Japan - Kanazawa from ITM by Hertz car then back to KIX?

Is driving to Kanazawa from ITM by Hertz car feasible for a couple of days, then car back to KIX? can I also fit in Takayama same trip, or is getting to and from and in Kanazawa enough for first two-day trip to Japan? My main aim is to use a stopover to get a taste of Japan, with a plan to come back again. I prefer country to cities.

With two full days, it's feasible to go from Osaka to Kanazawa and back. I would recommend using public transport for the trip - a direct ride on the Thunderbird train from Shin Osaka. I would leave Takayama for another trip.

Are you flying to ITM from NRT? If so, perhaps you could fly to Komatsu (KMQ) -- closer to Kanazawa.

Use the train. It's fast, comfortable and Kanazawa Station is in the center of the city - as are most hotels. The traffic in that area is terrible and parking seems to be a nightmare.

You COULD route your trip through Takayama on the Hida Wideview train but there wouldn't be time to see the village. I agree that you should leave it for another trip when you can spend a couple of nights there.

BTW, Kanazawa is certainly not country.

Thanks for the advice. I was hoping that using a car would let me see some scenery, and at least have a little choice about varying the route and timings along the way. I will also have heavy luggage as this is part of a RTW trip of approx 10 stops including a visit to family and I won't go or come away with light luggage for that! I was prepared to find somewhere to stay a little outside of Kanazawa if it meant being able to park the car easily and go around Kanazawa perhaps using other transport.

If you are saying I would best still use public transport then I am wondering if I should bite the bullet and just do two days in Kyoto instead as my starter in Japan. Kanazawa had been recommended as a smaller place to start and perhaps not so intimidating as Kyoto (and Tokyo was not under consideration for the same reason). My flights are fixed to land at ITM and depart back out of KIX, would be hard to change although I did like the suggestion of landing closer to Kanazawa. Had I known...

Thanks for the advice. I was hoping that using a car would let me see some scenery, and at least have a little choice about varying the route and timings along the way.
I think the drive would probably be 5+ hours each way, with some urban/suburban sprawl to get through at the start and some stretches of pretty dull expressway before getting to anything interesting. I don't think driving would be all that rewarding for this two day trip.

I will also have heavy luggage One of the delivery companies at ITM should be able to deliver it to KIX for you.

I am wondering if I should bite the bullet and just do two days in Kyoto instead as my starter in Japan. Kanazawa had been recommended as a smaller place to start and perhaps not so intimidating as Kyoto
I don't think Kyoto is particularly intimidating ... and I'm not sure Kanazawa is any less intimidating. It's still a city. If you want to get away from cities entirely, you could go instead to Mt. Koya. Or you could head up to the San-in coast. Neither of these trips demands a car.

If you're dead set on going somewhere by car, I might suggest going into the Chugoku mountains - Head Northwest from Itami. Minimizes city driving and gets you to the middle of nowhere pretty quickly.

Actually, I think Kyoto or Nara are less "intimidating" than Kanazawa. As a suggestion, you could do your stay in Kyoto, taking the limo bus from ITM to Kyoto Station or your hotel, leave the luggage in your room and have a full day in Kyoto and another in Nara, which is less than an hour ride on JR Nara Line or the Kintetsu Line.

With a 1- or 2-day JR West Kansai Area Pass, the ride out to KIX on the JR Haruka Deluxe Express is a lot cheaper than just paying over the counter. That ride takes 75 minutes and delivers you right to the lower level of the departure terminal. If you really want to get out of town, you could use the second day of the Pass to ride trains to explore the countryside around the city but I think there is plenty to keep your interest for a day or two in Kyoto/Nara. If not, a nice half-day trip is on the local line from Kyoto over to Hikone on the shore of Lake Biwa where there is a very nice, original construction feudal castle to explore on foot.

It sounds like this is the op's first visit to Japan. If so, I'd skip Kanazawa and visit Kyoto instead.

Kyoto is accustomed to Western tourists, is laid out on a grid, has both urban and semi-rural areas, and is only a short bus ride from Itami.

To see some of rural Japan, you could go to the village of Ohara, which is on the Kyoto bus system, or to the top of Mount Hiei, taking the funicular one way and the bus back.

Kanazawa is not a small town, is not as accustomed to Western tourists as Kyoto is, and is laid out in typically chaotic Japanese fashion. I think it would be more intimidating than Kyoto, frankly. If you have only two days, you'll be spending most of your time on the train.

Thanks for all the advice. I'm going to follow your suggestions. I'll switch to the train and focus on Kyoto instead. I especially like the suggestion for a little "countryside" using Kyoto area trains and bus.

Since I'm landing ITM Wednesday evening, have 2 full days Thursday and Friday available in Kyoto area then flying out of KIX Saturday morning, I'll hope to do everything you've suggested. Maybe see some cherry blossom as well if I am lucky in early April.

I'll look up hotels and which highlights to see in Kyoto elsewhere on FT. Many thanks!

There are entire guidebooks devoted to Kyoto and environs. When you read one, you'll realize that your main task is deciding what NOT to see.

:-) Thanks again to you all.

I'd take the car. It's a much nicer way to travel and you don't have to worry about train schedules, etc.

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I'd take the car. It's a much nicer way to travel and you don't have to worry about train schedules, etc.

