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Kusatsu Onsen & Snow monkey park [Road trip in Japan #7]
We leave very early from Kanazawa to get to Kusatsu Onsen. The road is very long, so we make a few stops along the way so JB can rest a bit. This travel diary is part of a series on our road trip in Japan. If you missed the previous episodes, here are the links: the itinerary, diary #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Day 6 of the road trip: We pick up the car after parking it for less than 48 hours. The parking lot JB chose isn’t too expensive; we pay at most 1200 yen for 24…
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Kanazawa: Tea Ceremony & Geisha [Road Trip Japan #6]
Kanazawa is a major stop on our itinerary. That’s why we’re staying here for 2 nights. This travel diary is part of a series on our road trip in Japan. If you missed the previous episodes, here are the links: the itinerary, diary #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Day 4 of the road trip (continued) We leave the thatched-roof villages and drive non-stop to KanazawaThis city is considered a “mini-Kyoto,” and it retains traces of samurai and geisha (called geiko in Kanazawa). It’s still too early to check in at the hotel, so we first stop at the samurai…
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Ogimachi, Suganuma, Ainokura, Thatched-Roof Villages and Washi Paper Workshop [Japan Road Trip #5]
We leave Takayama at 8 a.m. because we have a busy day of sightseeing ahead. We need to visit the villages with thatched-roof houses before arriving in Kanazawa for the afternoon. These mountain villages aren’t easy to reach, even though there are a few buses that go there. Most people go by car or on a guided tour. Even Lonely Planet thinks it’s wiser to rent a car. We followed that advice and ended up renting a car for the entire road trip, not just for these mountain villages. This travel diary is part of a series on our road trip in Japan. If you missed the previous episodes, here…
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Takayama & Cherry Blossoms [Japan Road Trip #4]
We wake up early to enjoy our ryokan’s onsen before breakfast. Indeed, the onsen is only open until 9 a.m., and breakfast is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. This travel diary is part of a series on our road trip in Japan. If you missed the previous episodes, here are the links: the itinerary, diary #1, #2, #3 Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Day 3 of the road trip: After a hot spring bath, we’re hungry. But breakfast is right on time. As usual, it’s hearty and full of local specialties. In the middle is hoba miso, i.e., miso (fermented soybean paste) placed on a…
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Matsumoto Castle, Cherry Blossoms, Wasabi Farm & Ryokan [Japan Road Trip #3]
We woke up rather late today, checking out at 9:45 am. Our hotel in Matsumoto doesn’t offer breakfast, but there’s a large lounge where we can help ourselves to free hot drinks. My parents also bought and brought along plenty of pastries. This travel diary is part of a series on our road trip in Japan. If you missed the previous episodes, here are the links: the itinerary, diary #1, #2 Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Day 2 of the road trip The hotel owner asks about our plans for the day. I mention Matsumoto Castle. She recommends a hill covered in cherry blossoms,…
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Mount Fuji by car [Japan Road Trip #2]
Now that my parents have arrived safely in Japan, the whole family is together, and we can start our road trip by car. This travel diary is part of a series on our road trip in Japan. If you missed the previous episodes, here are the links: the itinerary, diary #1 Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Car rental We left bright and early to pick up our car from Sixt. Initially, we thought about doing part of the trip by train and part by car, but after seeing the reasonable rental rates, we figured it was worth doing the whole thing by car. We…
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3 days in Tokyo [Japan Road trip #1]
We were supposed to travel with my parents to Turkey, but our schedules didn’t match. So instead, we invited them to Japan, just after hanami and before the Japanese Golden Week (Japan’s big holidays). Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal We had to get to Japan from Chile, and the journey was very long: an 8-hour flight between Santiago & Atlanta (USA), a few hours of layover, then a 14-hour flight between Atlanta and Tokyo. Luckily, by choosing seats at the back of the plane, we each had an empty seat next to us, making the trip much more bearable. Those long hours on the…
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How to get cash (for free?) from ATMs in Japan?
Although card payments are widely accepted in Japan, it’s still essential to have some cash on you at all times. Street food stands and the machines used to order at restaurants are often cash only. Withdrawing cash from ATMs outside the eurozone always needs a bit of planning, as you can quickly lose a few percent on each withdrawal if you don’t optimize. The first step is to make sure your bank doesn’t charge you withdrawal or currency conversion fees. This is the case with many neobanks: N26, Revolut, Boursorama, Fortuneo, etc. (still, check the maximum “no-fee” amounts). If you don’t have a neobank account, ask your banker. Most traditional…
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Car rental in Japan: how to get a translation of your driver’s license?
Since Japan is not like other countries, I made sure to check the conditions required to drive a car during our road trip. Good thing I did! While in the vast majority of countries, an international driver’s permit is sufficient, that’s not the case in Japan! To have the right to drive in Japan, you’ll need your national driver’s license, accompanied by a translation certified by the JAF (Japan Automobile Federation). The translation request can only be made from within Japan and requires a stated processing time of about two weeks. I tried to cheat by connecting to the website with a Japanese VPN , but nothing doing… it’s impossible…
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Itinerary: 8-day road trip in Japan (Spring 2024)
Here’s the itinerary I’ve put together for our upcoming road trip in Japan. If it helps, you can access the itinerary via this link. Note: this road trip is by car, not by train.
