Odawara station guide. How to change the train to Hakone.

Mt. Fuji and Hakone
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Odawara is the gateway to the one of most well known Onsen resort, Hakone. If you take JR trains, you have to change the trains to Hakone at this station, Odawara. Odawara station is not a mega terminal station. But there is JR Tokaido line, Shinkansen and Odakyu/Hakone Tozan Railway. It may make you be confused.

In this post, I show you many images of all transfer exit, ticket gates and platforms. You will find how to transfer the train at this station, Odawara.

Station structure, tracks and platforms

Please see the map below.

Odawara station map (click to enlarge)
Odawara station map (click to view large)

You also can get a map at JR East official site (English).

At Odawara station, there are four railway companies, Izu-Hakone Railway Daiyuzan line, JR Tokaido line, Odakyu / Hakone Tozan Railway, and JR Tokaido Shinkansen. Most of you do not need to take Izu-Hakone Railway Daiyuzan line. This railway actually does not go either Hakone and Izu. I explain for other three railways in this post because Izu-Hakone Railway is a commute line for locals.

* Strictly speaking, Odakyu Railway and Hakone Tozan Railway are the different railway companies. However Odakyu Railway is the parent company of Hakone Tozan Railway. And the segment between Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto belongs to Hakone Tozan Raliway. However all trains are operated by Odakyu Railway’s fleets. So you can think Odakyu and Hakone Tozan Railway are the same company.

On the ground floor, there are Tokaido line platforms, Odakyu / Hakone Tozan Railway platforms and Shinkansen exit/ticket gate. Both JR Tokaido line and Odakyu exits/ticket gates are located at the overpass. All exits/ticket gates are connected the overpass. You can find the overpass to be shown by white shade in the station map above.

Only Shinkansen’s platform is located at overhead.

All platforms and tracks of Odawara station are the following:

Track#Lines/TrainsDestination
1,2Izu-Hakone Railway Daiyuzan lineDaiyuzan
3,4JR Tokaido lineAtami, Ito, Numazu
5,6JR Tokaido line
Ueno-Tokyo line
Shonan-Shinjku line
Tokyo, Yokohama, Shinjuku,
Shibuya, Ueno
7,11Odakyu
Hakone Tozan Railway
Hakone-Yumoto, Gora
9,10OdakyuShinjuku
13The Tokaido ShinkansenNagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka
14The Tokaido ShinkansenTokyo, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama

Ticket gate/Exit

As you saw the map above, all railways have one ticket gate/exit. And there is Shinkansen transfer gate between Shinkansen and JR Tokaido line. If you transfer between JR trains and Shinkansen, you can go through this gate. You do not have to exit the gate. Because you can use one same base fare ticket for both JR trains and Shinkansen. If you use JR Pass, you can show your pass to the staff at the gate.

However if you go to Hakone, you have to get on Odakyu/Hakone Tozan Railway. In this case, you have to exit and then enter Odakyu railway platform.

I explain you how to change the trains at Odawara station.

How to transfer from the Shinkansen to Odakyu Railway / Hakone Tozan Railway

You can find all transfer ways in the movie below. I recorded it by myself. You can find the location of lockers and storage service too:

I show you several photos and explain step by step. It is not far and very easy to transfer.

First of all, when you get off Shinkansen just follow the sign to exit and go down the stairs, escalators or elevators.

(C) Odawara Staton JR Tokaido Shinkansen - photo by Araishohei
(C) Odawara Staton JR Tokaido Shinkansen – photo by Araishohei

You will see Shinkansen exit.

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When you exit Shinkansen gate, you will see the concourse.

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You will find the stairs and escalators on your right hand side.

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The view from the downstairs to upstairs.
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The view from the upstairs to downstairs.

Proceed to upstairs and you will find Odakyu and Hakone Tozan Railway’s ticket gate right after you get upstairs.

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How to transfer from JR Tokaido and Shonan Shinjuku line to Odakyu / Hakone Tozan Railway

Go upstairs from the platform and you will find ticket gate. There is a big lentern above.

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Proceed to the left on the concourse.

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And you will get Odakyu / Hakone Tozan Railway’s ticket gate soon.

Odakyu / Hakone Tozan Railway’s Odawara station

Some of you want to purchase the Odakyu Railway’s ticket or Hakone Free Pass. There is Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center just beside Odakyu Railway’s ticket gate. You can purchase these tickets/passes. You can book Odakyu’s limited express “Romancecar” here.

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After you go through ticket gate, you will the signage above.

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And also there are lots of sign of “To Hakone” and “Hakone Tozan Railway”. All you have to do is just following these sign.

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You will find the train that goes to Hakone-Yumoto.

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If you take Romancecar from Odakyu Shinjuku, the train goes to Hakone-Yumoto directly. You don’t need to transfer at Odawara. But if you take local train, you have to transfer to Hakone-Yumoto. There is no direct trains from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto other than Romancecar.

How to transfer from Shinkansen to JR Tokaido and Shonan Shinjuku line

In this case, you don’t need to exit. You may proceed Shinkansen transfer gate.

800px-Odawara_Sta_wicket_for_Tokaido_Line_transfer_only
800px-Odawara_Sta_wicket_for_Shinkansen_transfer_only

And you will go through connection path and get in the station of Tokaido / Shonan-Shijuku line station.

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It’s shown by Orange shade in the station map above.

Connection time

If you just transfer the trains, you can make it in 10 minutes. However if you need to purchase a ticket or pass, you have to add 10 more minutes at least. In the peak season, Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center is busy. It may take 15 minutes there. So give yourself a plenty of time.

Comments

  1. HY says:

    Hi Takeshi-san! Thank you for always replying to our queries, making our trips enjoyable!

    Can I just double check if the Tozan Rail from Odawara to Hakone Yumoto is still working? Plan to take the Romance Car to Odawara, visit Odawara Castle, then go to our hotel at Hakone Yumoto.

  2. Stephen says:

    Hi,

    Can I buy Hakone Free Pass from the vending machines at Odawara station, and do you know how late the ticket office is open? I am trying to plan going from Hakodate to Hakone, and one of the possible train schedules says I wouldn’t arrive at Odawara until 18:44, and the Sightseeing office closes at 18:00.

    Thanks!

    • Hi Stephen,

      I’m pretty sure tha you can buy Hakone Free Pass at the vending machine. But I don’t know that the vending machine is multilingual or not. If you cannot find how to buy it, you may ask a station staff. I think they can show you how to get it if the vending machine is not multilingual.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  3. Sherry says:

    If I go to Odawara Station with the JR Pass and buy the Hakone Free Pass there, would I be covered to take the bus to Hakone Yumoto and beyond?

  4. Jana says:

    Dear Takeshi san,
    just to be sure: Hakonetozan Line is covered by the JR Pass, right?
    Cheers,
    Jana

  5. Paul says:

    Are there lockers in the train station to leave larger bags for a few hours while going to Hakone?

  6. Anne says:

    Dear Takeshi san,
    I am holding a JR pass and will going to Hakone from Nagoya. I know i need to transfer at odawara station to hakone. I plan to reach Hakone before noon and stay overnight. My question is since i am not going from shinjuku, is it still worth it to buy the hakone 2 days free pass for sightseeing?
    Regards

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