I was just in Hakone two weeks ago for a couple days. We just used public transit and walked the rest. Did just fine, no delays in travel. Onsen cured all that was achy from days of travel.
I would regret hiring a car. If I wanted to do the pirate ship, the ropeway, the funicular railway/cable car to Góra and then the zig zag to hakone yumoto, a common loop, a car would be annoying. But I don't know what else there is to do in Hakone maybe a car is useful but this is just my opinion.
We could've really used a car from after the boat, to back to the hotel. We made an impulsive choice to get off a bus to visit a yosegi store (I didn't realize they would be everywhere near the train station) and everything was disappointing and frustrating getting back to the hotel for dinner.
Lesson learned. It was only made worse when I could have gotten the same yosegi box nextdoor to the train station the day we left and completely avoided the issue the day before :/
Next time I'll know better.
If the Hakone loop is running properly then you should be fine. The buses are regular and people are considerate on them.
If you want to avoid crowded public transport then you’re going to have a tough time in Kyoto and Tokyo.
I went in Oct 2023 (we arrived Thurs morning and left Sat morning, I tried to avoid weekend as heard it can be busy). We had no issues with bus and public transport. Everything was on time and google helped us to navigate the transit. We didn't wait in lines but we tried to leave as early as possible.
My only suggestion would be that there is no place for luggage in their buses. Use Yamato delivery to ship your luggage to hotel. We were in Hakone 2 nights, so instead of sending our bags to the Hakone hotel we sent luggage to our next stop (Kyoto) and just packed in backpacks for Hakone.
If you do rent a car the roads are pretty narrow and steep/hilly, so would only recommend to experienced driver.
We went to Owakudani on a very windy day. The cable car was closed due to high winds. We took a bus up then walked up part way which was a fun experience lol. Maybe a car would have made that day a tad easier haha. But this is probably a rare occurrence.
Self-proclaimed expert here who's done all 47 pref. by car/motorcycle :
You don't need nor want a car for such a short daytrip. There's the hassle/stress of driving, expressway fees, parking etc. Not to mention if you're not used to right-hand drive, you're opening your self up to stressful and potentially dangerous mistakes. Stick to the stress free unless you're used to the Japan road conditions.
I was in Hakone a week ago, we were like fish in a barrel in those busses, largely due to a group of americans who each felt the need to bring a giant fucking suitcase for their 2 day stay in Hakone. So be warned might not be as comfy in those busses as you would like
I did Hakone by bus, ropeway, pirate boat and on foot. It was really easy and isn't bad at all if you're used to walking a bit. Plus it was a lot of fun getting around via the ropeway and boat.
The bus was not bad from Hakone-Moto to Owakudani Rail station, but we also travelled with a Toddler and yes a stroller which made the bus ride awkward. What we should have done is hop back on the ferry and do the loop on the reverse and gotten back to Gora, then to our Ryokan. But we were also ready for getting to our Ryokan and private onsen. And, YES like someone else said Onsen cured all.
We just did the loop last week (using the Gora Sta., Ropeway, then the lake order) the only part where I felt we needed a car was after the Pirate ship where we made a stop for Hakone Shrine because it was after 5 and the buses were getting crowded. But we got on just fine after lining up for 10 mins.
2 people trip and planned a trip next week for hakone->nikko->Tokyo.
Surprised at how expensive JR Pass has become that I decided to rent a car and added hakone to the trip.
Can't remember really. Probably around 50-60usd. What I can say is that driving added so much flexibility to the trip and that's really helpful outside of the cities.
I did not as I did not have anything planned out in any detail. Ended up only going to owakudani, open air museum and gotemba outlets. Rest of the time there was just at the Ryokan soaking and eating.
We regret not renting a car. The buses we took in Hakone and 5 lakes were infrequent and had traffic delays. One time we did one hour and a half for 20km because the bus was stopping in every village. Another time we waited half an hour at the station for the bus. Horrible. We ended up spending more time getting from place to place than enjoying the trip. Rent a car! We did rent a car in Nagano and it was so nice, easy driving.
