Getting around in Chugoku

Moving around Chugoku comes down to a few connected choices: how to reach Hiroshima from Kansai, how to get from the city to the island shrine, and whether a regional rail pass pays for itself on the San'in coast.

If you are based in Kyoto or Osaka, the Hiroshima day trip guide weighs a Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass against buying a return Shinkansen fare. Once you are in Hiroshima, Hiroshima to Miyajima sets the JR train and ferry against the flat-fare tram and the boat from the Peace Park, and notes the visitor tax on the island.

For the north side of the region, the Matsue and Izumo rail pass guide explains which JR West passes are still sold and which suits a trip to those towns, since an older pass for the area is no longer listed.