trip from tokyo to hiroshima

[SPKR]

need specifics of how to accomplish trip while in tokyo pre-trip. Have hotel reserved in tokyo so want to go by train and back in a long day on or about October 13 or 14, 2014

[BruceMuzz]

You should go to the Japan Railways English Language site and look into one, two, or three-day JR rail passes. They are a great bargain for non-Japanese.

 

You can book a seat on the Shinkansen (bullet train) for early morning departure from Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station, and be in Hiroshima before Noon.

Spend the day sightseeing, shopping, have a late lunch, get back on the Shinkansen in the evening and get back to your Tokyo hotel at a reasonable hour.

 

This works for most of the major cities in Japan.

[DipBrat]

If you have 2 days a stopover in Kyoto is a good option.

[Milhouse]

The Hyperdia website (and app) is a good train schedule resource for Japan.

[Leo_On_Geo]

AS others have responded it is a long day trip from Tokyo. We visited Hiroshima from Kyoto and it was a 10 hour plus day. Traveled by the Shikansen to Hiroshima. We took a bus to the peace park, walked around and visited the museum in the AM and then a took the bus to the ferry terminal to Miyajima Island. The only tricky part was timing all the connections to get back to the train on time. The ferry has a more irregular schedule. Taxis instead of the bus would ease the connection times. I recommend the island over the peace park if you can only do one, especially if you are not visiting Kyoto.

[Cornishpastyman1]

AS others have responded it is a long day trip from Tokyo. We visited Hiroshima from Kyoto and it was a 10 hour plus day. Traveled by the Shikansen to Hiroshima. We took a bus to the peace park, walked around and visited the museum in the AM and then a took the bus to the ferry terminal to Miyajima Island. The only tricky part was timing all the connections to get back to the train on time. The ferry has a more irregular schedule. Taxis instead of the bus would ease the connection times. I recommend the island over the peace park if you can only do one, especially if you are not visiting Kyoto.

Hi Leo

We did exactly what you did (from Kyoto), and it must have been close to 11 hours from start to finish. I loved both Miyajima

and Hiroshima

If you can only visit the Peace Park at Hiroshima than I would agree that Miyajima is more interesting, but iof you have time for the Memorial Museum too then I think Hiroshima just shades it. All the best, Tony

Edited March 6, 2014 by Cornishpastyman1

[SPKR]

Watching the videos from cornishpastyman1 is/was very helpful. I will show them to my husband and if we discover it is too hard to get all the way to Hiroshimo, at least we will have seen beforehand what is there - almost as good as going ourselves!

 

We are doing a 7 day cruise on the Diamond Princess Tokyo to Hong Kong and staying 3 days in Tokyo before boading the ship. Leo178, I do not see us going to anywhere but Hiroshimo from Tokyo, as we already have hotel plans for the 3 nights prior to the trip, all hotel time being in Tokyo. I think it would be too scary to go on our own to Hiroshimo during one of the other cruise stops and chance missing the boat at days end, although other stops would be closer than Tokyo.

 

Thanks both of you for your great advice. I will let you know what I decide, and will also contact people at my hotel to see what they suggest.

 

Suzie

[CanWeGoYet?]

Hi Leo

We did exactly what you did (from Kyoto), and it must have been close to 11 hours from start to finish. I loved both Miyajima

and Hiroshima

If you can only visit the Peace Park at Hiroshima than I would agree that Miyajima is more interesting, but iof you have time for the Memorial Museum too then I think Hiroshima just shades it. All the best, Tony

 

Thank you so much for posting these videos. I am planning our trip to Japan for later this year, and had planned to visit these sites during our one day stay in Hiroshima. It will be difficult to see the displays of so much human suffering, but I think worthwhile and important. I remember my Mom's reports of what it was like to be a young child during this time - the larger cities had sent children to camps in the country to try to protect them. So sad.

[Cornishpastyman1]

Thank you so much for posting these videos. I am planning our trip to Japan for later this year, and had planned to visit these sites during our one day stay in Hiroshima. It will be difficult to see the displays of so much human suffering, but I think worthwhile and important. I remember my Mom's reports of what it was like to be a young child during this time - the larger cities had sent children to camps in the country to try to protect them. So sad.

