Contents
- 1 What is Odakyu Romance Car?
- 2 Romance Car Fare
- 3 How to make reservations and purchase Romancecar
- 4 Reservations via the Internet
- 5 Romance Car @ Club
- 6 How to get an observation seat on the Romancecar
- 7 If you’re going to Hakone for a day trip, I recommend the Onsen coupon!
- 8 Hakone Free Pass” is a great way to visit Hakone!
What is Odakyu Romance Car?
Odakyu Romance Car is the generic name for express trains and express cars operated by Odakyu Electric Railway. Some trains operate directly with the Hakone Tozan Line, the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line, and the Tokai Railway Gotemba Line.
The “Romance Car,” a limited express train on the Odakyu Line, is an indispensable train for going to Hakone and Enoshima area.
Some Romance Cars have observation seats at the front, giving you a great view from the front!
If you are planning to ride the Romance Car, please refer to this article!
If you want Day Trip to Hakone, first make a ticket reservation!
If you have a discount coupon, you can make a reservation and purchase tickets online at a discount price.
Romance Car Fare
Romance Cars are divided into those going to “Shinjuku – Fujisawa/Enoshima”, “Shinjuku – Odawara/Hakone” and “Shinjuku – Gotemba”.
Some Romance Cars also directly connect to the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line, departing from and arriving at Kitasenju!
Explanation of fares and stops for “Metro Hakone” and “Metro Enoshima” (with free pass information)
Did you know that there is a Romance Car that runs on the subway? The Odakyu Line’s Metro Hakone and Metro Enoshima are such Romance Cars that connect Kitasenju to Hakone-Yumoto and Katase-Enoshima!
Of course, the Romance Car is an express train, so an express ticket is required.
With that in mind, here are the fares to the main stations.
Shinjuku – Odawara Fare 900 yen + Limited Express ticket 910 yen
Shinjuku – Hakone-Yumoto: 1,220 yen + express ticket 1100 yen
Shinjuku – Katase Enoshima: 640 yen + express ticket 630 yen
Shinjuku – Gotemba: 1,300 yen + express ticket 1,560 yen
Sagamiono – Odawara: 550 yen + express ticket 660 yen
Sagamiono – Hakone-Yumoto Fare 870 yen + Limited Express ticket 830 yen
Sagamiono – Katase Enoshima Fare 350 yen + Limited Express ticket 310 yen
Sagamiono – Gotemba Fare 980 yen + Limited Express ticket 1380 yen
How to make reservations and purchase Romancecar
There are three major ways to reserve and purchase Romancecar tickets.
I will explain each of them in turn.
1. Make reservations and purchase tickets at ticket machines or ticket counters.
2.Reservations by phone
3.Make reservations and purchase tickets via the Internet←Recommended
Reservation and purchase at automatic ticket vending machines or at the station counter
Odakyu’s automatic ticket vending machines allow you to reserve and purchase tickets from the first to the last train from 6:30 to 21:00 (*depends on the station) at the station counter!
Incidentally, they can also be purchased at travel agencies such as JTB and Odakyu Travel.
Reservations by phone
Reservations can also be made by phone.
Reservations can be made from 10:00 a.m. one month prior to the boarding date until one hour before departure on the same day.
However, reservations can only be made over the phone; purchases are made at the station counter or ticket vending machine!
Reservations via the Internet
Reservations for Odakyu Romancecar can be made online.
You can choose from two methods: “e-Romancecar” and “Romancecar@Club”.
In both cases, express tickets can be reserved and purchased up to one month in advance.
e-Romancecar
e-Romancecar does not require membership registration and can be purchased as long as you pay by credit card. This is the best recommendation.
No explanation is required as you can simply follow the instructions to enter your name, contact information, and the designation of the Romancecar you wish to ride.
Romance Car @ Club
Romance Car@Club is useful for people who often ride Romance Cars, such as Homeway, which runs during rush hour commuting.
Membership registration is required, but Odakyu points will be accumulated.
You can spend 1 point = 1 yen at Odakyu Point service member stores, or exchange them for JAL miles!
How to get an observation seat on the Romancecar
When it comes to the Romancecar, the most attractive feature is the observation seat in the front car.
However, due to their popularity, they are quickly booked up.
There are four tips to remember for getting an observation seat
Make reservations one month in advance.
Aim for weekdays
Make reservations via the Internet.
Rear-view seats are relatively easy to obtain.
Reservations for the Romancecar can be made as early as 10:00 a.m. one month prior to boarding.
This means that if you aim for this time, it will be easier to get a Romancecar observation seat.
And in terms of speed, reservations made via the Internet are reliable.
You can also make reservations through e-Romanceca, which does not require membership registration.
In my personal opinion, it is still easier to make reservations on weekdays than on holidays.
Also, rear observation seats are available until rather last minute.
Currently, the only Romance Car with observation seats is the GSE (Red Romance Car).
A total of 32 seats are available: front observation seats (16 seats) and rear observation seats (16 seats). The front seats in the front observation section fill up quickly, so early reservations are a must!
If you’re going to Hakone for a day trip, I recommend the Onsen coupon!
Odakyu offers “Onsen Coupons” specifically for certain hot spring facilities for tourists going to Hakone.
They cannot be purchased from automatic ticket vending machines and can only be purchased at Odakyu Travel counters.
You can even save money at Hakone’s famous “Hakone Yuryo” hot spring!
You can also purchase tickets on the same day, so it is a good idea to go on a bullet train trip to Hakone.
Hakone Free Pass” is a great way to visit Hakone!
The “Hakone Free Pass” is a free pass that allows you to visit almost all areas in Hakone.
In addition to round-trip discounts on Odakyu Line (from departure station to Odawara), unlimited rides on Hakone Tozan Railway (Odawara to Gora), Hakone Tozan Bus (within designated sections), cable cars and ropeways in Hakone area!
There are also 66 facilities in Hakone that offer special offers and discounts at hot springs and restaurants!
You can choose between 2-day and 3-day Hakone Free Pass validity, so you can make your own Hakone trip to suit your plans!
Here is an example of the price.
From Shinjuku Station
2-day validity: Adult 5,700 yen, Child 1,500 yen
3-day validity: Adults 6100 yen, Children 1750 yenFrom Machida Station
2-day validity: Adult 5420 yen, Child 1420 yen
3-day validity: Adult 5820 yen, Child 1670 yen
If you buy an express ticket in addition to the Hakone Free Pass, you can take the Romance Car to Hakone.
Why not enjoy Hakone with the best combination of “stay in Hakone” and “almost unlimited transportation in Hakone”?
Odakyu also sells other special free passes and one-day passes.
If you want Day Trip to Hakone, first make a ticket reservation!
If you have a discount coupon, you can make a reservation and purchase tickets online at a discount price.