It’s easy to take the Shinkansen or a limited express train when travelling between Toyama and Niigata, but we decided to take local trains. I think we probably got to see a lot more and definitely spent a lot less money. Of course travelling by local trains in Japan takes a lot, lot longer! We took four trains and about six hours to make the journey to Niigata.
Toyama to Tomari – train 1
Tomari to Naoetsu – Train two
Naoetsu to Nagaoka – Train three
Nagaoka to Niigata – Train four
Sorry, no photo!:)
Comment
Wise choice (local trains)… we travelled from Niigata prefecture to Nagano prefecture, mainly by Shinkansen and hardly saw anything .. mostly in tunnels
The Shinkansen is fun and practical if you are in a hurry. Local trains are quite a different experience and much cheaper, but you do need more time. I like travelling in Japan because you have reliable, quality, transport options.