Onsen Ryokan help

[Dani]

Hello,

 

I'm planning a trip to japan next year with all my family in April/May. We have decided to spend 6 nights in Tokyo, 5 in Kyoto and in between we would like to have the experience of being a pair more of nights in an onsen ryokan. If I'm not wrong with the japanese words, an onsen ryokan is a traditional Japanese hotel with hot springs. If possible, we would like it with outdoor springs (with fantastic views, of course..  :love10: ) and "ensuite" open bath (dreaming is for free...)

 

I will search a Hotel in Tokyo near Yamanote line, and in Kyoto with a good connection with buses. I have a lot to choose from. But about the Onsen Ryokan, I have no idea.... anybody has some good proposals?

 

I found what seems a good list in Japanican (http://japan-articles.japanican.com/en/articles/fuji_view_hotels_ryokan.html) but I don't know if it's the best place, or if it's too expensive "just" for having views of mount Fuji. May be there are splendid places in other easy to reach areas.

 

Another question is if I'm trying to plan everything it too early, or not.

 

Thanks for your help and advises, 

 

Dani.

[bikkuri bahn]

Is there a particular area/region as well as scenery (mountains/forest/coastline) you are interested in?  By narrowing it down it makes the choices easier to find.

 

This is a site dedicated to en-suite rotemburo ryokan/hotels.  In Japanese only, though:

http://www.rotenroom.com/

[E231-500]

For your Tokyo leg, I can suggest where myself and a friend stayed.

 

It is the Sakura Hotel in Ikebukuro. It's a short walk to Ikebukuro station for the Yamanote Line and other JR lines and also the Tokyo Metro.

 

It's no 5 star but it was comfortable and well priced I thought. Very friendly staff who all speak great English. If I return to Tokyo I will stay there again.

 

http://www.sakura-hotel-ikebukuro.com/

 

And for near Mt Fuji check out the resort at Fuji Q amusement park. It has an onsen on site but unfortunately I wasn't allowed into the onsen as persons with tattoos are not permitted, so I can't tell you what it's like. And for the train enthusiast they have Thomas theme rooms!

 

http://www.fujiq.jp/en/hotel/

 

 

[gmat]

Golden Week, around the first week in May, has a string of holidays that many Japanese use to make short trips in country and abroad. Reservations and train travel could be difficult.

 

Golden Week 2014.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2282.html

 

One suggestion would be to combine a trip to Nikko with a stay at an onsen. 

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g298182-d325885-Reviews-Ryokan_Kanaya-Nikko_Tochigi_Prefecture_Kanto.html

 

http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/ryokan-search-results/?area=Nikko

 

I never did the Nikko trip, so I can't really help you with better info. 

 

Going North from Nikko, is the Yangan line. One of the stops is partway into a tunnel. There are a number of onsens in that very mountainous area. Perhaps that might be interesting. You would ride the Spacia Kinugawa or the orange JR Nikko Express to Nikko and transfer at Shin-Fujiwara Station to the Yangan Line. It's worth riding, I think. Many of the onsens in the mountains are adjacent to rivers and the better views would face them.

 

The other popular destination is on the Izu Peninsula. 

 

http://www.booking.com/searchresults.en-gb.html?aid=342443;label=city-shimoda-RX8zhhLMU%2AGhqxMdtvHDbQS28020514070%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap1t1%3Aneg;sid=0f0e290a9e9c1a4d3fb69d2ccbc5e1ed;dcid=1;city=-243222;redirected_from_city=1;src=city

 

http://www.japanican.com/hotels/List.aspx?sn=1&rn=1&pn=2&prto=No+limit&ar=22&sar=220502&&so=c&ref=ENGoogleSEM&gclid=CKyAyYjSn7kCFWdcpgodJE8AyQ

 

You can take the Super View Odoriko 251 or the Odoriko 185s from Tokyo or Shinjuku to Izukyu Shimoda and travel further on the local line. The view of the sea is pretty nice as you ride the train. Get a front seat in the 251 or sit on the left side leaving Tokyo. 

You can also ride the Resort 21 from Atami or less often, from Tokyo. If you are lucky you might catch the 'black ship' resort 21. 

 

The best rooms with views would be more expensive and harder to reserve. If you are here during Golden Week, avoid leaving the city at the beginning and returning at the end of Golden Week. Two days before would be a safe cushion, or you could travel against the flow.

 

The two weekends in Golden Week should be very crowded as the holidays next year fall on the weekends while in between are non-holiday days. My wife and I made the mistake of going to Chinatown in Yokohama during a Golden Week Sunday. The trains were packed and delayed, I think, as we decided to get off two stops before and walk the rest of the way. Still not a good idea. She said never again!

 

Hope that this might be useful. Sorry, my wife usually goes hiking and usually on a budget, so I can't help on the touristy things.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[E6系]

Hello Mr Dani,

 

Please allow me to make a recommendation for your onsen ryokan stay.

 

My suggestion is two or three nights at Hakone.  Use the Odakyu Romance car and Hakone Tozan railway.  It is a fine experience.

 

I have stayed at Setsugetsuka in Hakone.  You can learn about it here: http://www.japanican.com/hotels/shisetsudetail.aspx?ar=A31&st=4311033&anl=Hakone+Setsugetsuka&pn=2&rn=1

 

My wife and I take a room with private open air bath.  The stay includes two meals per day: breakfast and dinner.  Menu is fixed.  Breakfast has approximately 8 courses and dinner has about 12 courses.  It is a true fine dining experience as well as being able to enjoy the hot spring baths as often as you like.

 

For me it is pure indulgence and a punishment to my credit card.

 

No matter what the weather is like, I can assure you that you will be treated like a king and leave relaxed and rejuvinated.

[cteno4]

Dani,

 

I second Hakone as a nice place to stay a couple of days. open air sculpture museum is world class and wonderful even on a rainy day, trams, aerial trams/ropeways, pot stickers all to be had in a small area. also the kitchy pirate ship on lake ashi, fun and different.

 

jeff

[Kabutoni]

Definitely Hakone.

 

If you have some time and are up to a little hike, take the Izuhakone RR Daiyūzan line from Odawara to Daiyūzan and walk up to the temple. There's also a bus though... Much less tourists, beautiful as well, plus you get to ride a train rarely used by tourists.

 

Other than that, it's maybe fun to take the Odakyū Asagiri to Gotenba and enjoy Fuji there. I think there are less tourists there as well and you get to ride a rare Ltd. Express train that uses both private and JR Central tracks. From Gotenba you can also take a bus to Hakone. It's not far from there anyway.

 

Maybe a fun tip for when you stay at Hakone: you could take a trip to the Asahi Brewery in between Daiyūzan and Matsuda: http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/brewery/kanagawa/index.html Buses go every day from Shin-Matsuda and in weekends from Daiyūzan: http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/brewery/kanagawa/access.html Be sure to make a reservation though: https://www.asahibeer.co.jp/web-service/asahibeer/brewery/kanagawa/reservation/calendar.psp.html It's a free tour with three free beers at the end of the tour. Please ask me in a PM if anybody needs help with reserving (you need the address where you're staying, plus telephone number), but it's pretty straightforward anyway.

[Dani]

Thanks a lot for your suggestions, all them seem splendid!!!

 

Hakone seems a very good option and I saw it's full of ryokans, but I don't discard Niko to make the most of the visit to the shrines.

 

But it's true that many of them are almost full, bad weeks for reservations...

 

Thanks again! Let's see what can I plan....

 

Dani.