Travel by car during Golden Week (ugh!)

[freddyfreeway]

Sorry this isn't exactly a financial related topic, but for vfr, my wife and I will need to travel by car between Kagoshima and Hiroshima right during the thickest part of Golden Week...

We both know all too well that we're in for all sorts of unpleasantness.

I'm looking for unexpected surprisingly good advice or tips if there are any to be had? For instance, am I right to think that driving at 5am will somehow be reasonable or is that a dead wrong thought to have? Or whatever else?

TIA

[beanhead]

Leaving early to avoid the rush is often suggested.
The only problem is that every bugger does the same thing...

Take lots of drinks and snacks to keep going during the inevitable jams. Use the service areas as well to break it up and reduce the stress.

Good luck!

(I still have bad memories of a Tokyo to Karuizawa trip years ago in GW. Hours and hours spent in traffic with small kids.)

[Wilbur]

Just a heads up. On May 4th the American Air force Base in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, has an air show. This adds a lot of congestion around the Iwakuni highway exits early morning and late afternoon on that day. I think a lot of people attending this event are coming from the Hiroshima area, so it might even affect those exits too.

I would recommend packing your own meals for the drive. The service areas can be so busy and long waits. Probably not a bad idea to get your car serviced before such a long trip a few days in advance.

[captainspoke]

How about drive to Beppu, ferry to Matsuyama, and ferry from there to Hiroshima?