Hi,
Here is our itineraty
Day 1: Tokyo
Day 2: Tokyo
Day 3: Tokyo -> Hakone
Day 4: Hakone
Day 5: Hakone -> Kyoto
Day 6: Kyoto
Day 7: Kyoto/Osaka
Day 8: Osaka
Day 9: Osaka -> Tokyo
Day 10: Tokyo
Would it be best to do a regional pass for a 7 day pass which starts when we leave for Hakone?
Thank you!
0
Comments
You'd still fall a bit short from making a 7 day pass pay off compared to the cheapest adult unreserved tickets.
So if you want to save money, you could get the Hakone Free Pass to use from Tokyo as a day trip:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html
and use a japanican ticket from Tokyo to go down to Kansai and back.
http://www.japanican.com/en/tour/detail/VJOPENTK1/
http://www.japanican.com/en/tour/detail/VJOPENTO1/
With the japanican ticket you can take the fastest bullet train, the Nozomi, and get there 30 minutes faster. Although you'd need to pay for the tickets between the Kansai cities, overall it still works out considerably cheaper.
Either way, you can't take JR trains to Hakone, and the Free Pass either from Tokyo or Odawara is the way to go if you want to see the sights and save money.
The Loop Course is a common way to see all the sights and takes a full day.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5210.html
You can see regular fares, routes and schedules on Hyperdia.
http://www.hyperdia.com
Under "More Options", be sure to uncheck the Nozomi box if on a JR Pass since you can't ride that train using the pass.
You can see previews of some of the best places to see in Japan on:
https://www.youtube.com/user/thejapanfaq/videos
There are also loads of other tips on
http://www.thejapanfaq.com/the-best-japan-travel-tips/
Best wishes.