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Hakone- Getting Around
The traditional day-trip route through Hakone runs
anti-clockwise through the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park from Hakone-Yumoto,
over Mount Soun, across the length of Ashino-ko lake to Moto-Hakone
and back to the start. Approaching Hakone from the west, you can follow
a similar route clockwise from Hakone-machi on the southern shore of
Ashino-ko to Hakone-Yumoto.
The most enjoyable way of getting around is to take
a combination of trains from Shinjuku Odakyu Station, (on the west side
of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo), thus breaking up the journey into a series
of mad-cap rides. To do this, you'll need to buy a Hakone Free Pass
(¥5400), available from the ticket office at the Odakyu Station.
The pass covers a return journey on the Odakyu line from Shinjuku to
Odawara, and unlimited use of the Hakone-Tozan line, Hakone-Tozan funicular
railway, cable car, pirate boat across the lake and most local buses
over a three-day period. The pass will also get you discounts at many
of Hakone's attractions. For ¥800 extra one-way you can take the
more comfortable "Romance Car", which goes directly through to Hakone-Yumoto
in one hour and thirty minutes, around twenty-five minutes faster than
the regular express train. With a JR rail pass, the fastest route is
to take a Shinkansen to Odawara, from where you can catch either a train
or bus into the national park area. If you don't fancy hopping on and
off trains, take the Odakyu express bus (¥1830) from Shinjuku bus
terminal - this will get you to Ashino-ko in a couple of hours.
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