Thank you for this added insight. I knew relatively little about the details of the event and although it was a long and expensive day (and would be longer still for Suzie and her husband) I am so glad I went. Both the Peace Park and the Museum are beautifully done, given the subject matter, and on the train journey back to Kyoto I just sat there thinking about what I had seen.

 

My day there (and at Miyajima) was part of a 10-day land holiday and as Suzie points out, it is not really possible on a cruise day from near Kyoto or Tokyo. On a land holiday the travel time only really eats into sleeping time at each end of the day. If you go to Miyajima I hope the tide is in so you get the floating Torii gate effect.

 

Good luck to Suzie too, on whatever you decide. If it's any help parts 1,2,5,6 and 7 of that 'collection' of videos where made from a week based in Kyoto, and 8-11 when based in Tokyo, with no.12 featuring Wagyu beef from each city.

 

All the best, Tony

Edited March 10, 2014 by Cornishpastyman1

[DipBrat]

Watching the videos from cornishpastyman1 is/was very helpful. I will show them to my husband and if we discover it is too hard to get all the way to Hiroshimo, at least we will have seen beforehand what is there - almost as good as going ourselves!

 

We are doing a 7 day cruise on the Diamond Princess Tokyo to Hong Kong and staying 3 days in Tokyo before boading the ship. Leo178, I do not see us going to anywhere but Hiroshimo from Tokyo, as we already have hotel plans for the 3 nights prior to the trip, all hotel time being in Tokyo. I think it would be too scary to go on our own to Hiroshimo during one of the other cruise stops and chance missing the boat at days end, although other stops would be closer than Tokyo.

 

Thanks both of you for your great advice. I will let you know what I decide, and will also contact people at my hotel to see what they suggest.

 

Suzie

 

If you are stopping at Fukuoka you could easilygo to Hiroshima from there it is aprox. 2 hours by train. If you are stopping in Kobe or Osaka it is also close (maybe 3 hours max) although most would go to Kyoto from either of those ports. It should be no problem at all to get to Hiroshima and back from any of these ports.

 

For searching all routes in Japan in English you can use Google Maps and use the public transit button. This will give you the time and price and tell you how many changes you need to make.

[dogs4fun]

Just viewed your videos Cornishpastyman! :) As usual, excellent! Thanks for sharing.

We will be in Tokyo precruise in August & we are in the process of planning a trip to Hiroshima.

Does anyone have any insights on what to see/do in Nagasaki or Kobe on our day(s) in port? We will overnight in Kobe.

Edited March 13, 2014 by dogs4fun

[shadowrider]

Our tentative plans:

 

Nagasaki: chill in the city, take the tram(s), visit the Atomic Bomb Museum, Peace Park, Dejima, maybe Glover Garden, small plate grazing throughout.

 

Kobe: take the shinkansen to and from Kyoto and stay the overnight in Kyoto.

 

Have you thought about flying to/from Hiroshima? I have no idea if people do this, I just think you might check it out before you spend so much time on the train, (even if it is a great train).

[BruceMuzz]

Our tentative plans:

 

Nagasaki: chill in the city, take the tram(s), visit the Atomic Bomb Museum, Peace Park, Dejima, maybe Glover Garden, small plate grazing throughout.

 

Kobe: take the shinkansen to and from Kyoto and stay the overnight in Kyoto.

 

Have you thought about flying to/from Hiroshima? I have no idea if people do this, I just think you might check it out before you spend so much time on the train, (even if it is a great train).

 

It is possible to fly from Hiroshima to Tokyo.

But it will cost you far more to fly - especially with the transport to and from airports, and it will take you far longer to fly - with the advance check-in time and the trips to and from the airport.

 

Seating on Shinkansen trains is all essentially Business Class. If you opt for the Green Car seats, it is First Class. Unless you are flying Business or First (at a premium cost), the train is far more comfortable and faster - at a lower price.