I have all hotel bookings complete.
Two days ago the Tabinoyado in Oosaka answered. I got the the last free room. Unfortunately I lost my nerve a few hours before and booked a hotel room in Namba. This one I have to cancel. The ryokan is located closer to the train stations (like Tennoji Eki) I need. The train from the airport stops here and the trins to Asuka. The train to Koyasan is only one stop away. But it is not good for Amanohashidate and Kyoto.
I didn’t found a suitable ryokan in Kyoto that is close to the train station. They are booked out or too expensive. $800 for one night is far behind my limit, very far. And they all have a curfew. Most o the ryokans lock their doors at 10pm. But on Christmas Eve I want to have the luxuary to come home after midnight. In the end I booked the Vista hotel. It is next to Kyoto Eki, just on the opposite side of the street. 2 minutes of walking, if i walk slow. This will save a lot of time on the trip to Amanohashidate and to Kanazawa.
There is a small change in plan in Shirakawa. There is no free room left. Therefore I booked a place Ainokura, a small town in an other valley. A bus will bring me to Shirakawa. An other bus will bring me to Ainokura two hours later. 2 hours should be ok or pictures. I hope there is a lot of snow.
The last feedback arrived today from the Kiso valley. The Hanaya was not my first choice, but my preferred ryokan is booked out. Looks like everyone is on vacation during Xmas and New Year. The Kiso Valley was on my list since Peter gave me that hardcopy about this place, but it never fit into my plans; until now.
- Osaka: Tabinoyado Hokousou Ryokan
- Kyoto: Hotel Vista [website]
- Ainokura: Choyomon
- Kiso-Tal: Hanaya [website]
- Narita: Richmond Hotel [website]
The last station is a hotel in Narita. It was the reasonable choice. Close to the train station and within my price limit. I plan 20 minutes from the room over checkout to the trainstation.
In total it is a good mix: 3 nights in a hotel, 3 nights in a ryokan with onsen, 3 nights in ancient houses. Sometimes breakfast included, but mostly not. 3 times I ordered dinner. Ok, not ordered. it was included in the room price. This is ok. Dinner is expensive (most of the hotels are chraging you 2500 to 3000yen for it) but also a thing you should order sometimes, just to get the complete experience.