tateyama kurobe alpine route

I have a hotel booked in Matsumoto from 21-25. I was originally going to travel from here and do the crossing west to east and then come back to Matsumoto in same day until I realised the jr train back to Matsumoto from Toyama takes 5 hours.

I leave Kyoto on 25 and I want to do the crossing east to west but we have luggage with us,. I'm aware there is a luggage drop off but this is confusing me a little.

Can I drop my luggage off before the alphine route and then pick it up conveniently at the end of then crossing?

Or does anyone have better suggestions?

I work out the crossing to be about £60 per person one way so I don't really want to go west to east and then east to west?

I really appreciate any comments of suggestions


Thanks,
Richard

Hi Richard

Are you going next month? My family and I will be doing the Alpine route on 22 April from Toyama one-way and overnight in Nagano.

1) You can do a return trip using the Alpine route itself (instead of taking train from Toyama back to Matsumoto) but I haven not checked the timing. It should be doable since there are guided trips for that.
More info: http://www.alpen-route.com/en/transportation

2) On the luggage, yes you can use the Alpine Route porter service from whichever end. In your case, it will be from Alps Roman Kan (in JR Shinano-Omachi St) to Dentestsu Toyama St. at 1230 (plus tax) per luggage.
More info: http://www.alpen-route.com/en/transportation/baggagedelivery

We also plan to send our heaviest luggage from Dentetsu Toyama to Alps Roman Kan

Hope it helps

Sorry, yes I am doing it this April.

The only problem I can see with returning via the alpine route is it's quite expensive to cross? I tried to work out all the pricing and it was around 60 pounds, so if I return it's 120 pounds just for sightedness and an experience.

I think the luggage forwarding service would have been the best idea but I've just realised that I won't arrive into toyama from kyoto until about 10am,i think it's a 3 hours trip so this presents another problem lol



Richard

Hi

There is a return ticket you can get which is cheaper than going all the way over and all the way back... you go up as far as the ice tunnel then back. You can do it as a day trip from Matsumoto. I can't remember how much it costs but if you look on the official English site you will find it.

I realised the jr train back to Matsumoto from Toyama takes 5 hours

With the new Shinkansen from Toyama to Nagano the travel time from Toyama to Matsumoto would possibly be 3 hours.

Both of those suggestions are very helpful thanks. I will look at them both.

Just some information for anyone else reading this-

I contacted yamato to see how much it would cost to send one suit case (20kg) from kyoto to matsumoto and it was 1512 yen which I thought was a reasonable price?

This may allow me to send my suit case the day before I leave, travel to toyama, do the alpine crossing East to west and have my suit case waiting at my hotel when I arrive... Hopefully lol.


Thanks
Richard

Both of those suggestions are very helpful thanks. I will look at them both.

Just some information for anyone else reading this-

I contacted yamato to see how much it would cost to send one suit case (20kg) from kyoto to matsumoto and it was 1512 yen which I thought was a reasonable price?

This may allow me to send my suit case the day before I leave, travel to toyama, do the alpine crossing East to west and have my suit case waiting at my hotel when I arrive... Hopefully lol.


Thanks
Richard

Hello Richard, how was the trip? Is 8 hours enough for the entire tateyama-omachi route?

I'm also planning to travel this coming september and would like to know your experience.