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We (2 adults, 2 toddlers) are planning a trip to Kyushu in November. We are considering 7 days JR Rail passes and will likely be using one day from Osaka to Hiroshima, where we'll have one night there.

That leaves 5-6 days in Kyushu. We have friends around Fukuoka, but where we really want to visit are:

  • Beppu (Maybe Yufuin as it's on the way)
  • Aso
  • Sakurajima (maybe)
  • Kumamoto

Although I'm pretty sure we can do this on public transit, I'm getting the sense that we may need to rent a car from Beppu to Aso (or Kumamoto). If we have to do this, is it worth it to use a Japan Rail Pass? ~¥30,000 x 2 (kids free).

Also, are there worthwhile things to see in Fukuoka or Kumamoto, or should we concentrate on places like Yufuin, Beppu, Aso and maybe Kagoshima?

My wife speaks Japanese and I can get by.

EDIT:

I guess one question is, is it a lot more expensive (time + money) to: Rent Car between beppu and kumamoto and just buy train tix for the other places?

Are trains convenient enough to see all these places or is it pushing for time?

Is is a sane idea to do this with a 4 year old and 18 month old?

Where would you stay if you wanted to see Kyushu and where could you just make a day trip?

E.g. Hakata - Beppu, stopping at Yufuin as a day trip on the way? Beppu to Kumamoto stopping at Aso on the way doable via transit or is a car necessary for timing?

The only route I'm sure of is anything between Hakata and Sakurajima as that's all Shinkansen now and superfast.

Armstrongest
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1 Answers1

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It's not entirely clear where your trip ends, but if you're flying out directly from Kyushu, you are probably better off purchasing the JR Kyushu Rail Pass instead. If you do need to return to Osaka, you should probably get the JR Rail Pass.

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The "northern Kyushu pass" is ¥7,200/9,260 for 3/5 days and covers Beppu, Aso and Kumamoto. If you want to go to Sakurajima (Kagoshima), you'll need to get the full Kyushu pass, which is twice as expensive at ¥14,400/17,490.

To get to Kyushu, a one-way fare from Shin-Osaka to Hakata (Fukuoka) on the fastest Nozomi service (unreserved seat) is ¥14,480, with a few extra yen if you split the journey at Hiroshima, or a few yen less if you only buy your ticket to Shimonoseki and start using a Kyushu pass there. So this plus a 5-day northern Kyushu pass would only cost you ¥23,740.

If you do have to backtrack to Osaka, the return alone will cost you ¥28,960, meaning paying ¥29,110 for a 7-day JR pass that gets you access to all of Kyushu is a no-brainer.

lambshaanxy
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