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Help Fukuoka to Osaka

Aerizon

Warming-Up
Oct 3, 2010
2
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Hello! :)
I'm not from Tokyo so I apologise in advance...

I'm thinking about cycling to Fukuoka to Osaka in 10 days. This is my first time so I have no idea what I'm doing... Would really appreciate some advice!

First off, I have quite a bit of luggage and I was hoping to send it by takuhaibin to Osaka... However, they only keep luggage for a maximum of 7 days and there is no way I can reach Osaka in a week. Would anyone know of any other options?

If anyone has done Fukuoka to Osaka etc, I would appreciate some input. I'm planning to go to Hiroshima and then the inland sea route to Tokushima. After crossing the island, I would take the ferry to Nara and then ride north to Osaka. The mainland route seems pretty scenic too so I don't quite know which is better. I would really prefer to experience the countryside so if anyone has some ideas that would be awesome.

Oh and if anybody's lived in Fukuoka before, I would love to know of any good cycling routes. It's only just getting warmer so I've only gone up aburayama a few times this year...

Thanks in advance for any advice! :)
 
Hello! :)
I'm not from Tokyo so I apologise in advance...

I'm thinking about cycling to Fukuoka to Osaka in 10 days. This is my first time so I have no idea what I'm doing... Would really appreciate some advice!

First off, I have quite a bit of luggage and I was hoping to send it by takuhaibin to Osaka... However, they only keep luggage for a maximum of 7 days and there is no way I can reach Osaka in a week. Would anyone know of any other options?

If anyone has done Fukuoka to Osaka etc, I would appreciate some input. I'm planning to go to Hiroshima and then the inland sea route to Tokushima. After crossing the island, I would take the ferry to Nara and then ride north to Osaka. The mainland route seems pretty scenic too so I don't quite know which is better. I would really prefer to experience the countryside so if anyone has some ideas that would be awesome.

Oh and if anybody's lived in Fukuoka before, I would love to know of any good cycling routes. It's only just getting warmer so I've only gone up aburayama a few times this year...

Thanks in advance for any advice! :)

1st, welcome to TCC :)

I do not know any routes, but about your luggage, could you have someone send it a few days before you arrive in Osaka?

Maybe if you take it to the Takyubin pick up area, you can ask them to send it on a certain date, so it will arrive at your destination just before you get there?

Cheers!
 
During "Golden Week" in 2006, (one year after the Tokyo to Kyoto ride), I rode from Kyoto to Shimonoseki (580km) in four days. This is basically going in the opposite direction of the trip you're planning.

Day 1: Kyoto - Himeji; 130km
Day 2: Himeji - Fukuyama; 145km
Day 3: Fukuyama - Iwakuni; 150km
Day 4: Iwakuni - Shimonoseki; 155km

I pretty much stuck to the main road, Rte.2, almost the entire way, except for when I couldn't get on certain by-passes, or didn't want to because of particularly long tunnels. If you want to take the scenic route and see some of the countryside, I would recommend taking the coastal road - It's a little bit longer, but there probably won't be as much traffic; plus, there are more options for small towns to stay in, compared to Rte.2.

If you can, on your first day, you should be able to make it from Fukuoka to Shimonoseki fairly easily. There are really only two roads you can take - Rte.3, which is quite flat, but heavily trafficked and a little narrow (from memory). Or, Rte.495, which follows the coast - I have never been on this road, so I can't tell you what it's like; hopefully some Fukuoka residents out there can help you. Once you get to Kokura, or a little bit further, to "Mojiko", you can catch the ferry across to the main island (Honshu) - I was able to leave my bike intact for the trip. There weren't many other passengers, so I just rolled my bike out onto the back deck.

Once you leave Shimonoseki (on day two?), the road is flat, and heads almost directly north for nearly 20km until it crosses "Koyagawa" river, where the road bends to the east. From there you can choose Rte.190, which follows the coast - Once again, I haven't been on this road, so I can't really say for certain how nice it is, but even with cursory glance at Google Maps, there are quite a few large-ish towns where you could probably find accommodation easily enough - Hofu, Tokuyama, Kudamatsu, Hikari, etc.

Depending on your speed, and the route you take, you could probably make it to Hiroshima by the end of day 3 or 4. The inland road, Rte.2, should you decide to take that instead, is a little hilly but not too bad, whereas coastal roads are a bit of a mixed bag. That should put you in roughly the right place to catch the ferry to Shikoku.

That's as much as I can tell you from this side.
I hope this helps! Travis
 
I've done most of it

I'd recommend going in reverse if feasible (Oosaka to Fukuoka). Do the Shimanami Kaidou from south to north so the sun isn't in your eyes. The coastal road from there to Hiroshima is nice and you'll be on the ocean side of the road which is usually better than the inland side. Use the tunnel from Shimonoseki to Moji.
 
Thanks!! I might not go to Tokushima, after all. I've asked quite a few locals and apparently there's nothing much to see.

Kuroneko (the takuhaibin company) can only hold luggage for 7 days maximum, but I talked the dormitory in Osaka into looking after my luggage for 3 days. Yay for japanese hospitality!

When you guys stayed in hotels, did you leave your bikes outside or keep them in the room? I know Japan's pretty safe and all though...

Oh, and does anyone know of any places that are a 'must see' in between Fukuoka and Osaka? I wouldn't mind taking a detour..

Again, thanks so much!
 
I've not done any touring in Japan on a bicycle, but I'd say it would really be a case by case thing if they would let you keep your bike in the room.

I'm sure they would be concerned about damage to the room, walls dinged etc, real or not that would concern them. Will you be taking a bike transport bag with you? If so, I'm sure if you went through the trouble of putting it in the bag, you would be able to keep it in your room, but maybe the better option would be to ask the hotel for somewhere, like a store room or such, that you could lock your bike up in over night...?

I'd not expect to be able to just bring your bike into your room, but I could be wrong.

Cheers!
 
When you guys stayed in hotels, did you leave your bikes outside or keep them in the room?
I've done plenty of this. So long as it's not a surprise, i.e., they know you're coming with a (valuable) bike and 'it would be a tremendous help if there were somewhere safe to store it', most places will be as accommodating as possible.

As Stu suggests, you could put it in a bike bag. Definitely wipe down the tyres in the genkan before wheeling it inside if you're invited to do so.

I've been parked in outhouses, 300-year-old kura, the hostel's minivan, a temple gate, a penny arcade, a ski-tuning workshop, and all sorts. Other times it has to be locked up outside... even in the rain. Que sera sera.
 
It depends. On my last trip I stayed in a hotel in Tokushima witha nice-ish lobby, checked in with the bike outside, got the bike, shouldered it to carry it into my room, the staff started calling out "Uh, can we store that for you somewhere?" to which I answered, " nah, I'm good. See, I'm carrying it so it won't touch anything. Thank you so much for your offer but I don't need your help." by which point I'd made it into the elevator and gave them my most winning smile as the doors closed.

Speaking Japanese helps.

Otherwise places have generally been accommodating with letting me keep the bike in the lobby or somewhere safe. Call your bike a "road racer" so they know what you're talking about. Calling ahead is a good idea but then again, sometimes begging forgiveness is easier than asking permission.

If you bike isn't super shiny/expensive looking a small lock is probably going to keep it safe.

Personally, I'd never plan my lodging ahead of time again for a long trip as there are many Minshuku that are not listed online but that depends a lot on your Japanese and tolerance for flexibility. If you do book ahead, it can mean needing to cover ground in the dark/night (I missed almost all of Nara Ken this way) or needing to take the train when weather turns bad (snow storm, typhoon).

Pack a head light. Have fun!
 
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