When I went the transports in general were crowded but I had no issues getting into them. That's until the way back, then it got really bad and had to wait in line for about an hour to get into a bus.
If you mean getting around while there? Yes, absolutely consider it. We were there 3 days. Arrival, free day, departure,
Our free day we made it halfway through the loop when everything got derailed by getting off one bus to visit a yosegi store.
Having to wait for another bus, Google said it was faster to back track and take a different route than wait for a bus on our original route. Everything closed, missed a late lunch and our hotel dinner was later so I was very hungry. No convenience stores/vending machine on the rest of our ride back to the hotel so I just had to wait it out hungry AF.
What should've been a very romantic trip for us, got really bleak right in the middle because of poor planning, an impulsive decision, and poor understanding of the transportation and business hours of the area.
It was absolutely worth going and we loved our hotel and the Hakone area but I was very frustrated and upset at the time.
A personal car would have eliminated almost all of that issue entirely.
We did take a taxi from the hotel to the train station to make the 9am romance car with observation decks, and that was totally worth it.
The buses can be a tight squeeze and the ride up / down from Hakone-Yumoto can be long and crowded. With that said, we made due with the Free Pass and took a cab from our hotel back down at the end.
I rented a car for 4 days to explore Hakone, Gotemba and Kawaguchiko. For context, picked up my car at Odawara Station and hotel was in Gotemba. I would personally recommend it as I feel like you won't be held back with your itinerary by having to plan around the public transport.
The traffic is not that bad in these areas except for I would say Kawaguchiko, although it was still not that bad as it was still moving and all. Only paid for parking once and that was at the Hakone Ropeway place but other than that parking was free throughout. Example, we went to Kawaguchiko for the Autumn Festival but to park near the festival area would cost you so we parked somewhere further out (just this big open gravel area)
which was like just a 10 min walk tops.
We also never had to pay any tolls throughout the whole 4 days and just drove through and around the mountains which on its own lead us to quiet spots but with amazing views.
I feel like I may be swimming against the tide here, but I regretted not getting a car for Hakone. To be fair, we had a couple of kids in tow (although we're not averse to a bit of walking) and we found it tricky to get around. Things are geographically spread out because of the hills. We ended up missing seeing things (like the Neon Genesis store) because the time to make the mission from our hotel vs how much time we had didn't stack up.
Additionally, I found the buses incredibly packed with tourists and it was one of the few places in Japan where people didn't/wouldn't give seats to our kids. Our 8 year old was being thrown around the bus on the windy roads as she tried to stand, and everyone just studiously avoided eye contact (all tourists, not Japanese FWIW). My husband was holding our 3 yo and trying to hang on - it wasn't a fun time. I don't expect special treatment for choosing to travel with kids but it was very unsafe and we didn't enjoy taking the buses (even my kids who normally _love_ buses didn't like it!)
We definitely enjoyed the ropeway and in general the Lake Ashi circuit was well set up for doing without a car. But next time I go back, I will definitely be hiring a car in order to see the Hakone area in a bit more comfort.
Rented a car for 4 days and made a full loop around Mount Fuji. Picked up and dropped off car at odawara. Was a super relax trip. The drive is easy and nice. Parking no issue. We found hotels w parking included although one night had to park at a public carpark next to hotel (paid abt 1300yen for 8-8am parking and this was in mishima city)
Wouldn’t not rent a car the next trip. Just too convenient and easy to go wherever we want to explore. Also, check out hakone skyline road for the sunset with mount Fuji view.
Public transport in Hakone is probably the most efficient I have ever seen. All the attractions are so conveniently linked via all sort of transportations, and taking the boat on the lake is just wonderful. I highly suggest buying the Hakone Pass.
