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

Mt. Fuji and Hakone
2014.04.30
Hakone 075

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 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

You will see Shinkansen exit.

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

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

The view from the downstairs to upstairs.
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.

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.

Proceed to the left on the concourse.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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. Erick says:
    January 4, 2019 at 1:43 am

    Hi can I buy the shinkansen ticket from odawara station to tokyo (tokaido line) in odawara station? or I have to book online? how much price different for grean reserved seat?

  2. jieling says:
    January 1, 2019 at 7:41 pm

    Hi,
    I am holding JR pass, from shinjuku, can i go to odawara station by using the JR pass?thanks

  3. Random Guy says:
    December 4, 2018 at 8:50 am

    I would like to ask if I get to the Odawara station around 7 PM (19.00), how can I buy Hakone free pass? I know at that time the counter would be close already. Can I but it on the vending machine at Odawara station?

  4. Hanna says:
    October 15, 2018 at 3:56 pm

    I would like to go from Odawara to Ueno (Tokio) by lokal train. I found on Hyperdia connection JR Tokaido Line+ JR Utsunomiya line for Koga at 9.00am. Price is 1490Y. Are vending machines in Odawara St.in English too? I am stressed. What should I expect on display – Odawara -Tokio or Odawara – Ueno or Odawara -Koga? Can I take earlier or later train too for the same ticket?

    • Takeshi Shimomura, Author of JPRail.com
      Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      October 15, 2018 at 5:34 pm

      Hi Hanna,

      Most of the vending machines shows in English. You can see the big display route map above the vending machine. You can find “Ueno” in the map and it shows the fare too. When you purchase a ticket at the vending machine, you can choose “1490 yen”. It does not show any station name. You can use this ticket any time on the day of purchase. Of course you can take later train. As long as you travel on the day of purchase, it’s valid for any local train.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  5. mylittlefootsteps
    Katty Chia says:
    October 5, 2018 at 1:24 am

    Hi Takeshi

    I will travel from Narita Airport – Hakone/Mt Fuji – Kyoto – Osaka and back to Tokyo within 7 days using JR Pass. How should I go about transferring in between the cities?

    Thank you for your advice.

  6. Yee Wen says:
    August 26, 2018 at 7:07 am

    Hello Takashi,
    1. Does Fuji Hakone Pass cover eg from Miyanoshita to Hakone Itabashi or vice versa by train or bus?
    2. In the event we are not paying for romance car, Fuji Hakone Pass does cover from Hakone to Shinjuku?
    3. Can we but Fuji Hakone Pass from Narita Airport?
    Thank you

    • Takeshi Shimomura, Author of JPRail.com
      Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      August 26, 2018 at 8:15 am

      Hi Yee Wen,

      1. Yes, it does. You can take trains.

      2. You can get Shinjuku by ordinary train. But there is no direct trains to Shinjuku from Hakone. You must change trains at Odawara.

      3. No. You have to purchase it at Shinjuku.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  7. Claire D.
    Claire says:
    July 12, 2018 at 9:03 pm

    Hi,
    Thank you for this article! My question is: I will stay in Odawara for one night, I will take JR shinkansen from Tokyo to Odawara station, with JR Pass. If I purchase Hakone Free Pass, will Hakone Free Pass cover my fee to travel from Odawara Station to Hakone-Yumoto Station (round trip)? Thank you very much.

    Claire

  8. Peter Lee says:
    June 29, 2018 at 4:47 am

    Hi Takeshi,
    We are in Shinagawa with a JR rail pass. Can you please let us know how we can get to Hostel Fujisan You, address 403-0005 Yamanashi, Fujiyoshida, 1-9-12 Kamiyoshida, Fujiyoshida city, Japan using our JR rail pass ? Thank you.

  9. TANIA WALSH says:
    June 5, 2018 at 8:19 am

    hi
    we are travelling from kyoto to Hakone via odawara on the JR
    . Which is the best way to get to Hakone from odawara and can we use our JR passes ?

    Thanks

    tania

  10. timmytim826
    timmy says:
    May 23, 2018 at 7:16 pm

    Hi,
    Me and my buddy will be in Yokohama in November. We planning to get to Hakone from Yokohama then take a train to Odawa Station. Can you share with me what is the price if I use limited express Romancecar from there, should I book earlier or just walk in to the counter?

    Thank you for your advice. 🙂

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