Hakone Free Pass, 2-3 Days Travel Voucher Japan

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I got Hakone Free Pass whilst in Hakone. 3 days. Think I paid only ? 75,000 yen. I used it to get bus 55 min trip from Odawara station to my accommodation in Sengo-ko, I used it to get to Togendai to do sightseeing pirate ship on Lake Ashi( don't buy pirate ship tickets separately, it's covered by the free pass) , I used it on the 3rd and final day to use gondola ropeway , the cable car and also for 100yen discount off the 20,000 admission ticket to Hakone Open air museum ( sculptures in a beautiful outdoor setting, well worth at least 3 hrs there) . I think overall very good value. Hakone is a beautiful area, I would return there for sure.

via Tripadvisor

Lying to sell

We had reservations about the weather to organize our day in Hakone from Tokyo. We therefore took advice from the Odakyu Hakone Freepass information desk at Shinjuku Station. Our interlocutor directed us to a 2 day pass (there is no such pass for 1 day) including cruises, cable cars, suspension bridge etc... for the next day. It turned out that the weather, as we feared, was extreme (rain, strong winds etc.), resulting in the suspension of all services offered (including buses!!) on the 2 days included in our pass. The result: dry loss of the purchase of the passes, although encouraged by our interlocutor. Check the weather before you plan your trip and do not rely on the lies that can be served to you by Odakyu Hakone Freepass employees.

Response from the operator: Thank you for sharing your experience, and we are truly sorry to hear about the difficulties you encountered due to the extreme weather conditions in Hakone. We understand how frustrating it must have been to purchase a 2-day pass based on local advice, only to find that almost all services were suspended due to heavy rain and strong winds. Unfortunately, Hakone weather can be unpredictable, and the decision to suspend services is made by the local operators for safety reasons. We always recommend checking the weather forecast before traveling and we regret that the guidance you received at the Hakone Freepass counter led to disappointment. We truly appreciate your feedback and will share this with the local operators and pass suppliers to help prevent similar situations in the future. We hope that despite this unfortunate experience, you enjoyed the rest of your stay in Japan and that we may have the opportunity to welcome you on a better day next time.

via Tripadvisor (translated)

Hakone tourist trap loop tour

We purchased a 2 day hakone free pass voucher as recommended by so many forums. If you enjoy standing in queue after queue after queue in hot and cramped trains buses and cable cars then this is for you! For us it was hell on earth as we were herded like cattle around this ‘hakone tourist loop’. The first tozan line was old slow and packed. You could not see anything from the window. Straight into a cable car where again you needed to queue for a long long time to be crammed with many others into the car. You then queue again for the next cable car! You are basically trapped once you start this loop and are forced to move in the way it is designated for thousands of others. The final straw was waiting 40 minutes for the ‘pirate cruise’ which again meant waiting in an old depressing building before being herded onto the boat. You finally need to take a bus which was again another queue and another 40 minute journey back to the start. I would not recommended this tourist trap area at all. There are constant souvenir shops, rip off low quality eateries and thousands of people! Anything but a relaxing day in the countryside! I cannot understand why there are so many good reviews.

via Tripadvisor

Pain in the ass Klook app making it a hassle to use the Hakone Free Pass

Discounts aside, all in all, I felt that it was a real hassle using the Hakone Free Pass. And it seems that some Japanese staff finds it burdensome to deal with digital tickets. To go through the turnstile at Odakyu Line @ Shinjuku West Gate, you need to first activate your ticket to scan your QR code on the Emot ticket scanner. But at other parts it's a different way to use your digital ticket e.g. boarding the Hozan Bus, you need to show not only the actual ticket but the animation of the moving train which I guess is a way to prevent fraudster using merely a screenshot of the ticket. The Hozan bus driver was extremely fierce and rude and his lack of English took me a while to realise he wanted to see the animated moving train! And then there's the messy 'upgrade' to ride the non-stop RomanceCar to buy a separate ticket, like why can't it included in the Free Pass?? In short the user navigation of the Klook app was a pain in the ass.

via Tripadvisor

The best option for commuting

Absolute recommendation to get this pass if you plan to visit Hakone. With this you have free access to the buses, the cable car, the funicular, the boat of Lake Ashi... Much more cost effective and comfortable.

via Tripadvisor (translated)