Hello!
I am planning for a trip to tokyo from the 20th to 28th Sept and wanted to get some info specifically on Hakone, which I am planning a day trip for.
I did some readup online and it seemed like the hakone free pass would be a good buy even if it is used for a day if we are going through the usual Hakone loop.
However, I understand that if you decide to take the romance car, you will need to top up for it.
Can I ask if the romance car ticket “upgrade” can only be done physically at the counter if I purchase the Hakone free pass online?
My plan is to land on the 20th and go to Hakone the next day (21st Sept) and I am concerned that the train tickets will be sold out… or is it better to buy the hakone free pass for the hakone area only (without the roundtrip from shinjuku) and separately buy the romance car ticket online?
Also, is it even advisable to go Hakone in the mid sept considering that there could be typhoons / rain etc?
Thanks!
4 comments
Hello! Literally typing this in hotel in Tokyo after doing a Hakone day trip today.
Definitely recommend the Hakone Free Pass for the day, it gets you access to transport all over the area and free admission into lots of things too. Highly worth it and it makes things way less confusing when you’re there.
I got my Hakone Free Pass including a roundway trip to/from Shinjuku, the Romancecar ticket upgrade is just that – an upgrade to your already existing ticket. The Romancecar isn’t a ticket on its own.
Also, I booked both my Hakone Free Pass and my Romancecar ticket only yesterday, there were still heaps of seats left for the time I went (7:20am). I did it all online. But there is a handy counter at Shinjuku Station where they’ll help you out with anything you need. Just get there with a bit of time to spare. The one thing I will say is having the Romancecar ticket and QR code for the Hakone Free Pass on my phone was fiddly at some points because it kept logging me out and I had to keep checking my email for the confirmation code.
It was grey and drizzling there today. Still had a nice time, the mist was beautiful over the mountains. I did some outdoor things in the morning but by the afternoon I skipped some of my planned activities and just went to some cafes and art classes instead.
I’m curious what the day trip Hakone pass includes? I’ll be visiting Hakone from Tokyo on Oct 9-11 do I need this?
From which direction did you complete the loop? Counter clockwise or clockwise?
Did 1 day feel like enough time? How much time did you spend at each location?
Was the famous instagram Toori gate packed with people when you got there?
commenting just to remember for the future 🙏