Hakone - A cycling tour

Hi...am planning a trip to Hakone on May 6th, for a night. As I want to see as much of Hakone as possible, would it be possible to do a cycling tour around the town?

How much would that be? And is the terrain very hilly?

Or would walking around suffice?

Thanks in advance for your replies

I think it's a very good idea. The municipality runs a rental cycle program every season (late April to November) for 500 yen an hour or 1200 yen per 3 hours. The terrain is hilly, but the bikes are electric hybrid (i.e. battery motor boosts your pedaling power on uphills) so you don't have to worry.

May 6th is the last day of the "Golden Week" holidays and as such the place will be heaving. Public transport will be packed, the roads will be clogged, and there will be queues for cable cars. If there is any way that you can delay your visit by even one day then I seriously recommend you do so.

Hakone is a mountainous region much larger than a town, with settlements and attractions scattered throughout, and linked by public transport such as trains, cable cars, funiculars, buses and boats, so the quickest way to see all the major sights is by using public transport, which will be packed on May 6th. Or perhaps that is the reason why you plan to cycle?

The terrain can be very hilly in places but obviously flat around the lake. If you limit yourself to the attractions around the lake then cycling might be a great idea. However I wouldn't want to cycle up to for example Owakudani volcanic valley unless you are an athelete.

Also, how do you plan to take your bike to Hakone? If you are planning to drive there then bear in mind again roads in and out of Hakone will likely be congested.

Definitely avoid May 6. The roads will be horrible, especially in the afternoon and evening. But from May 7 on it should be calm and attractive.