Before you go
Hakone is a hot-spring area that’s easy to drive to from Tokyo.
The roads are in good shape, too.
But going on a weekend or holiday and going on a weekday are very different stories.
There’s just one thing to decide first.
Whether you’ll go on a weekend or holiday, or on a weekday.
On a weekday, it’s easy enough to get around by car.
On a weekend or holiday, don’t drive to Owakudani; switch to the ropeway before you get there.
If you can shift to a weekday, do. If you can’t, the ropeway. That’s all this article wants to say.
You can’t book the Owakudani parking lot
If you’re going to see Owakudani, it’s the Owakudani parking lot (大涌谷駐車場).
This parking lot doesn’t take bookings.
You have two options.
Get there early, or go on another day.
The day to shift to is a weekday.
On a weekday, it’s easy to get around by car
The company that runs the Owakudani (大涌谷) parking lot puts it like this.
“We recommend weekdays, when there’s less traffic and parking for a regular car costs less.”
The people who want you to park there are recommending weekdays.
And it isn’t just words.
On weekends and holidays, the maximum charge (最大料金) is set at double the weekday one.
They build “busy days cost more” right into the price.
Turn that around, and go on a weekday, and it’s quieter and cheaper.
If you have one free day to spend in Hakone, it’s worth making it a weekday.
If you’re parking at Miyanoshita, check your car’s height first
Around the hot-spring town, there’s the Miyanoshita parking lot (宮ノ下駐車場).
It has a clear limit.
Height up to 2.0 meters.
There are rules on length, width and weight too.
If you’re renting a tall van or a minivan, check that height first.
Your own car’s measurements are on the 車検証, the inspection certificate kept in the car.
Look for the three words 長さ・幅・高さ — length, width, height.
If your car looks like it’s over, and there’s an attendant at the entrance, asking is the quickest way to find out.
If it won’t fit, going to another parking lot is a perfectly good option.
On a weekend or holiday, take the ropeway to Owakudani
On a weekend or holiday, there’s a way to get to Owakudani without driving there yourself.
Hakone has a system called Owakudani Park & Ride.
The area around Owakudani is especially prone to traffic jams.
So you park your car at a ropeway station before you get there.
That’s Ubako Station (姥子駅) or Togendai Station (桃源台駅).
From there, you ride the ropeway to Owakudani.
On Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and at busy times, there are perks too.
You get them by showing a leaflet handed out at the stations and elsewhere, together with an eligible ticket.
Besides, Owakudani seen from above is quite something.
You take it to avoid the traffic, and it turns out to be the better choice.
※ At Owakudani, volcanic activity is still going on, and volcanic gas is coming out. People with asthma or other breathing conditions or heart conditions, people with a pacemaker, and anyone who feels unwell can’t sightsee outside the car, because it can be life-threatening. For the full conditions, check the operator’s official page. If the smell is strong, or your eyes, nose or throat feel irritated, leave the area.
※ In winter the roads freeze, so drive on winter tires.
※ Parking charges, what counts as a weekday or a holiday, vehicle size limits, Park & Ride perks and restrictions due to volcanic activity can change. Before you go, check the official pages of Hakone Town and the parking lot operators.