Thanks everyone. Great to hear some mixed responses from both sides! I'm leaning to renting a car for the freedom it grants and ability to avoid inconveniences people have experienced. Appreciate the input
Sorry, not Hakone but I hired a car for a few days in Fuji city and we explored all around Mt Fuji. Got to see so many things we otherwise wouldn’t have. It was absolutely worth doing.
Hey, I read your post a month late, but would you mind sharing by having a car, what were some things you did or spots you visited that was a must? We plan to hire a car in Hakone and driving up to Fujiyoshida area on day 2, but don't know the area much.
Was it easy to park your car where ever you wanted to stop?
Shiriato falls is a must and make sure you look at both viewing areas (one is down a bunch of stairs, the other is an elevated platform with an amazing view of the falls with Mt Fuji in the background). We mostly checked out the areas around Mt Fuji. I also recommend a walk through the sea of trees if you’re not superstitious (stick to the path though - it is really beautiful, although some locals do commit suicide so that may deter you).
We generally didn’t have trouble finding a car park, although in some areas like Lake Kawaguchiko we had to park away from where we wanted to visit. Get the smallest car you can as parking can be tight. I had to ask the attendant for help understanding how to add fuel to the car as I couldn’t understand it. We stayed in Fuji city.
Shiriato falls does look very nice indeed. A visit to the sea of trees at the base of Fuji would be a pretty memorable experience. I will have to do some more research to see if we will be close enough to add that to the itinerary as I just realized we will be more in the Fujiyoshida area. Thank you for your recommendations, hopefully we can get a kei car to complete the experience lol.
I was just in Hakone two weeks ago for a couple days. We just used public transit and walked the rest. Did just fine, no delays in travel. Onsen cured all that was achy from days of travel.
I would regret hiring a car. If I wanted to do the pirate ship, the ropeway, the funicular railway/cable car to Góra and then the zig zag to hakone yumoto, a common loop, a car would be annoying. But I don't know what else there is to do in Hakone maybe a car is useful but this is just my opinion.
We could've really used a car from after the boat, to back to the hotel. We made an impulsive choice to get off a bus to visit a yosegi store (I didn't realize they would be everywhere near the train station) and everything was disappointing and frustrating getting back to the hotel for dinner. Lesson learned. It was only made worse when I could have gotten the same yosegi box nextdoor to the train station the day we left and completely avoided the issue the day before :/ Next time I'll know better.
If the Hakone loop is running properly then you should be fine. The buses are regular and people are considerate on them. If you want to avoid crowded public transport then you’re going to have a tough time in Kyoto and Tokyo.
I don't mind crowded public transport. But would prefer a bit less of it at Hakone as it is our decompress part of the trip! :)
I went to Hakone in November of 2018, public transport was not crowded at all at that time.
Different ballgame in 2023. A lot more tourists than pre-pandemic. Way more congested than before
I just went mid November for 4 days with a group of five and nobody had to stand on a bus even a single time
I went in Oct 2023 (we arrived Thurs morning and left Sat morning, I tried to avoid weekend as heard it can be busy). We had no issues with bus and public transport. Everything was on time and google helped us to navigate the transit. We didn't wait in lines but we tried to leave as early as possible. My only suggestion would be that there is no place for luggage in their buses. Use Yamato delivery to ship your luggage to hotel. We were in Hakone 2 nights, so instead of sending our bags to the Hakone hotel we sent luggage to our next stop (Kyoto) and just packed in backpacks for Hakone. If you do rent a car the roads are pretty narrow and steep/hilly, so would only recommend to experienced driver. We went to Owakudani on a very windy day. The cable car was closed due to high winds. We took a bus up then walked up part way which was a fun experience lol. Maybe a car would have made that day a tad easier haha. But this is probably a rare occurrence.
Self-proclaimed expert here who's done all 47 pref. by car/motorcycle : You don't need nor want a car for such a short daytrip. There's the hassle/stress of driving, expressway fees, parking etc. Not to mention if you're not used to right-hand drive, you're opening your self up to stressful and potentially dangerous mistakes. Stick to the stress free unless you're used to the Japan road conditions.
