Hi! Planning my first trip to Japan in June and I have A LOT of questions. We’ll be staying at an AirBnb in Shimokitazawa and have not really set up an itinerary yet. We’ll have 5 days to spend in Tokyo.
Here are a few questions I have:
If we plan to take a day trip Hakone and also use the NEX to get to and from Narita, should we purchase a JR Pass or single tickets? Is a JR Pass useful in the city as well?
Any suggestions for what we should see and do in our short time there?
Can anyone suggest restaurants that might be able to accommodate food sensitivity or allergy?
Is Hakone walkable or do we need to use more public transpo there?
We appreciate your help!
(1) Hakone is close enough to Tokyo that a JR Pass is a waste of money. I believe Odakyu offers reasonable Hakone-area passes since they’re a major train operator in the area, so you could look into that. Within the city, just buy a fare card (Suica or Pasmo) and fill it as needed. Subway hops are cheap.
A JR Pass is better for longer + more trips out of Tokyo. Getting a Hakone Free Pass might be your best bet, but give our article on Hakone a read for more ideas:
It should answer some of your other questions, too!