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Small Steps JapanJapan with kids
Trains & railways

Odakyu Romancecar front-row limited express (Shinjuku to Hakone/Odawara)

小田急ロマンスカー

Departs Shinjuku · near Shinjuku Station (Odakyu)

Odakyu's Romancecar limited-express trains (notably the GSE 70000) have observation seating right at the very front and rear, below the driver who sits up top, giving a panoramic head-of-train view toward Hakone.

Why children love it: The coveted front-row seats put children behind a huge windscreen watching the track rush toward them all the way to Hakone or Odawara.

Honest drawbacks: Front seats are limited and must be reserved in advance (they sell out fast); a limited-express surcharge applies on top of the fare; not every Romancecar service has the panoramic front car.

Best for
Toddlers (2–4), Primary (5–11), Teens (12–17)
Time to allow
2h
Booking
Reserve ahead
English
★★★★
Indoor / weather
indoor · rainy-day ok
Confidence
Well-corroborated

Getting there: Day trip from central Tokyo (~85 min each way). Area: Departs Shinjuku.

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Editor’s note: Reconfirm volatile details (hours, price, closed days) on the official source before launch. Out-of-Tokyo day trip — kept in the catalogue but not auto-scheduled into a Tokyo day.