Originally Posted by
aragno
I'm bringing back an old thread for the sake of having information spread all over.
My wife and I are planning a trip to Japan later this month and thinking of a stay down in the Mt. Fuji area. Expect to be there around 26 and 27 of March. Was thinking to take a train from Tokyo on 26 and then a train back to Tokyo the following day to catch the Nozomi to Hiroshima.
Is it better to stay in the Hakone, Lake Ashi, or Laka Kawaguchi? We will have our 9 month old with us and really just wanted to go, relax, possibly enjoy the view and then carry on with our journey.
Given your objectives, I'd personally recommend the Lake Ashi area, someplace like The Prince Hakone or Hotel de Yama, where you have nice scenery, hot springs and plenty of room to spread out and go for walks.
For a two-night stay I'd probably choose The Prince Hakone, as you have a wide range of activities nearby, and direct access to the boats to take you to other areas along Lake Ashi.
Prince Hakone has a shuttle bus from Odawara station, but requires reservation and is only at specific times of day, so getting back to Tokyo may be more of a challenge depending on the time that you need to catch the Nozomi to Hiroshima.