Accommodations where you can stay without exiting the expressway
There is an accommodation facility located at a service area on the Meishin Expressway, right next to Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture.
It is called “Rest Inn Taga.”
It is a popular hidden gem often used by truck drivers and travelers on long-distance road trips.
Rest Inn Taga is accessible from both the inbound and outbound sides of the Taga Service Area on the Meishin Expressway.
Although the number of rooms is limited, the facility features a large communal bath—a welcome treat for a body weary from driving.
I was on a long-distance road trip and needed to cover more ground and save time, so after looking into various options and discovering I could stay at a service area, I booked a room right away.
You can also use the facilities at the service area.
It was after 1pm when we arrived at SA Taga.
Rest Inn Taga is on the downhill side.
You can park your car in the SA parking lot, but there is a dedicated parking lot next to the Rest Inn Taga building.
Here is what the facilities at the SA Taga (outbound) service area look like; there is quite a variety of options, including Gyoza no Ohsho, Starbucks, and Lotteria.
Check-in isn’t until 3:00 PM, so I couldn’t enter the hotel yet; however, since this is a service area, I was able to make use of the various shops and restaurants there.
I decided to explore the service area by heading over to the section for the inbound lanes.
To reach the inbound side, I crossed a walkway that spans the highway.
Travelers arriving from the inbound direction and staying at Rest Inn Taga cross this bridge to reach the outbound Service Area.
Although it is safe thanks to the high walls, the thought of vehicles speeding underneath can be a bit frightening; at the same time, walking over a highway is a rare experience, which makes it exciting.
I’ll get off the expressway and stroll around the area.
I had a little spare time, so I took a walk around the neighborhood.
If you follow the path between the buildings at the inbound service area, you can reach the local public roads.
It was a bit of a walk, but after following the local road alongside the expressway and passing through a tunnel to reach the opposite side (the outbound lane side), I found a shrine.
It seems there used to be a footpath accessible from the downhill side, but it was closed off when I visited, so I had to take a long detour.
Finally checked into Rest Inn Taga.
I was able to check into the hotel just after 3:00 PM.
Single rooms are more popular; although I was traveling alone, they were already fully booked.
I booked a twin room instead.
It is fully equipped with all the standard amenities found in a typical business hotel.
The bedside area is simple, but there is a nearby power outlet, which seems convenient for things like charging a mobile phone.
The bathroom is just like that of a standard business hotel—or perhaps slightly more spacious.
There is no bathtub or shower in the room itself.
That said, it’s not an issue since there is a large communal bath.
Looking out the window, you see the parking lot of a service area—a rather peculiar sight.
It reminds me that I am at a service area.
I’ll use the large public bath before it gets crowded.
Rest Inn Taga has around 25 guest rooms in total.
The first floor houses Service Area facilities, such as a convenience store, while the guest rooms are located on the second floor.
I didn’t take any photos, but there is one large communal bath for men and one for women.
This image is taken from the website, but the baths are spacious enough for a good soak.
レストイン多賀HPより出典
The public bath can be used by non-guests, so we got there early before it got crowded.
In fact, I looked in there again at night, and it was pretty crowded, so I made the right decision to get there early.
When using this Rest Inn Taga other than staying overnight, there seem to be two patterns.
1. Use of the large public bath only
You can use just the large public bath for 600 yen. Towel rentals are available, so it is convenient that you can visit empty-handed.
The facility is open from 12:00 PM until 10:00 AM the following morning, and the sauna is available starting in the evening.
The fee is 650 yen for adults and 350 yen for children for a one-hour session.
Bath towels are available for rent at 100 yen, and face towels are sold for 250 yen.
2. Use the large public bath and relaxation area
You can use the relaxation room next to the large public bath for a total of up to six hours, covering both bathing and resting time.
The cost is 950 yen for adults and 500 yen for children.
Rather than driving while tired, I felt it was a sensible choice—especially from a safety perspective—to go ahead and take a bath and a quick nap here before hitting the road again.
Introducing other facilities at the outbound service area as well.
If you look at the map of the Taga Service Area (outbound) shown earlier, you will see that Rest Inn Taga is located in the South Building.
Over in the North Building, there are shower and coin-operated laundry facilities.
The showers cost 300 yen for a 10-minute session.
They are generally available 24 hours a day, though cleaning takes place between 6:00 AM and 8:00 AM, so there may be times when they are unavailable.
It looks like there might be a scramble among guests to use the coin laundry, but it is a welcome amenity for travelers on long journeys.
The coin laundry appears to be available 24 hours a day.
It costs 200 yen per wash, and 100 yen for 30 minutes of drying.
Introducing other facilities at the inbound service area as well.
On the inbound side of the Service Area, there appears to be a restaurant called “Omi no Kuni no Odaidokoro” serving Omi beef hamburger steaks, a Starbucks, a food court offering ramen, and a “Noren-gai” area serving sushi.
It seems there used to be an “Ikinari Steak” location as well, but it closed in 2023.
With facilities like a dog run and a gas station also available, it is a Service Area that offers a wide range of amenities.
Impressions of staying at Rest Inn Taga
As someone rushing to cover a long distance by car, being able to stay overnight at a Service Area (SA) was fantastic.
It saved me a significant amount of time since I didn’t have to exit the highway to head to a hotel.
Also, because I spent the night on the expressway, the late-night discount applied to the tolls, making the cost a bit cheaper.
I really appreciated being able to relax my body in the large communal bath, and the convenience of having access to the SA’s restaurants and convenience stores was a big plus.
There were even massage chairs near the convenience store on the outbound side—it was the kind of place where you could easily find yourself lingering too long.
Staying at the SA allowed me to resume driving immediately the next morning, making the rest of my journey go smoothly.
It seems that facilities allowing overnight stays on expressways—like the one at Taga—are gradually increasing in number, so I would definitely like to use them again if the opportunity arises.
The journey continues.
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レストイン多賀 Rest Inn Taga
Address: Inside Taga Service Area (outbound lane) on the Meishin Expressway
Tel：074-948-1233
Check-In：15:00
Check-Out：10:00
Rest Inn Taga Homepage：http://www.greens.co.jp/taga/
