tokyo to hiroshima

[yokozuna-sama]

im in tokyo.

id like to go to hiroshima for a holiday.

whats the cheapest way to get there?

also, once in hiroshima, wheres the nearest beach?

i'm not going to hiroshima for the beach of course, but i think my wife would like to visit a beach once we are there.

[cstaylor]

Not sure if it's the cheapest, but I'd suggest the shinkansen (bullet train).

[yakinoumiso]

I think bus is probably the cheapest way to go. You can get on a bus that leaves at 8 PM or so, and you'll be in Hiroshima sometime the next morning. You'll have to check the prices for time and date, but it will be much much cheaper than going by Shinkansen.

JR's Tokaido-sen is probably the next cheapest, but unless you go by Tokkyu (limited express), it'll be a loooooooooong trip.

You might also look into going by air. I've never flown domestically in Japan, but one of my friends says that you can sometimes find really good prices, particularly between Tokyo and Osaka...

Anyway, have fun.

[Charles]

The cheapest way is to walk. How cheap are you?

[Mulboyne]

If you do head to Hiroshima then you can easily take the ferry across to Miyajima which is one of the "three most beautiful spots" in Japan. I think the typhoons have damaged the temple there so it may be under re-construction, though.
The shinkansen is very convenient but, as others have said, the buses/coaches will be cheaper. You can go to a ticket shop and get a discount price for the Shinkansen but that still won't be the cheapest way.

[yellowlightman]

I bought a JR-18 pass and took local trains from Tokyo to Okayama. Took about 16 hours but only cost me about 2500yen/day (I think the J18 pass is 12500 for five one-day passes). Not a great idea if you're short on time, and you gotta be on your toes for changing stations, but it was a fun experience... sorta.

[mr. sparkle]

Hitchhike down there if you want cheap.

[Jamie]

Check out

http://www.gethiroshima.com

Do NOT miss MAC Bar. Just don't.

[JapanBound]

That's a GREAT site. I want to visit hiroshima really bad now

[nigerian_nampa]

I bought a JR-18 pass and took local trains from Tokyo to Okayama. Took about 16 hours but only cost me about 2500yen/day (I think the J18 pass is 12500 for five one-day passes). Not a great idea if you're short on time, and you gotta be on your toes for changing stations, but it was a fun experience... sorta.

I used the same kind of ticket to go from Osaka to Nagasaki. The Osaka-Hiroshima leg took about 6 hours and was kind of fun, getting the local experience on the country trains. But the second leg, from Hiroshima to Fukuoka (another 6 hours or so) was pretty strenuous and I felt really exhausted and stiff. The third leg, from Fukuoka to Nagasaki (about 4 hours) made me want to rip my hair out. On the way back I couldn't imagine doing it again so I took the Shinkansen from Fukuoka to Osaka, and I didn't end up saving much money in the end. I don't recommend it for a short trip, either. If you have two weeks or so, it may be worth it.