[jasonbvr]

Well, how long will you be here? Do you have an international driver's license? If no, in the US you can get one from AAA for ten bucks. Car rentals for like the weekend are a couple hundred dollars. The JR bus lines are good if you figure out how to navigate them. Then there is always the rail system. Depending on how long you will be here and how much you plan to travel, the rail pass may ge a good option for you. One more thing to consider when driving, toll roads can become costly if you are on them a lot. Sometimes, a trip by shinkansen and connecting bus comes close to the same in cost and time spent traveling by vehicle.