Dec15 Family trip itinerary check

Hi,

We are a family of 4 (including 2 primary school kids). This will be our first Free and Easy trip to Japan from 5-15 Dec15. Would appreciate if anyone can provide comments for this itinerary or help to advise on some queries.

Day 1 (5-Dec) : Arrive Haneda (9pm). Overnight at Haneda airport hotel
Day 2 (6-Dec) : Airport Express to Disney Resort (Sheraton Hotel). Disneyland
Day 3 (7-Dec) : DisneySea
Day 4 (8-Dec) : Kanto Area Pass (Day1) Disney Resort - Karuizawa Prince Resort (Ski/snow play/Onsen). Overnight here.
Day 5 (9-Dec) : Kanto Area Pass (Day2) Karuizawa - Tokyo City (Shinjuku/others), check-in hotel - Yokohama Nissin cup noodle museum
Day 6 (10-Dec) : Kanto Area Pass (Day3) Day trip to Nikko/Kinugawa-onsen?
Day 7 (11-Dec) : Purchase Hakone Free Pass - Hakone Round course. Overnight at Hakone onsen hotel?
Day 8 (12-Dec) : Hakone - Tokyo city - Odaiba
Day 9 (13-Dec) : Harajuku - Shibuya
Day 10 (14-Dec) : Asakusa - Nakamise Shopping Street - Skytree
Day 11 (15-Dec) : Depart from Haneda morning flight

My questions are:

1. For Day 4, which is a more convenient station to purchase the Kanto Area Pass? Can it be activated immediately for use?

2. For day 6, understand Nikko is about 2 hours away and it may be too far for a day trip. Is there any other places to go with kids which is about 1 hour away from Tokyo using the Kanto area pass?

3. For Day 7, is it worth to stay overnight at Hakone as we wish to try Onsen/ryokan. Which is a reasonable price & convenient ryokan/Japanese style room hotel to stay for a night?

4. For Day 8-10, should we stay at Shinjuku again or Asakusa or other areas? We will need to catch a morning 10am flight and thus thinking of going to Haneda via Airport Limousine which is easier for us.

Will welcome everyone comments and suggestions!

Thank you!

If by "Haneda airport hotel" you mean the hotel inside Haneda airport, it's ridiculously expensive. There are many reasonably-priced hotels 15 minutes away by train (around Kamata station).

Hi there! I really like Karuizawa. I havent stayed at the Ski resort, but I can strongly recommend Tsuruya Ryokan which is at the top of the shopping street. Great location and great place to stay - caters well to westerners.

Personally I'd go to Kamakura and Enoshima over Nikko, though Nikko is nice enough. But if you decide to go to Hakone, I can recommend the japanese/western rooms at Lalaca, Gora. They are massive for Japan, and the people there are lovely. But bear in mind the water stinks like sulphur, so if the kids wear clothes in the onsen (there is a private one) you may as well throw the clothes out afterward because the smell will never go.

Hi Firas, we booked Royal Park Hotel The Haneda which is not really that expensive, perhaps it's still early.

Lazy Pious, thanks for your recommendations! Will check out these places. Have booked 2 nights at karuizawa Prince East cottage and hope my kids will enjoy :)

We have decided to go Hakone by using the Hakone Free Pass and thus looking at accomodation there. Which is a more accessible location to stay in Hakone : At Gora or Hakone-Yumato area ?

Revised itinerary
Day 1 (5-Dec)-Sat : Arrive Haneda (9pm). Overnight at Haneda airport hotel
Day 2 (6-Dec) : Airport Express to Disney Resort (Sheraton Hotel). Disneyland
Day 3 (7-Dec) : DisneySea
Day 4 (8-Dec)-Tues : Disney Resort - Karuizawa Prince Resort (Ski/snow play/Onsen).
Day 5 (9-Dec)-Wed : Karuizawa Prince Resort
Day 6 (10-Dec)-Thurs : Return to Tokyo - Shinjuku. Purchase Hakone Free Pass
Day 7 (11-Dec) : Hakone
Day 8 (12-Dec) : Hakone - Tokyo city - Odaiba
Day 9 (13-Dec) : Harajuku - Shibuya
Day 10 (14-Dec) : Asakusa - Nakamise Shopping Street - Skytree
Day 11 (15-Dec) : Depart from Haneda morning flight

For Day 4-6, We are not sure whether to purchase the 3 days Kanto area pass or the normal Shinkansen tickets.

For Kanto Pass, it will cost a total of 29,100 yen for whole family (3A1C). But if were to buy normal tickets, it much cheaper if we take unreserved seats. For weekday travel, will there by any problem finding seats from Shinjuku to Karuizawa and return back? Is there any difference in terms of seats spacing and comfort ?

Would appreciate for all comments :)

Thank you!

For Day 4, which is a more convenient station to purchase the Kanto Area Pass? Can it be activated immediately for use?

http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/kantoareapass/

Considering your itinerary, the most convenient place to buy Kanto Area Pass is JR EAST Travel Service Center in Haneda Airport
International Terminal.

http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/customer_support/service_center_haneda.html

For Kanto Pass, it will cost a total of 29,100 yen for whole family (3A1C). But if were to buy normal tickets, it much cheaper if we take unreserved seats.

I think you are misunderstanding the JR's fare system.

http://goo.gl/J6d6Nu

See Route1. Total fare is 5390 yen and the Fare is 2590 yen while "Seat Fee" is 2800 yen. You might understand you don't need to pay this 3120 yen if you do not take the reserved seat. The fact is that if you don't take the reserved seat, you still need to pay for "unreserved seat fee" 2800 yen. This appears if you press the "reserved seat" box on the screen. This unreserved seat fee in Japanese is 自由席特急券 meaning limited express fee without seat reservation. Therefore, if you go to make a round trip to Karuizawa, it will cost (2590+2800)*2=10780 yen even if you take the unreserved seat.

Hi,

Thanks for your explanation! Yes I was mistaken that we do not need to pay for the seat fee of 3120 yen and only pay 2590 yen for a unreserved seat ticket.

So for my case a Kanto Pass is still worth it even if I just travel to/from Karuizawa within the 3 days.

Thanks so much for your help :)