via travel agency?

It is not easy to find nice minshukus and inexpensive ryokan on Izu Peninsula without any command of Japanese language.

Should we struggle through from home or is it a good idea to leave it until we arrive in Japan? Shall we contact a Japanese travel agency (which?!) in Tokyo or tourist information Narita? We would like to go to Izu mid of April (THU to SO) and it should not be that crowded (?)

It says somewhere that the accommodation booked via Japanese travel agency might even be cheaper? Is this correct?

I am trying to find the answer to that I am there early april 1st to 4 good luck

Thanks for your answer, and good luck to you as well!

We will arrive at Japan on 26 March and go to Izu peninsula 9 to 12 April.
It would be great if you could share your information and experience so that we can make arrangements accordingly.

very expensive 6000 yen an up for a night for to the same not so bad i guess but i am traveling a lone
will be there till the 4th april and arrive from Tokyo about the 1st or 2rd april it is one place i have not been to fujisan close i guess but they do give izu area a big rap
so got to give it a look in

What kind of price ranges are you looking for? In Izu there are many nice (and maybe relatively expensive) real traditional "ryokan" inns, resort hotels, and small minshuku/ryokan that are not that expensive. What I know is that at a hotel/ryokan with two meals included, a flat-rate throughout the year for 8,000 per person is considered reasonable.

Since Izu in general (though the area is big) is a popular resort place, if you can manage, I would book ahead. If you don't mind even missing going there completely, you could wait till you get to Japan. If you are going to look around after you arrive in Japan, you can check out places like JTB - a travel agency - they have brochures available, so if you give them dates and your preferred budget, they can probably find something for you, but not guaranteed, seeing that you have a weekend in your itinerary.

Well i am trying not to miss going there may have a tour guide for the day on the 3rd the 4th is a saturday but i am booked out that day and back to narita for my flight back home Sydney20.25pm 8000 yen meals one night 1 person ok

8,000 yen per person including two meals would be great. I have seen hotels and ryokan that charge twice that amount or more. I do not want to spend so much money. Any recommendations?

Izu in general may be popular, as you say, but I think Japanese people prefer Izu in summer staying in high quality accommodation around Atami and Ito. Am I right?

This would mean that it should not be that difficult to travel there in April. Again: am I right?

If we are not lucky to find what we are looking for, we easily can stick to the original plan that includes Kanazawa & Noto peninsula instead of Izu peninsula.

Any comments and recommendations for this would be much appreciated also.

I for one don't travel to Izu in the middle of summer, and I don't stay at high-end places :)

One place I happened to see when I went to Shimoda, wished I'd stayed at, is this place:
http://www.itoenhotel.com/hotel/shimoda/

No bathtub or no bathroom with the room, but its location is really prime, I tell you. Buffet dinner and breakfast, so it might not be fabulous, but it is good I'd say.

There is another rather "family-run" place in Kawadu, it comes with hot-stone sauna, I think it comes at 9,000 per person with dinner and breakfast included (not buffet, but you go to the restaurant downstairs) that 's a place I've stayed and can recommend, if you can deal with a bit of Japanese at least.

I'm planning to go to Izu in May and this is the only place I found on the net that is uhh.. budget price. I booked one night for 2 so if someone can check it out before hand that would be really awesome. 8)

3150Y a night, no meal.
http://www.izu.co.jp/~otsuka/justa.htm

Oh yeah, I really needed to stay close to Atami because the plan is to head out to Takayama the next morning so I didn't want to spend anymore time traveling.

There is a Toyoko Inn in Atami also if you are looking for a business hotel.