Korean Job Discussion Forums

[northy]

I'm looking to visit Japan for somewhere in the region of a week in May or June and because I'm using most of my Korean salary to pay off debts back home it has to be a seriously cheap trip. My only stipulation is that I need to spend at least a couple of days in Tokyo.

I'm willing to get there by boat, live in youth hostels, eat meals from convenience stores and basically skimp on all of the things which would inflate the overall cost.

Is this doable?

[kat2]

We did a week in Japan (Busan-fukuoka-kyoto and back to busan) for about 1,600,000 for 2 people. So, yes its doable. We only ate one meal out a day and didn't take a single taxi. We stayed in hostels the whole time. It was a great trip! I really recommend Kyoto.

[bucheon bum]

does the million won include getting to japan or excluding it?

If it doesn't, you will be fine. If it does, it might be a little tight.

[alinkorea]

If you are looking for a seriously cheap trip, I'd say Japan is a bad choice. It's a very expensive place, you'll have to be super careful with your expensive while there. Doesn't sound like a good way to spend a holiday to me

[kat2]

We went to Japan b/c we could do everything (travel from korea, accomodation, food, etc) cheaper than we could plane tickets alone to Hanoi. The price of hte ferry never changes. The price of plane tickets double or more in high season. So, b/c Korea requires you to sell your first born to afford a plane ticket at high season, Japan is a nice alternative.

Why is it taht I can fly from the US to Vietnam for cheaper than I can from korea to Vietnam?? Korea, sparkling perhaps?

[just because]

You can do it for a little over a million over a week....i have before

This is how:
-Buy a JR rail pass... 400 000 won
-take the boat over - 190 000 won
-Use kyoto as your base for travel(Tokyo is only 2.5 hours away)
-Stay in a hostel - at most 300 000 won for 6 nights
(here is a good one) - http://kshouse.jp/kyoto-e/index.html

So all up that is 890 000 so far...

Then food and other incidentals might be 200 000 to 300 000 so while you might not get under a million it is fine...

Kyoto is a good base as it is only 2 hours to Hiroshima, 30 mins to osaka and 2.5 hours to Tokyo on the bullet train

[J.B. Clamence]

If you want a cheap trip just to see a bit of Japan, you might want to shave some days off the week. Every day in japan will cost you, so if you really need to keep the cost down, doing 5 days instead of 7 will save you some money.

You mentioned that you wanted to spend at least a couple days in Tokyo. If cost is your #1 priority, it would probably be cheaper to just stay in Tokyo the whole time as transport costs will be among your biggest expenses in Japan. You can save money by getting a rail pass, but if you don't need to leave Tokyo, you might be better off moneywise not doing so.

[just because]

[northy]

Thanks for your help everyone it's much appreciated.

[oxfordstu]

[Poemer]

You have to buy the rail pass from a travel agent here in Korea. You might need a Korean person's help if you don't speak Korean. I wish I could remember the name of the agent I bought mine through, they even delivered the pass voucher to the airport for me so that i wouldn't have to go pick it up. When you actually get to Japan you trade the voucher in for your JR Pass. I forget how long the pass is good for but I'm pretty sure it is at least a week and it will get you anywhere you want to go in Japan.

[Poemer]

Found the info. on the agent: Ilbon Tourism Club is who I got my pass through, for 10,000 won they delivered it to the airport for me. it was 232,000 won for a one week pass. I don't know anything about the ferry/rail pass combo, sorry.

www.japanrailpass.net/

[just because]

Oxfordstu:
I organized mine through kangsan so since you are in busan it is very easy for you...

basically they will give you a voucher kind of thing and this will include the ferry and then when you get to Fukuoka you go to a desk(easy to find) and they will exchange that for a passport sized rail pass...

you can go anywhere you want as long as it is JR(a couple of railways are private in japan - none major except in tokyo) and you can catch any train, even the bullet trains except the nozoimi. So basically you can go from Busan to Tokyo in back and stop along the way in a week for only 400 000 won....

You can even use the ferry at hiroshima to go across to miyajima because JR railways operates it....

[oxfordstu]

Wow --- that is great. Thanks!!

[bucheon bum]

Yeah, I have to say the rail-pass is one of the best deals around. I must say I was quite impressed by the rail system in japan.