Originally Posted by robyng

I think what people are trying to tell you in general is that driving in parts of Japan - including this one - can be a real PITA compared with using the often excellent public transportation. Too many cars - too few parking places - etc.

Can't vouch for this personally. But people here who are familiar with the country generally know what they're talking about.

What I can say on my part is that WRT this car rental - and the other one you're planning - you will in all probability need to take out a supplemental liability insurance policy before your trip. Your insurance policy at home almost certainly doesn't cover you in Japan (most US policies only cover the US - Canada and some parts of Mexico).

Over the years - renting cars abroad - we found that most rental car companies didn't have enough coverage for our taste. The coverage ranged from laughable (like $5k in Costa Rica) to perhaps adequate for people without assets (like $100k in parts of Western Europe). We have assets - and carry insurance well in excess of those amounts. You probably have assets too (otherwise you wouldn't be planning the kinds of meals you're planning). So you need more coverage.

We used to buy short term policies from AIG. It was the biggest player in this area at the time. Don't know the best options today.

BTW - depending on where you live - it's usually pretty easy for someone you injure abroad to sue you at home where you live. There are usually no jurisdictional issues suing someone where he/she lives - and most states have tons of personal injury lawyers willing to take cases.

Also - while I have insurance on my mind - you should check out your health insurance policy too. I'm on Medicare - and have very limited coverage outside the US through my Medigap policy. So I definitely need to buy (and do buy) supplemental policies to cover me outside the US. YMMV - you have to read the terms of your policy. Robyn