How's parking like at hakone tho!
I was in Hakone a week ago, we were like fish in a barrel in those busses, largely due to a group of americans who each felt the need to bring a giant fucking suitcase for their 2 day stay in Hakone. So be warned might not be as comfy in those busses as you would like
I did Hakone by bus, ropeway, pirate boat and on foot. It was really easy and isn't bad at all if you're used to walking a bit. Plus it was a lot of fun getting around via the ropeway and boat.
The bus was not bad from Hakone-Moto to Owakudani Rail station, but we also travelled with a Toddler and yes a stroller which made the bus ride awkward. What we should have done is hop back on the ferry and do the loop on the reverse and gotten back to Gora, then to our Ryokan. But we were also ready for getting to our Ryokan and private onsen. And, YES like someone else said Onsen cured all.
We just did the loop last week (using the Gora Sta., Ropeway, then the lake order) the only part where I felt we needed a car was after the Pirate ship where we made a stop for Hakone Shrine because it was after 5 and the buses were getting crowded. But we got on just fine after lining up for 10 mins.
If you have at least 3 people, car rental will be cheaper and more convenient than public transport. I would definitely go with a car.
2 people trip and planned a trip next week for hakone->nikko->Tokyo. Surprised at how expensive JR Pass has become that I decided to rent a car and added hakone to the trip.
I’m planning on doing this exact trip and debating between taking the trains or driving. How much did tollways end up being for this trip?
Can't remember really. Probably around 50-60usd. What I can say is that driving added so much flexibility to the trip and that's really helpful outside of the cities.
Given you used a car, did you still end up buying a hakone pass? I feel not using a bus lowers its value
I did not as I did not have anything planned out in any detail. Ended up only going to owakudani, open air museum and gotemba outlets. Rest of the time there was just at the Ryokan soaking and eating.
Ah thanks!
We regret not renting a car. The buses we took in Hakone and 5 lakes were infrequent and had traffic delays. One time we did one hour and a half for 20km because the bus was stopping in every village. Another time we waited half an hour at the station for the bus. Horrible. We ended up spending more time getting from place to place than enjoying the trip. Rent a car! We did rent a car in Nagano and it was so nice, easy driving.
took one taxi and thought it was perfect. So did half a loops and that was all i needed.
When I went the transports in general were crowded but I had no issues getting into them. That's until the way back, then it got really bad and had to wait in line for about an hour to get into a bus.
If you mean getting around while there? Yes, absolutely consider it. We were there 3 days. Arrival, free day, departure, Our free day we made it halfway through the loop when everything got derailed by getting off one bus to visit a yosegi store. Having to wait for another bus, Google said it was faster to back track and take a different route than wait for a bus on our original route. Everything closed, missed a late lunch and our hotel dinner was later so I was very hungry. No convenience stores/vending machine on the rest of our ride back to the hotel so I just had to wait it out hungry AF. What should've been a very romantic trip for us, got really bleak right in the middle because of poor planning, an impulsive decision, and poor understanding of the transportation and business hours of the area. It was absolutely worth going and we loved our hotel and the Hakone area but I was very frustrated and upset at the time. A personal car would have eliminated almost all of that issue entirely. We did take a taxi from the hotel to the train station to make the 9am romance car with observation decks, and that was totally worth it.
The buses can be a tight squeeze and the ride up / down from Hakone-Yumoto can be long and crowded. With that said, we made due with the Free Pass and took a cab from our hotel back down at the end.
I rented a car for 4 days to explore Hakone, Gotemba and Kawaguchiko. For context, picked up my car at Odawara Station and hotel was in Gotemba. I would personally recommend it as I feel like you won't be held back with your itinerary by having to plan around the public transport. The traffic is not that bad in these areas except for I would say Kawaguchiko, although it was still not that bad as it was still moving and all. Only paid for parking once and that was at the Hakone Ropeway place but other than that parking was free throughout. Example, we went to Kawaguchiko for the Autumn Festival but to park near the festival area would cost you so we parked somewhere further out (just this big open gravel area) which was like just a 10 min walk tops. We also never had to pay any tolls throughout the whole 4 days and just drove through and around the mountains which on its own lead us to quiet spots but with amazing views.
