Most magnificent train rides - any ideas?
Oct 7, 2015, 12:07 am
#16
Join Date: Feb 2013
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But I do like the part at the very end as the train enters Hakone Yumoto... it travels up a slope real slowly along the river and, sitting on the left-side seat, you can see the the hillside Yumoto station building approaching. As the train pulls into the onsen town of Yumoto with the river to the left and that's when you know you're entering Hakone.
Oct 7, 2015, 9:36 am
#17
Join Date: Feb 2013
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I agree, I will not list Odakyu Romance Car as “Most Magnificent Train Rides” either. The view from Romance Car may not win an award from RichardInSF, but the ride itself on Romance Car VSE can be enjoyable. Café service on VSE is at seat service, attendants will deliver drinks and snacks to your seats and drinks are served on real glasses, not plastic or paper cups.
If you can snag the front seat on Car no.1 (which is very popular seats usually sell out a month in advance when ticket sales start) which has unobstructed view from the front of the train. Engineer is on the top of the train. 10-15 minutes before arrival at Odawara can be scenic. Especially on clear day after passing Shibusawa there is a view of Mt. Fuji right at the front. I do think this view of Mt. Fuji from Odakyu line is better than the view of Mt. Fuji from Shinkansen.
Yes, Romance Car is not magnificent train ride, but same time I will not consider it as boaring ride. But this is train geek speaking…
If you can snag the front seat on Car no.1 (which is very popular seats usually sell out a month in advance when ticket sales start) which has unobstructed view from the front of the train. Engineer is on the top of the train. 10-15 minutes before arrival at Odawara can be scenic. Especially on clear day after passing Shibusawa there is a view of Mt. Fuji right at the front. I do think this view of Mt. Fuji from Odakyu line is better than the view of Mt. Fuji from Shinkansen.
Yes, Romance Car is not magnificent train ride, but same time I will not consider it as boaring ride. But this is train geek speaking…
Last edited by AlwaysAisle; Oct 7, 2015 at 9:44 am
Oct 23, 2015, 5:28 am
#18
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC*SE,MM
Posts: 363
Next spring we are planning to take the Nagawa River Railway (rebranded in English as the "Samurai Line") next spring - runs back and forth from Mino Ota, just north of Nagoya. Will overnight in Gujo Hachiman, then return.
Anyone done this?
http://bentoboxmag.ca/2015/09/07/gif...-samurai-line/
Anyone done this?
http://bentoboxmag.ca/2015/09/07/gif...-samurai-line/
Oct 25, 2015, 9:45 pm
#19
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: HH Diamond, GHA Titanium
Posts: 1,961
Up North, I thought the JR Hakodate - Sapporo journey was pretty nice. Certainly not nice enough to go out of your way for, but definitely worth considering to take the train over flight/drive if you need to take the journey anyway.
A decent portion of the track hugs uchiura bay (nice coastal views), some nice lake views around onuma.
A decent portion of the track hugs uchiura bay (nice coastal views), some nice lake views around onuma.
Oct 25, 2015, 10:49 pm
#21
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
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Oct 28, 2015, 1:10 pm
#22
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,304
I saw an NHK documentary on the reopening of that line which had been closed since it was nearly destroyed by the tsunami. They focused on the local folks who have always depended on that little one or two car train. It was very touching and made me want to go back to Tohoku to ride it. Perhaps one day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amachan
It is one of the most watched Asadora/morning dramas and I really enjoyed it. The main character was a local idol who performed on a specially decorated local train. It is also hard not to drool when seeing the uni eki-ben.
Dec 31, 2015, 2:25 pm
#23
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 15
My wife and I will be in Japan this coming April, and we plan to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto (and back again). We have money to spend, and would like to make the journey reasonably quickly but would also like the most luxurious accommodations available. Does anyone have any advice? So far the best I've found is the green first class cars on the Nozomi trains.
Dec 31, 2015, 3:15 pm
#24
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Central California
Programs: Former UA Premex, now dirt
Posts: 6,531
I suppose you could hire a car service to drive you. To me that seems silly but I know some do it.
The shinkansen is such an essential part of Japan that I can't imagine some kind of pseudo luxury in a limo would make for a better travel experience. The green car of the Nozomi is smooth, quiet, fast and makes for a nice ride with some sightseeing as the countryside rolls by. That is my recommendation.
The shinkansen is such an essential part of Japan that I can't imagine some kind of pseudo luxury in a limo would make for a better travel experience. The green car of the Nozomi is smooth, quiet, fast and makes for a nice ride with some sightseeing as the countryside rolls by. That is my recommendation.
Jan 1, 2016, 10:15 am
#25
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota,USA
Programs: UA, NW
Posts: 3,752
My wife and I will be in Japan this coming April, and we plan to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto (and back again). We have money to spend, and would like to make the journey reasonably quickly but would also like the most luxurious accommodations available. Does anyone have any advice? So far the best I've found is the green first class cars on the Nozomi trains.
If you want a change of scenery on your way back, take the train designated as the Shinano from Nagoya to Matsumoto, and then transfer to the Azusa to complete the trip into Tokyo-Shinjuku. Both have Green Cars and will give you a glimpse of part of rural Japan unfamiliar to most foreign visitors. If skies are clear, you'll see the Japan Alps and perhaps the back of Mount Fuji.
Your concierge in Kyoto (or the Midori-no-Madoguchi "green window"--look for the sign with the green four-leaf clover--agent at Kyoto Station) can help you plan the trip back to Tokyo and make reservations.
Jul 26, 2020, 2:58 am
#27
Join Date: Jul 2014
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There is now a TV show about this on NHK World: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/japanrailway/
It would make even the most closeted railfan have a coming out
It would make even the most closeted railfan have a coming out
Last edited by msp3; Jul 26, 2020 at 1:38 pm