It takes a while to come from Tokyo to Hakone by public transport, but it is all worth it.
From Shinjuku (Tokyo) we took the train to Hakone. We went with the Romancecar train, it an express line that takes you directly to Hakone with only a few stops along the way. It takes approx 1 1/2 hours and then you have to take either a bus or the Tozan cable train further. We bought a Hakone Freepass for the days we were there, then we could use all public transportation, cruises and cable cars as much as we needed. Both tickets (train and freepass) we bought at Shinjuku Station.
The Tozan cable cars are the only mountain railway in Japan. The train departs from Hakone-Yumoto station (at 96 m above sea level) and takes about 40 minutes to arrive at the final stop, Gora station (at 541 m above sea level) – which was our destination. The hydrangea flowers along the way was in full bloom making the trip was so beautiful. The hydrangea flowers bloom only for 4-6 weeks in June/July.
hee bune diaries 