Tokyo to Hakone or Lake Kawaguchiko with Luggage: Romancecar, Fuji Excursion and Hotel-to-Ryokan Delivery

To get from Tokyo to Hakone or Lake Kawaguchiko with luggage, you have three options. Carry it yourself on the Odakyu Romancecar (about 80 minutes from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto) or the Fuji Excursion (fastest 1 h 53 min from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko). Drop it at the Hakone Carry Service counter at Hakone-Yumoto Station (from ¥1,500 per bag, 8:30–12:00, collect at your ryokan from 15:00). Or hand it to your Tokyo hotel's front desk and have it delivered to your ryokan the same day. The long train ride is the easy part. The hard part comes after Hakone-Yumoto, on the mountain railway and buses, and on the local transfers around Kawaguchiko.

Key takeaways

• The Odakyu Romancecar is all-reserved and takes about 80 minutes from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto. The limited express ticket costs ¥1,200 for adults on top of a regular ticket or Hakone Freepass. GSE (70000 series) trains have a large-luggage space; the overhead racks can't hold big suitcases.
• The Hakone Freepass from Shinjuku costs ¥7,100 (2 days) or ¥7,500 (3 days) for adults. It covers the Hakone Tozan train, cable car, ropeway and sightseeing cruise, but not the Romancecar surcharge.
• Hakone Carry Service at Hakone-Yumoto Station charges ¥1,500 per normal bag (up to 140 cm total, 15 kg) and ¥2,500 per large bag (up to 200 cm, 30 kg). It only delivers to partner ryokan.
• The Fuji Excursion costs ¥4,200 from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko (¥2,580 fare + ¥1,620 limited express) and has no unreserved cars. With a JR Pass you still pay for the Fujikyu section from Otsuki to Kawaguchiko.
• If you'd rather not carry anything, leave your bags at your Tokyo hotel's front desk and have them delivered to your Hakone or Kawaguchiko ryokan the same day.

Tokyo to Hakone or Kawaguchiko with luggage: 3 options compared

You can carry your bags the whole way, carry them as far as Hakone-Yumoto and hand them to the ryokan carry service there, or send them straight from your Tokyo hotel to the ryokan. The difference is how far you haul them yourself and what time they reach your room.

Option	How your bags travel	When they arrive	Best for
Carry them yourself	Romancecar, Fuji Excursion or highway bus, then the mountain train or a bus	With you	Carry-on only, ryokan close to the station
Hand over at Hakone-Yumoto Station	You bring them to Hakone-Yumoto, then Hakone Carry Service takes over	Ready at the ryokan from 15:00	Guests of a partner ryokan who reach Yumoto in the morning
Tokyo hotel straight to the ryokan	Hand them to your Tokyo hotel's front desk; they go straight to your Hakone or Kawaguchiko stay	Same day, evening, depending on the option you book	Big or multiple bags, kids or older travellers, Kawaguchiko, or sightseeing on the way

Hakone Carry Service only covers the stretch between Hakone-Yumoto Station and partner ryokan. You still carry everything from Tokyo to Yumoto, and Kawaguchiko isn't covered at all. Hotel-to-ryokan delivery covers the whole journey.

How to get from Tokyo to Hakone: the Romancecar with big luggage

The usual way from Tokyo to Hakone-Yumoto is the Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku: about 80 minutes, no change of trains. JR Pass holders can also take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Odawara and switch to the Hakone Tozan train.

Transport	Route	Luggage notes
Odakyu Romancecar	Shinjuku → Hakone-Yumoto direct, about 80 min	All seats reserved; big suitcases go in the train's luggage space, which depends on the model
Shinkansen + Hakone Tozan train	Tokyo → Odawara (Shinkansen) → Hakone-Yumoto (Tozan train)	The Shinkansen leg is covered by the JR Pass; bags over 160 cm fall under the Shinkansen reservation rules
Highway bus	Busta Shinjuku → Sengokuhara and Lake Ashi (Togendai), not via Hakone-Yumoto	Big bags normally go in the hold, but journey time depends on traffic

Odakyu Romancecar GSE (70000 series). Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

Luggage space on the Romancecar

Where your suitcase goes depends on the train. The GSE (70000 series) has a large-luggage space plus room under the seats. The EXEα has a dedicated suitcase area. On the EXE and MSE, the overhead shelves only take carry-on bags. Limited express tickets go on sale at 10:00 one month before travel, and buying online through EMot saves ¥50 per ticket. Popular weekend trains in peak season often sell out, so book early if you're bringing big bags. See the official Romancecar page.

