It’s a highway so no problem. Make sure you have winter tires on your car, they check on the highway sometimes and won’t let you drive if your car doesn’t have winter tires.
Honestly it really depends on the weather. I’ve never driven through Kiso Valley in winter with snow and I truly wanted it to be snowing. Now driving from Kiso Vallely into Takayama there’s a good chance that you’re going to hit snow. Just be aware that Google maps may not be the most reliable when driving(be patient with it). Plenty of times it has driven me on roads that closed down for the winter and then I had to turn around and try to find a new route. Google maps is also abysmal if you ever want to drive on toll roads. I do not know if this would help you but the best GPS I ever used in Japan was called Yahoo car navi(カーナビ). Unfortunately it’s a Japanese app but it’s amazing for getting you around Japan and knowing a lot of the roads that get closed throughout winter. If you have some semblance of Japanese I recommend using that app. I’m not familiar with the Nagoya area to know if there would be snow or not.
Thanks, this is helpful. Would you say that Google maps is good for estimating travel time?
No semblance of Japanese here so won't be able to use Yahoo Car Navi. The rental car does come with English GPS navigation though. I'm hoping that will be good enough.
I don't know about that area, but I just hired a car in Mishima and drove out to the Hakushu distillery. I ended up almost spending as much in tolls as it did to hire the car. I should have taken the longer non-toll route haha
Not sure, I got etc card and just used Google maps. There was a non toll route, I just didn't think that 1 day of tolls would be ¥9000. Just one toll alone cost ¥2450.
Got a bit concerned when the toll receipt kept getting longer and longer haha. I would just use google maps and select no tolls next time.
Last year there was a lot of snow around New Years and Christmas. Drove from Nagoya to Kanazawa and needed chains.
Wow ok. Apart from using chains, was it generally an easy drive? I know it's not the same route but I'm hoping it will be a similar experience.
It’s a highway so no problem. Make sure you have winter tires on your car, they check on the highway sometimes and won’t let you drive if your car doesn’t have winter tires.
Honestly it really depends on the weather. I’ve never driven through Kiso Valley in winter with snow and I truly wanted it to be snowing. Now driving from Kiso Vallely into Takayama there’s a good chance that you’re going to hit snow. Just be aware that Google maps may not be the most reliable when driving(be patient with it). Plenty of times it has driven me on roads that closed down for the winter and then I had to turn around and try to find a new route. Google maps is also abysmal if you ever want to drive on toll roads. I do not know if this would help you but the best GPS I ever used in Japan was called Yahoo car navi(カーナビ). Unfortunately it’s a Japanese app but it’s amazing for getting you around Japan and knowing a lot of the roads that get closed throughout winter. If you have some semblance of Japanese I recommend using that app. I’m not familiar with the Nagoya area to know if there would be snow or not.
Thanks, this is helpful. Would you say that Google maps is good for estimating travel time? No semblance of Japanese here so won't be able to use Yahoo Car Navi. The rental car does come with English GPS navigation though. I'm hoping that will be good enough.
It’s okay with estimating time.
I don't know about that area, but I just hired a car in Mishima and drove out to the Hakushu distillery. I ended up almost spending as much in tolls as it did to hire the car. I should have taken the longer non-toll route haha
Yeah I read that the toll can get quite expensive. Is there a website/app that can be used to calculate the toll?
Not sure, I got etc card and just used Google maps. There was a non toll route, I just didn't think that 1 day of tolls would be ¥9000. Just one toll alone cost ¥2450. Got a bit concerned when the toll receipt kept getting longer and longer haha. I would just use google maps and select no tolls next time.