Originally Posted by
Marq
Is it possible to spend a night at Himeji on the way down without increasing the cost (substantially) of our Shinkansen tickets? Would this have to be done through a tour company?
Are there any western style hotels in Himeji that you could recommend with easy access to both station and Himeji Castle?
For Hiroshima, what western style hotel would you recommend? The Rhinga seems decent but expensive; are there cheaper accomodations that would still be clean and comfortable?
This will probably be our last chance to head down to Western Japan. Would we really be upset if we returned home to US without having spent at least a day in Fukuoka or a day in Shikoku before we left?
Should I use one of the local travel agencies to arrange this trip (shinkansen and hotels), purchase each separately, or use the discount tour office at Shinagawa station?
I would think Laplap or Pickles would be more qualified to answer most of these questions, since I've only been to Hiroshima once, 7 years ago, and my other trip (3 years ago) was strictly shinkansen. However, on both my trips I booked stays exclusively through the Welcome Inn network at a Japanese travel agent (I think it was JTB). They have a stand in Narita right before you exit arrivals to the street. I was very happy with the results, but they are not high-class accommodations- they are something between hostels and 2-3 star places, but generally good values.
I've never been to Shikoku, and plan to on my next trip, but I've never heard it referred to as a "must do." As for Fukuoka, its nice, but its probably better served as part of a larger Kyushu trip. I wouldn't fret about missing it, I would just choose it over staying more than a day or two in Hiroshima.
Also, I assume you can take some sort of slower, non-shinkansen rail between Hiroshima and Himeji. Sorry I can't be of more help!