What does the Hakone Freepass include?

The Hakone Freepass from Shinjuku costs ¥7,100 (2 days) or ¥7,500 (3 days) for adults. It includes an Odakyu round trip between Shinjuku and Odawara, plus the Hakone Tozan train, Tozan cable car, Hakone Ropeway, sightseeing cruise and buses within the designated area. The Romancecar ticket (¥1,200 adult, Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto) is extra. A 2-day pass starting from Odawara costs ¥6,000 (Odakyu's official page).

Hakone-Yumoto to your ryokan: is the mountain train manageable with luggage?

Not really. Hakone-Yumoto is the gateway station, and ryokan in Gora, Owakudani or around Lake Ashi mean another change to the Hakone Tozan train, a Tozan bus or a cable car. In peak seasons (autumn leaves, hydrangea season, public holidays) trains and buses are packed, there's little room for a large suitcase, and you'll often deal with stairs around the stations.

Platform at Hakone-Yumoto Station. Photo: Smiley.toerist / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Hakone Carry Service: Hakone-Yumoto Station ⇄ ryokan

Hakone Carry Service, inside Hakone-Yumoto Station, takes your bags from the station to a partner ryokan, and back again on your way home. Details below were checked on the official site in October 2026 (Hakone Navi).

Item	Outbound (station → ryokan)	Return (ryokan → station)
Drop-off	Same day, 8:30–12:00, at the Hakone-Yumoto Station counter	Same day by 10:00, at the ryokan front desk
Pick-up	At the ryokan from 15:00	At Hakone-Yumoto Station, 13:30–18:30
Price (per bag, one way)	Normal ¥1,500, large ¥2,500	Normal ¥1,500, large ¥2,500

A normal bag is up to 140 cm in total dimensions and 15 kg; a large bag is up to 200 cm and 30 kg, and anything bigger is refused. Only partner ryokan are served (the list is on the official site). Service to some Lake Ashi ryokan may stop in early January because of traffic, and typhoons or snow can suspend it. If you just need to leave bags for a few hours, the Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center just outside the Hakone-Yumoto ticket gates stores luggage: drop-off 9:00–17:30, collect by 18:00, up to 160 cm and 25 kg per bag.

Hakone Tozan train at Gora Station. Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

How to get from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko: Fuji Excursion vs highway bus with luggage

From Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchiko, you either take the Fuji Excursion limited express direct from Shinjuku or a highway bus; both take about two hours. The Fuji Excursion is all-reserved and unaffected by traffic. Buses run more often and big bags go in the hold, but they fill up in peak season and run late in traffic.

Transport	Journey time	Fare (adult, one way)	Luggage notes
Fuji Excursion limited express	Shinjuku → Kawaguchiko, fastest 1 h 53 min	¥4,200 (¥2,580 fare + ¥1,620 limited express)	No unreserved cars: buy a reserved seat or a "seat-unreserved" ticket; the JR Pass only covers Shinjuku–Otsuki
Highway bus	About 2 hours, depending on traffic	Varies by date and operator	Big bags normally go in the hold; peak-season buses sell out

Fuji Excursion reserved seats also go on sale at 10:00 one month before travel (Fujikyu Railway's official page). Many Kawaguchiko hotels are spread around the lake, so from the station you still need a sightseeing bus or a taxi. With several bags, that last stretch is often more tiring than the train. For sights and local transport around the lake, see our Mt Fuji Travel Guide 2026.

