Hi everyone : )
my partner and I will be visiting Japan in November and are planning to rent a car for 2 small portions of our trip. Otherwise we will mainly be relying on public transport, especially to get to and from the different regions.
The 2 portions of our trip are:
Izu peninsula (not the whole peninsula!) – the plan is to rent a car near Mishima station on day 1 around noon, drive to several locations mainly around central and eastern Izu (namely, Shuzenji, Kawazu, Higashiizu and Jogasaki coast) and return the car on day 2 around 6pm before catching the shinkansen to Kyoto.
Okinawa – the plan is to rent a car near Naha Airport when we touch down on Day 1 around noon and drive to Onna where we will be staying. In the next few days, we will also drive to Cape Maeda, back to Naha once and up to Motobu. We will then return the car on Day 4 morning at 11am before flying off.
We would like to ask:
- How important is it for us to rent a car with an ETC card reader and get an ETC card?
- If it is indeed better to get an ETC card, how do we get one? Do we need to buy one or can we rent one?
- Is using a site like booking.com or Klook to rent a car okay? Or is it better to rent direct from a specific agency?
- Is getting GPS important? or can we use Google Maps on our phone?
- Would you always recommend getting the top cover insurance that covers the NOC if involved in an accident?
- Any helpful tips for driving around Izu peninsula and in Okinawa?
Thank you so much in advance from both of us who are complete newbies to driving in Japan (driving abroad for that matter)!🥹
by marshmallow_skye