Starting just before Kofu and ending at Okaya, you may have chance to see Mt.Fuji mostly on the left side of the train.

The mountain range you see on your right after passing Nirasaki is called Yatsugatake. At this time, you can see the Minami (Southern) Alps on your left.

Between Kobuchizawa and Chino, you can see the beautiful Yatsugatake mountains on your right.

After Kamisuwa, you may see Lake Suwa on your left. On clear winter days you may be fortunate enough to see Mt.Fuji over the lake.

After passing a long tunnel, you will enter the Matsumoto Basin. The mountain on your right include Utsukushigahara Kogen. On your far left, you can see the Kita (Northern) Alps.

When you see many ALPICO-colored buses in a depot, Matsumoto station is very close.

After passing Nakatsugawa, the train follows a narrow valley of Kiso River along which small villages settle.The largest village is Kisofukushima. The train route is winding, with many tunnels.

When train speeds up in vinyards, Shiojiri is close.

After leaving Matsumoto, you see Kita Alps mountains on your left.

When you see the open plain on your right, then Shinonoi is 10 min. away. If you are going for Komoro or Karuizawa, this is the place you change to Shinano Tetsudo line.

This line goes between mountains discharging passengers for Myoko and Kurohime ski areas. This train further goes to Naoetsu at Japan Sea.

This line is often disturbed by heavy snow falls.

This line is likely to be abondoned once Shinkansen extends its way from Nagano up north to Japan Sea in a few years.

If you are going to Karuizawa from Matsumoto (or Nagoya), you may go to Nagano and change to the Shinkansen to Karuizawa. This is expensive but time saving.

If you are going from Tokyo to Matsumoto but missed the last Azusa (from Shinjuku), you can sitll get to Matsumoto taking Shinkansen to Nagano. The last local train for Nagano waits you at Nagano.

At Kobuchizawa, the Koumi Line separates from the main line. The Koumi line is the train line that operates in the highest altitude in Japan.

This line is very scenic and the chance of viewing Mt. Fuji is high.

At Komoro, you can transfer for the Shinano Tetsudo line.
At Sakudaira, you can transfer for the Shinkansen.

Some Azusa express trains go beyond Matsumoto on the Oito Line. In some cases, one part of the train remains in Matsumoto, and the other part continues on you will have enough time to move to the right part of the train. One portion is left behind in Matsumoto. You may have time to move to right portion of the train here.

After leaving Matsumoto, you can see Kita (Northern) Alps.
Shinano Omachi is the station you get off for Kurobe Dam (Alpen Route).

Iiyama line separates from the main line at Toyono and runs along the Chikuma River.

At Togari-Nozawaonsen station, you can catch the buses heading for Nozawa Onsen. Nozawa Onsen is famous for its world renown ski slopes and hot springs.

After leaving Okaya, the train stops at Tatsuno. Shuttle trains run between Tatsuno and Shiojiri.

After Tatsuno, this line goes down to Toyohashi near the Pacific Coast. There are surprising number of stations en route and the journey is quite long.
If your destination is one of the cities in Ina Valley, then highway buses are recommended.

Shinano Tetsudo is a private railway company. It runs between Nagano and Karuizawa. though Their trains use the same track with between Nagano and　Shinonoi.

All though Shinano Tetsudo is a separate company from JR, there is no need to buy 2 different tickets for the trip. JR and Sninano Tetsudo's tickets are sold as one, and it can be purchased from the JR ticket machines in Nagano station.