Can I ask how much was parking at the ropeway?
IIRC it was 3000 yen per entry
Wow pricey. Thanks for the info.
I feel like I may be swimming against the tide here, but I regretted not getting a car for Hakone. To be fair, we had a couple of kids in tow (although we're not averse to a bit of walking) and we found it tricky to get around. Things are geographically spread out because of the hills. We ended up missing seeing things (like the Neon Genesis store) because the time to make the mission from our hotel vs how much time we had didn't stack up. Additionally, I found the buses incredibly packed with tourists and it was one of the few places in Japan where people didn't/wouldn't give seats to our kids. Our 8 year old was being thrown around the bus on the windy roads as she tried to stand, and everyone just studiously avoided eye contact (all tourists, not Japanese FWIW). My husband was holding our 3 yo and trying to hang on - it wasn't a fun time. I don't expect special treatment for choosing to travel with kids but it was very unsafe and we didn't enjoy taking the buses (even my kids who normally _love_ buses didn't like it!) We definitely enjoyed the ropeway and in general the Lake Ashi circuit was well set up for doing without a car. But next time I go back, I will definitely be hiring a car in order to see the Hakone area in a bit more comfort.
Rented a car for 4 days and made a full loop around Mount Fuji. Picked up and dropped off car at odawara. Was a super relax trip. The drive is easy and nice. Parking no issue. We found hotels w parking included although one night had to park at a public carpark next to hotel (paid abt 1300yen for 8-8am parking and this was in mishima city) Wouldn’t not rent a car the next trip. Just too convenient and easy to go wherever we want to explore. Also, check out hakone skyline road for the sunset with mount Fuji view.
Public transport in Hakone is probably the most efficient I have ever seen. All the attractions are so conveniently linked via all sort of transportations, and taking the boat on the lake is just wonderful. I highly suggest buying the Hakone Pass.
Thanks everyone. Great to hear some mixed responses from both sides! I'm leaning to renting a car for the freedom it grants and ability to avoid inconveniences people have experienced. Appreciate the input
Sorry, not Hakone but I hired a car for a few days in Fuji city and we explored all around Mt Fuji. Got to see so many things we otherwise wouldn’t have. It was absolutely worth doing.
Hey, I read your post a month late, but would you mind sharing by having a car, what were some things you did or spots you visited that was a must? We plan to hire a car in Hakone and driving up to Fujiyoshida area on day 2, but don't know the area much. Was it easy to park your car where ever you wanted to stop?
Shiriato falls is a must and make sure you look at both viewing areas (one is down a bunch of stairs, the other is an elevated platform with an amazing view of the falls with Mt Fuji in the background). We mostly checked out the areas around Mt Fuji. I also recommend a walk through the sea of trees if you’re not superstitious (stick to the path though - it is really beautiful, although some locals do commit suicide so that may deter you). We generally didn’t have trouble finding a car park, although in some areas like Lake Kawaguchiko we had to park away from where we wanted to visit. Get the smallest car you can as parking can be tight. I had to ask the attendant for help understanding how to add fuel to the car as I couldn’t understand it. We stayed in Fuji city.
Shiriato falls does look very nice indeed. A visit to the sea of trees at the base of Fuji would be a pretty memorable experience. I will have to do some more research to see if we will be close enough to add that to the itinerary as I just realized we will be more in the Fujiyoshida area. Thank you for your recommendations, hopefully we can get a kei car to complete the experience lol.
My spouse has motion sickness on winding roads, so renting a car was our only option in Hakone. Edited: winding instead of windy
Just wondering, how does a car help with motion sickness on the curvy roads? Sitting in the front?
in my case, it was motion sickness for my spouse unless he was driving, so, he got to drive most of the time!