Fuji Excursion limited express (E353 series). Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

Hakone luggage forwarding from your Tokyo hotel: how same-day delivery to your ryokan works

Taking luggage from Tokyo to Hakone or Kawaguchiko is awkward for a few reasons. The Romancecar and Fuji Excursion sell out in peak season and have limited luggage space. After Hakone-Yumoto you still have the mountain train or a bus. Hakone Carry Service only accepts bags at Yumoto Station in the morning and only for partner ryokan, and Kawaguchiko has no equivalent. Ryokan check-in is usually in the afternoon, so even bags that arrive early just sit at the front desk.

LuggAgent sends your bags straight from your Tokyo hotel. When you check out, leave them at the front desk and send us a photo. Then travel with just a day bag and stop in Odawara, Gotemba or Owakudani on the way if you like. Your bags reach your Hakone or Kawaguchiko ryokan's front desk by 21:00 the same day, or by 18:00 with priority delivery, depending on the option you book.

1. On the booking page, choose your Tokyo hotel and your ryokan in Hakone or Kawaguchiko, and pick a pickup time between 09:00 and 11:00; leave your bags at the Tokyo hotel's front desk before that time and send a photo to customer support. You don't need to wait for the driver.
2. Most services need to be booked at least 24–72 hours in advance; the exact cutoff is shown on the booking page. If you're picked up at a homestay or Airbnb, meet the driver in person at the pickup time you chose (09:00–11:00) with your bags; if your bags are delivered to one, send the full address and entry details (door code, key box or building access) by 13:00 local time on the service day, and you don't need to be there.
3. Ryokan dinners are usually served in the early evening. If you want your bags before dinner, choose the 18:00 delivery option.
4. Let your ryokan know that your bags will arrive ahead of you, so the front desk can receive them.

For coverage and delivery times around Mt Fuji and Hakone, see Mt. Fuji & Hakone luggage delivery.

If you're staying in central Tokyo and heading to an onsen ryokan in Hakone, leave your bags at the hotel front desk when you check out and they'll reach your ryokan the same day:

The same works for Lake Kawaguchiko: your bags go from your Tokyo hotel straight to your lakeside stay:

If you want to head to a Hakone onsen straight off the plane, hand your bags over in the Narita arrivals hall and they'll go directly to your ryokan:

Book luggage delivery

FAQ

Can I bring a large suitcase on the Romancecar?

Yes, but it depends on the train. The GSE (70000 series) has a large-luggage space and the EXEα has a suitcase area; on other models the overhead racks won't take a big suitcase. All seats are reserved, the ride from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto takes about 80 minutes, and the limited express ticket costs ¥1,200 for adults.

Can I send my luggage from Hakone-Yumoto Station to my ryokan?

Yes. Hakone Carry Service accepts bags at Hakone-Yumoto Station from 8:30 to 12:00 on the day, and you collect them at your partner ryokan from 15:00. It costs ¥1,500 per normal bag and ¥2,500 per large bag. Only partner ryokan are served, and bags over 200 cm in total dimensions or 30 kg are refused.

Can I send my luggage from my Tokyo hotel straight to my ryokan in Hakone or Kawaguchiko?

Yes. LuggAgent picks up at your Tokyo hotel's front desk: choose a 09:00–11:00 pickup time when booking, leave your bags at the desk before then, and they reach your Hakone or Kawaguchiko ryokan by 21:00 the same day, or by 18:00 with priority delivery. Most services need to be booked at least 24–72 hours in advance; the exact cutoff is shown on the booking page. For pickup from a homestay or Airbnb, meet the driver in person at your chosen 09:00–11:00 pickup time; for delivery to one, send the full address and entry details by 13:00 local time on the service day.

Does the Hakone Freepass include the Romancecar?

No. The 2-day Hakone Freepass from Shinjuku costs ¥7,100 for adults and includes an Odakyu round trip to Odawara plus the Hakone Tozan train, cable car and sightseeing cruise. For the Romancecar you need a separate limited express ticket, ¥1,200 for adults from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto.

Can I use the JR Pass on the Fuji Excursion to Kawaguchiko?

Only for the JR part. The Fuji Excursion runs from Shinjuku via Otsuki to Kawaguchiko, and the Otsuki–Kawaguchiko section belongs to Fujikyu, so JR Pass holders pay extra for it. Without a pass, the full trip from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko costs ¥4,200 for adults.

Cover photo: Charlie fong / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0