Hakone Hot Springs
Romancecar Rear Observation Car
Sitting in either the front or the rear observation cars allow for some optimal city and countryside views as you travel between Tokyo and Hakone
When visiting Japan, there is an abundance of day trips and overnight destination that can be had from the mainstays of Tokyo and Osaka. During our trip to Tokyo recently, we included an overnight in the Mt Fuji adjacent area of Hakone that is widely known for its hot springs in the area allowing for visitors to take in an onsen that fits their choosing and comfort level.
First off, getting there.
We decided to take the Odakyu line Limited Express RomanceCar from Shinjuku due to the views provided from the observation cars, the convenience of leaving from Shinjuku station where we were already staying near, and the relative quick direct route. To take this train, there are two types of tickets required. The first is a base fare ticket to ride the train, which can be purchased by tapping in or using a ticket machine like most trains in Japan, purchasing a ticket online, or using the Hakone freepass.
Pro Tip: The Hakone freepass provides unlimited access to buses, trains, and other transportation within Hakone, and discounts at attractions. The pass can be bundled with a discount on the Odakyu RomanceCar fare.
The second type of ticket is a limited express ticket due to the RomanceCar being considered a premium service train and this ticket allows you to reserve a seat. This can be purchased online in advance, at a ticket machine, or at the Odakyu Service Center in the Shinjuku Stations. It is highly recommended to purchase this ticket in advance when they go on sale 30 days out because the front and rear observation cars book up quickly. When I purchased they loaded the rear observation car seats first so I jumped on purchasing it thinking the front car was already sold out but the front car seat loaded quickly after. So if you want the front and only see the rear car seats right when they go on sale, refresh.
The RomanceCar train takes from 85-90 min and makes final stops in Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto stations with the latter providing connection to the Hakone Tozan train. The Hakone Tozan train takes you to many of the main areas of Hakone including Gora station where our hotel was located. Some hotels / ryokans in the area have shuttles to / from the Odawara station which allows for connections to other train lines and the shinkansen.
The Accommodations
In Hakone and the surrounding areas, there are many hotels and ryokans to choose from. Some with private onsens (hot spring bath) either in or attached to the room, some with onsens that are open to hotel guests, and some onsens that are open to the public.
One thing to note is there are rules when it comes to onsens in Japan which I have covered here.
We chose to stay at the Hotel Indigo in a room with a private onsen bath on the room patio. The hotel also offers an onsen for hotel guests that is non-nudity, mixed sex, has no rules against tattoos, and offers a few different types of pools whether you want to relax in bubbles or be active in circular current pool.
Hotel Indigo private in-room onsen
While in Hakone, we did take some time away from the hotel to explore the area and did the Hakone Circle. We, also, ventured out to a restaurant in the area and fed our Japanese convenience store addiction.
Returning to Tokyo..
In planning our return to Tokyo, we had discovered the Hotel Indigo had regular shuttles to the Odawara Stations and we were heading to Tokyo Disneyland as the next stop so we opted not to take the RomanceCar back to Shinjuku but instead took the JR Tokaido Line to Tokyo Station and continued on from there. This is a regular JR train line that one can simply tap in on or buy a ticket at ticket machine to take into the city. Because of this we decided not to add the RomanceCar into our Hakone Freepass since it would not have covered our return trip.
