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Route Planning Where to go, when, what are the interesting places to see
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 25 Nov 2010
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Red face Japan
Hi I'm travelling to Japan on 7th December and hiring a bike from 9th to the 15th (perhaps the 16th). I am hiring bike in Tokyo and thinking of riding south towards Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nara and those sort of areas. As time is of a premium and there appears to be so much to see I wondered if any one had any must do rides or knew of any one who could advise. I want to keep the budget as tight as possible so any help would be appreciated.
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  #2  
Old 25 Nov 2010
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sounds cold

better option would be skiing or snowboarding
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  #3  
Old 25 Nov 2010
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Hi. We hired a bike at easter in Yokohama and travelled down to the Izu Peninsula, you should be able to do this in a day. Weather should be mild but cold in December. A good place to stop is the Bike Pack b+b in Naka-izu. Hope you can speak Japanese, or someone you are traveling with can. There are some great hot springs to try, Great after a days riding. The guy at the bike pack is a real charactor, a good artist too.

South alps area is also good, could be a lot of snow around in December, so be careful. Near Kiyosato, a bit further north area there is the Suntory Whiskey distillery . Well worth a visit.

Hope you enjoy the experiance.

Dave.
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Old 25 Nov 2010
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Hiring bike in Japan
Hello!

Can't help you with your question, but I'm curios about bike hiring ! Do you have any info about this? What is kind of bikes is available? How is the price range?

Sorry for not helping and hijacking with new question!!!

Tom
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  #5  
Old 26 Nov 2010
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Japan Touring
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Originally Posted by Kwakdave View Post
Hi I'm travelling to Japan on 7th December and hiring a bike from 9th to the 15th (perhaps the 16th). I am hiring bike in Tokyo and thinking of riding south towards Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nara and those sort of areas. As time is of a premium and there appears to be so much to see I wondered if any one had any must do rides or knew of any one who could advise. I want to keep the budget as tight as possible so any help would be appreciated.
Well, 6 days, that definitely is not much time. December motorcycling in Japan can also be less enjoyable, temperatures around 5 degrees Celsius (or even less) and moderate snow (depending on where you go) ... oh well.

Anyway, if I were you I'd go to Kyoto and Nara for at least 2 to 3 days (especially if this is your first trip to Japan). From there you can go to Hiroshima. Highways should always be clear to drive on, be aware of the highway fee. To make it a low budget event either get a tent and a sleeping bag (yes, winter camping can be fun!!) or try to find 24 hour "sentos" - Japanese public baths.

Would be nice if you provided some more info on what kind of bike you will be renting and so on.
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Old 27 Nov 2010
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As of this week, there is not much snow anywhere south of Tokyo. Here in Nagano, the temperature drops below freezing at night, but it is still ridable during the day.
One option if you want to go to Kyoto is to go straight to the Kii peninsula and see the Ise Shrine then make your way up to Nara and Kyoto. There is a ferry from Cape Irago to Toba City (daytime hours only) if you want to avoid the big city of Nagoya. If you stay in Kyoto or Hiroshima, I recommend J-Hoppers hostel (OK, I admit that the owner is a friend of mine). Personally, I don't think you have enough time to go to Hiroshima and back to Tokyo if you want to see the sights. It is an all-day ride to Hiroshima even on the expressway.
For your information, the expressway toll from Tokyo to Nagoya is about 6000 yen, Tokyo to Kyoto about 8000 yen, and 14000 yen Tokyo to Hiroshima. Japanese expressways are expensive and boring, but the only choice if you are limited in time. Just remember to stay out of the ETC-only (electronic toll collection) lane at the too booth if your bike is not equipped with an ETC device. The gate will not open!
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Old 28 Jan 2012
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Back in 92 I rode my Africa Twin fom Tokyo (where I was living at the time) to Kobe on route 1 to avoid the tolls. About 550 km. 17 hours, traffic light to traffic light, pouring with rain. Denny's noodle stops to warm up. At one point I grabbed 2 hours kip in a bank doorway. I reckonJapan is the worst country I've experienced to ride a motorbike in. A footnote to this story is that when I finally arrived at my mate's gaff in Kobe, after about 2 hours kip, we went out on an all-nighter in Namba, the bar area in Osaka. Jesus, what a f....ing weekend, that was!!
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Old 29 Jan 2012
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Having said all that, a nice day trip, if you're based in Tokyo, is north-east towards Chiba and then round the Boso peninsular and back to Kawasaki on the ferry, then north to Tokyo. I used to love doing that on a Sunday back in 92.
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