If OP is going to stay in Kyoto area, I won't worry abort the train schedule at all and he probably want a bus pad instated. Having a car during cherry season is gonna be a major hassles in Kyoto.

I'd take the car. It's a much nicer way to travel and you don't have to worry about train schedules, etc.

One of the best things about Japan is that you rarely have to drive. (Having to drive is one of my least favorite aspects of life in the U.S.)

Driving in a Japanese city? No thanks!

One of the best things about Japan is that you rarely have to drive. (Having to drive is one of my least favorite aspects of life in the U.S.)

Driving in a Japanese city? No thanks!

I agree about the U.S. But Tokyo is the easiest big city in the world for driving. Easy parking, traffic moves smoothly, etc.

I agree about the U.S. But Tokyo is the easiest big city in the world for driving. Easy parking, traffic moves smoothly, etc.

Is there another Tokyo in some alternative universe? Like one that has street names, broad avenues, massive free parking lots all over, and no need to take an hour to travel from central Tokyo to cross the Edogawa?

I agree about the U.S. But Tokyo is the easiest big city in the world for driving. Easy parking, traffic moves smoothly, etc.
Are you smoking something you'd like to share?? :(

5Khours is not way off the mark. Given the population. Compared to London, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, possibly NYC, etc. it's quite good to drive and park here. I sense that people here that recommend trains do not drive in Tokyo (or Japan). Driving is my primary method of getting around Tokyo. Kyoto seems to be a great city for driving.

The abundance of coin parking makes parking very easy and readily available. And parking meter spots are surprisingly very available. There is also great tolerance for short term "illegal" parking.

Here's an anecdote: if you go to Meiji Jingu to see a baseball game I can guarantee you that you can get a parking meter spot in front of the stadium 5 minutes before the opening pitch at 18:00. (Exception could be a game vs. Giants.) The meter runs through 19:00 so you pay for an hour and then it's free from that point on. Try that at Fenway Park!

Another anecdote: from Shibuya to east Tokyo on the Edogawa river, Friday 7 pm, long holiday weekend, 28 km. Time: 35 minutes door to door.

p.s. There is no Hertz (or Avis, or.....) in Japan. Although they partner to some degree with Toyota Rent-a-car. If you try to book with Hertz they will quote you like $250 a day. So book directly with Toyota. Also, you will probably get a hefty drop-off fee.

If your opinion is true, it's only because most people in Tokyo don't drive. If everyone drove to the extent that people drive in Los Angeles or even London, the city would be in constant gridlock.

Anyway, I would not recommend driving to a newcomer unfamiliar with the city, especially someone who comes from a country where people drive on the right.

Besides, the transit/train system is an essential part of the Japanese experience. One can drive--one has to drive--in other places.

If your opinion is true, it's only because most people in Tokyo don't drive. If everyone drove to the extent that people drive in Los Angeles or even London, the city would be in constant gridlock.

Anyway, I would not recommend driving to a newcomer unfamiliar with the city, especially someone who comes from a country where people drive on the right.

Besides, the transit/train system is an essential part of the Japanese experience. One can drive--one has to drive--in other places.

In fact, the worst traffic is often on weekends and on the outskirts of Tokyo. I ran into some horrible traffic on that recent long weekend but it was until I was close to Chofu on the Chuo. You would figure that by Sunday late morning on a long weekend that there would be no chance of congestion.... wrong. Importantly, people don't commute by car. The steep expressway tolls reduce traffic.

As of Jan 1, the Shuto toll is distance based but they increased the max toll to 900 yen from a flat toll of 700 yen. Just the short stretch from Tomigaya to Takaido is 600 yen, for example. This probably is not more than 7-8 km. About $1 per km.....

I will counter that driving in Japan is also an "essential experience".

I will counter that driving in Japan is also an "essential experience".

I'd agree, but I don't think that driving ITM to Kyoto, having a car for two days in Kyoto, and then driving Kyoto to KIX with a deadline imposed by a flight departure is a good way for a first time visitor to enjoy this essential experience.

Are you smoking something you'd like to share?? :(

Nope. If you drove in central Tokyo regularly you would know. No question it is the easiest for big city for driving anywhere on the planet. I'm serious.

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I will tend to agree Japan is easy to drive , but doesn't mean it is a necessity. The transit system is easy to use, efficient and convenient enough that doesn't really need to drive.

Heck for the same money of renting a car I probably can take taxi all around Kyoto unless I go out of the core Kyoto city, so I fail to see why I bother to rent a car.

I'd like to make another suggestion for an itinerary based on a jet-lag ridden two night stay I had in Osaka in 2009; this was between arriving at KIX (from LHR via ICN) and heading off to Tokyo by train.

As the OP states they prefer country to city, I wonder if they might enjoy visiting the famous small city of Nara and then taking the train trip to Yoshinoyama which is about 30 miles to the South and can be reached by (slow, characterful) trains in about 2 hours for less than 1000 yen. There is also a Kintetsu express train from Osaka which gets there much faster. What I liked about this place was the tranquility, the views, the old temples and traditional buildings and the sense of being away from it all but somewhere very Japanese. There is an old funicular near Yoshino Station which takes you up to the old main street and then buses to take you to viewing points and more temples higher up on the mountain.

See http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4152.html for details, and for the rail map see http://www.flickr.com/photos/kzaral/3372201325/sizes/o/ (it is in square I7 in the bottom right corner). Good luck whatever you choose to do!