Sep–NovThe Shinkansen gets you to Awara-Onsen and Fukui in under three hours from Tokyo. For Tōjinbō, Mikuni, Eiheiji and the Dinosaur Museum you switch to the Echizen Railway and Keifuku buses, which no JR pass covers.
Two things trip visitors up. 1. The last mile to the sights is Echizen Railway and Keifuku Bus, which JR passes do not cover. 2. The old JR Hokuriku Line is now Hapi-Line Fukui, a third-sector railway covered by JR passes only between Echizen-Hanandō and Fukui.
Regular-season fares. Not every Kagayaki stops at Awara-Onsen.
| Route | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo → Fukui | 2h 49m (Kagayaki) | ¥16,030 reserved |
| Tokyo → Awara-Onsen | 2h 51m (Kagayaki) | ¥15,810 reserved |
| Kanazawa → Fukui | about 25m | ¥3,210 unreserved |
| Tsuruga → Fukui | about 20m | ¥2,730 unreserved |
| Fukui → Awara-Onsen | about 8m (Shinkansen) | ¥1,210 |
| Fukui → Awara-Onsen | about 20m (Hapi-Line) | ¥380 |
| Osaka → Fukui | 1h 50m–2h (Thunderbird + Shinkansen at Tsuruga) | ¥7,290 |
The Thunderbird is all-reserved and terminates at Tsuruga; change upstairs to the Shinkansen (allow 8–10 minutes).
| To | For | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eiheiji-guchi | Bus to Eiheiji | 25m | ¥490 |
| Awara-yunomachi | Awara Onsen ryokan | 41m | ¥730 |
| Mikuni | Mikuni-minato old town, Homachi | 47m | ¥780 |
| Katsuyama | Bus to the Dinosaur Museum | 54m | ¥820 |
Friendly attendants on many trains sell tickets and help visitors. IC cards accepted.
| Route | From → To | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tōjinbō Line 85/97 | Awara-Onsen Station → Tōjinbō | about 40m | ¥790 |
| Tōjinbō Line 84/96 | Mikuni Station → Tōjinbō | about 12m | |
| Eiheiji Liner | Fukui Station East → Eiheiji | about 30m | ¥750 (¥1,000 from 1 Oct 2026) |
| Line 86 | Awara-Onsen → Maruoka Castle → Eiheiji | 18m to Maruoka |
There is no direct Keifuku bus from Fukui Station to Tōjinbō.
| Pass | Price | Covers | Does not cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hokuriku Arch Pass | ¥35,000 / 7 days | Shinkansen Tokyo–Tsuruga, Thunderbird, JR Kuzuryū Line | Echizen Railway, Keifuku Bus, most of Hapi-Line |
| Japan Rail Pass | ¥53,000 / 7 days prebooked (¥50,000 at a JR station in Japan) | Shinkansen, Thunderbird, JR lines | Echizen Railway, Keifuku Bus, Hapi-Line |
| Echizen Railway 1-Day | ¥1,200 | All Echizen Railway lines, weekends and holidays | |
| Dinosaur Museum set | ¥1,700 | Echizen Railway day + Katsuyama buses | Museum entry |
| Tōjinbō 2-day Free Pass | ¥1,500 | Keifuku Tōjinbō area routes | |
| Eiheiji, Maruoka, Tōjinbō 2-day | ¥2,600 from 1 Oct 2026 | Keifuku routes incl. Eiheiji Liner |
Tokyo to Fukui plus the Thunderbird to Kyoto and Osaka. Pays off on a Tokyo–Hokuriku–Kansai loop.
Buy the Arch Pass ↗Only worth it if you are also touring well beyond Hokuriku and Kansai. Prebooked, it costs ¥53,000, and sellers such as Klook post it to your home, so it is in hand before you fly. The official price is ¥50,000, but you buy it at a major JR station in Japan, where the queues can be long.
Buy the JR Pass ↗A car links Tōjinbō, Eiheiji and the Dinosaur Museum in a day or two. Fukui to Eiheiji 30 min; Awara-Onsen to Tōjinbō 25 min.
Compare car hire ↗2h 49m on the fastest Kagayaki (¥16,030 reserved, ¥15,500 unreserved). Hakutaka takes about 30 minutes longer.
No. Neither the JR Pass nor the Hokuriku Arch Pass covers Echizen Railway, Keifuku buses or most of Hapi-Line Fukui. The Echizen Railway weekend day ticket costs ¥1,200.
Take the Thunderbird to Tsuruga and change to the Shinkansen (upstairs, allow 8–10 minutes). Osaka to Fukui takes 1h 50m to 2h (¥7,290).
The former JR Hokuriku Line through Fukui, run by a third-sector company since March 2024. It is a cheap local alternative (Fukui to Awara-Onsen ¥380), but JR passes cover it only between Echizen-Hanandō and Fukui.
International hotel two minutes from the Shinkansen gates and the robot dinosaurs. Echizen Railway to Mikuni, Eiheiji and Katsuyama leaves from next door.
Japanese-style hotel with natural hot-spring baths, opened February 2026. Tatami corridors, late-night noodles, easy walk to the station.
Sixteen suites in nine restored Edo and Meiji townhouses, with French dinner overseen by a Michelin-starred chef. Free shuttle from Awara-Onsen Station.