Getting Around Kusatsu
Kusatsu is a compact hot spring resort town, and getting around it is refreshingly simple. There is no train station in town, so visitors arrive by bus or car and then explore on foot or by local bus. The town centre is hilly, but most of the main sights are within walking distance of each other.
Arriving by Rail
Kusatsu does not have its own train station. The nearest station is Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station on the JR Agatsuma Line, and from there you continue by connecting bus. The limited express Kusatsu runs from Ueno Station in Tokyo, and a connecting bus meets it for the final leg into town. At other times of day, you can take the Shinkansen to Takasaki and transfer to local services, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Karuizawa and arrange further transport from there, or use local trains with a couple of transfers. Whichever rail route you choose, the last stretch into Kusatsu is by road.
Arriving by Bus
The most direct option is the Jōshu Yūmeguri bus, operated by JR, which runs several times a day (roughly hourly) from the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal in Tokyo to the Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal. It takes around four hours, and you pay less if you buy your ticket in advance rather than on board. Buses also connect Kusatsu with Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi and with Karuizawa, linking the town to the rail lines.
Getting Around Town
Within Kusatsu, the main ways to move around are bus and car. A town loop bus connects most of the major sights and the large hotels, and it is inexpensive to ride. Because the town is small, most sights in the centre can be explored on foot despite the hills.
- Town loop bus: A cheap, convenient way to reach the major sights and big hotels around town.
- Walking: The town centre is compact and largely walkable, though hilly.
- Hotel shuttles: Many hotels run free shuttles between the bus station or the yubatake area and their own premises.
- Ski area bus: A bus line runs from the bus terminal to connect with the ski area.
Practical Tips
- Buy your Tokyo–Kusatsu expressway bus ticket in advance to pay the lower fare.
- If you arrive by rail, plan on a connecting bus for the final leg, since no train reaches Kusatsu itself.
- Ask your hotel about its shuttle, as many offer free pickup from the bus station or yubatake area.
- Once in the centre, expect to cover most sights on foot, but keep the loop bus in mind for hilly stretches or for reaching outlying hotels.