Take China Airlines to Japan’s Shikoku for a 10 day self-drive tour

In the summer of 2024, as family members were busy with working holidays and participating in service learning programs, we planned a family trip for late August—a roughly 10 day self-drive tour in Shikoku, Japan. China Airlines offers four flights weekly to Takamatsu, Shikoku, and we took the Tuesday flight.

One benefit of an afternoon flight is that we didn’t have to wake up early to pack, nor stay up late the previous night. After arriving at Taoyuan Airport around noon, we cleared customs and waited on the first floor for the shuttle bus to take us to the boarding gate to catch flight CI178.

The China Airlines CI178 plane looked very new. Although the interior was a bit compact, the seats and facilities appeared clean, and the screen in front was large with an easy-to-use touch interface. Meal options included a main course of beef or seafood.

By the time we arrived at Takamatsu Airport in Shikoku, Japan, it was already evening. After deboarding, we went to the information desk on the first floor to pick up the “China Airlines Taipei-Takamatsu Round-Trip Voucher,” which included a complimentary round-trip bus ticket from Takamatsu Airport to Kagawa Prefecture. We took this bus to our accommodation for the night.

Once we were seated on the bus headed to downtown Kagawa, we had time to take pictures of the ticket, a collaboration between Kagawa Prefecture’s Tourism Association and China Airlines. You need to apply online in advance to receive this voucher—without the online application, it can’t be redeemed. This service is very convenient for independent travelers. Tonight, we were staying at Toyoko Inn Takamatsu Hyogomachi, where we would get off at Hyogomachi Station.

The remaining two vouchers are also free: one for Ritsurin Garden admission and another for a round-trip ferry ticket from Takamatsu to Shodoshima. Both of these locations are places we plan to visit in the last few days, and the vouchers are valid until March 31, 2025. We couldn’t be happier!

We arrived at the Hyogomachi Station in Takamatsu City in time for dinner. The bus stop is super close to the hotel—just a one-minute walk to Toyoko Inn Takamatsu Hyogomachi. We pushed our luggage into the hotel and checked in.