Hi all,
My wife and I are first-timers in Japan and have an upcoming ryokan reservation for one night at Takumino Yado Yoshimatsu, which is southeast of Lake Ashi in Hakone. The place came highly-recommended, so I booked it without hesitation. When looking up directions to get there from Osaka on Google Maps and Apple Maps, I saw that the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen won’t stop anywhere near it and we’d have to transfer to a bus from the Odawara station or Mishima station, which will be an additional 41-52 stops. I’m a bit concerned about the bus ride because my wife and I will have 4 large pieces of luggage (not oversized) to travel with and we’re not sure if we’d be discourteous and taking up too much space for the long ride up to Hakone. Does anyone know if the buses that go up there are large enough to comfortably accommodate to our luggage? If not and we went with a taxi service from Odawara station or Mishima station, which would make more sense to go to (regarding taxi availability and cost)? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
6 comments
Do you really need 4 pieces of baggage for 1 night?
I would recommend you send the bulk of your baggage to your next accommodation and pack 1 bag just for the 1 night at Ryokan.
I highly recommend sending luggage to your next destination after Hakone. It is a very convenient service and very easy to use. We used it during our 3 week trip around Japan several times and never had an issue. We were especially grateful when seeing other tourists struggle in subway’s and in buses with large suitcases.
There is also a car rental service place at Odawara if you want to drive around Hakone 😊
The Tokaido shinkansen DOES stop in Odawara, just not all of them. So Google maps didn’t show it because it was basing it on what was available at the current time you searched.
When you checkout of your hotel in Osaka, as the front desk to ship your large luggage to your next hotel (I’m gussying in Tokyo). Then, just travel to Hakone with a small overnight bag. That will make your life much easier. Hotel front desks do this all the time so no worries, they’ll be able to help you. It typically takes one day to ship luggage between cities so when you checkin to your hotel in Tokyo the luggage will be waiting for you.
– [Luggage Shipping: The Smart Way to Travel to Japan](https://trulytokyo.com/luggage-shipping-the-smart-way-to-travel-in-japan/)
For all things Hakone check out this site. Tons of helpful info and sample itineraries.
– [Hakone Navi](https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/)
– [Hakone Navi: Trip Itineraries](https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/course)
– [Hakone Navi: Transportation](https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/transportation)
Welcome to the (slightly) more complicated process of travelling in Hakone!
The Shinkansen stop that you want to stop at is at Odawara station. Following that, you can take a public bus – please prepare your Suica cards with enough money stored! (Refer to G Maps for exact cost lol)
If you’re unsure about where to go, there’a an Odakyu Information counter with English speaking staff at Odawara Station who can direct you to where to go 🙂