Traveling from Tokyo to Hakone by Train JR Pass Japan Travel

What's the fastest way to travel from Tokyo to Hakone? Definitely by Odakyu Romance Car, which by the way is not included in the JR Rail Pass. It's the fastest option in year 2015-2016 only 85 minutes or so. 

The best way to book Odakyu Romance car is to book on its English website or through a window at the Shinjuku Tokyo JR station. Please do this days before. Tickets do sell out. Hakone is a popular destination among locals.

each ticket costs less than 1800 yen, so it's not a bad one to buy out of pocket even if you are a JR Pass holder. 

The JR train does not offer non stop train to the Hakone Yumoto station.

Odakyu Romance Car is the only non-stop express service from Tokyo to Hakone. The fastest route is from Shinjuku station to Hakone Yumoto station. 

Even with a ticket you may still have to beep in with a JR suica IC card at the entrance of Shinjuku. The confirmation booking is literally just a text based email with no confirmation number, only assigned seating. The Japanese take these seating a very seriously. Do not switch seats even if there are empty seats around you. People get on and off in different parts of the route. The Japanese keeps very good track of this and will enforce seating.

東京 Tokyo 

新宿駅 Shinjuku station

箱根湯本駅 Hakone Yumoto station

小田急ロマンスカー