Driving in Kyushu

[OmegaPig]

Hello all,

A few questions as below:

1) I understand driving in Japan especially in more rural parts, you usually have to input the phone number of the location/place into the GPS system of the car for navigation. So......I'm just wondering if it is easier/better to just use your phone and Google Maps?

2) Is it easy to find parking lots at hotels as well as petrol stations along the roads in Kyushu?

3) If not driving, would public transportation via bus/train suffice for travel around Kyushu (covering most prefectures) for about a week?

Thanks in advance!

 

[swordspirit]

Hello all,

A few questions as below:

1) I understand driving in Japan especially in more rural parts, you usually have to input the phone number of the location/place into the GPS system of the car for navigation. So......I'm just wondering if it is easier/better to just use your phone and Google Maps?

2) Is it easy to find parking lots at hotels as well as petrol stations along the roads in Kyushu?

3) If not driving, would public transportation via bus/train suffice for travel around Kyushu (covering most prefectures) for about a week?

Thanks in advance!

1) Normally is mapcode and not telephone number. not all places have phone number.

2) quite easy. price an issue only. typically 1.5k per night (multiple entries) for those through hotel. Some rural area may be free. Petrol station nv an issue. price can varies up to 20% depends on dates. Sunday and PH cheapest.

3)depends where you visit in Kyushu

 

[holee]

I just came back from a 10 days self drive tour of Kyushu.

In some areas, mobile data signal is weak and close to non. So its better to have car gps working.

I made a list of places to visit and noted down their mapcodes.

Using google maps will bring you to most of the places, but you have to be careful as google maps also uses shortcuts through very small lanes.

Most hotels in off city areas provide free parkings, hotels in city charges about 1000 Yen/night. Make sure you email hotel in advance to reserve parking lot for you, else you may have to park at paid lots outside of hotel.

Find out how the paid parking system works, some have attendants to collect fees from you. Typically for paid lots, you park into the lot and after a while a barrier will lift up under the car. You have to remember the lot number because you have to key in the lot number and then pay the parking fees. Make sure you load up your shopping goodies into the car before you pay as you have limited time to drive off once the payment is done, else the barrier will lift up again.

 

[KyushuWoozy]

Swordspirit covers most of your points. Agree that mapcode is more reliable than phone number. I tend to use in-car GPS with Google maps as backup ... sometimes (but not often) Google finds much shorter route but sometimes (not often) Google sends you on really weird route.

You can always find parking but in-city places may be off hotel grounds and not free. Taking into account hotel cost, rental car fee, flights etc, parking isn't significant expense (overnight fees are lower than daytime hourly fees).

I always drive myself and always recommend our clients to drive. It's more convenient and (for me at least) more fun. That said, if you don't want to rent a car for some reason Kyushu is doable by public transport ... however you may need to take some short taxi trips too (from station to hotel etc).

Hope this helps.

 

[princessreiko]

I am planning a trip to northern Kyushu in the 3rd week of December.
Basically it is Hakata, Kitakyushu, Beppu, Yufuin, Aso, Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Sasebo and back to Hakata.

But I heard the road may be icy and slippery esp in the inland ie Aso in December.

Also , will I lose GPS signal in some of the places?
I will be using Google maps to navigate my way around.

Is it difficult to drive?
Should I take the train and skip some of the above places instead?

Thanks.

 

[KyushuWoozy]

But I heard the road may be icy and slippery esp in the inland ie Aso in December.

It's usually not too bad, especially early December, though of course we never know. The rental car company will provide snow tyres if required.

Also , will I lose GPS signal in some of the places?
I will be using Google maps to navigate my way around.

As discussed earlier in this thread, rent car with English GPS and use Google maps as backup (or vice versa).

Is it difficult to drive?
Should I take the train and skip some of the above places instead?

I always recommend people to drive .... that's definitely how I prefer to travel. Here (in Kyushu at least) the roads are good, the drivers polite and I rarely see a traffic jam. Don't forget if you travel by train, each time you will need to figure out how to get from train station to hotel or sightseeing place and back again. Car takes you door-to-door.

Enjoy!

 

[luvenergy]

i will be going to fukuoka for 11 days nect year june. places i would like to visit include fukuoka,beppu,yufuin,miyazaki,mt aso,nagasaki and kagoshima..is it doable? i heard some places like fukuoka and nagasaki i do not need to drive..from which places i need to?shld we skip kumamoto?

 

[cheers]

Any recommended car rental company or go for the cheapest quote?

 

[burger]

Any recommended car rental company or go for the cheapest quote?

can try tabirai

Tabirai

 

[KyushuWoozy]

i will be going to fukuoka for 11 days nect year june. places i would like to visit include fukuoka,beppu,yufuin,miyazaki,mt aso,nagasaki and kagoshima..is it doable? i heard some places like fukuoka and nagasaki i do not need to drive..from which places i need to?shld we skip kumamoto?

Yes, it's doable. Yes, Fukuoka and Nagasaki have good local transport network so car not strictly necessary, depends your preference. For other places I'd recommend car. If you take car ferry while travelling from Nagasaki to Aso you will pass thru' Kumamoto anyway.

 

[luvenergy]

Yes, it's doable. Yes, Fukuoka and Nagasaki have good local transport network so car not strictly necessary, depends your preference. For other places I'd recommend car. If you take car ferry while travelling from Nagasaki to Aso you will pass thru' Kumamoto anyway.

is the car ferry cover by the Kyushu express way pass?

 

[KyushuWoozy]

is the car ferry cover by the Kyushu express way pass?

No it isn't. If you want to use the pass you'll need to skip the ferry and drive via Takeo and Tossu instead. This means you'll miss Unzen Hells, which are definitely worth a visit.