| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
agoodmouse
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Location: Anyang
|
 Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:34 pm Post subject: Too long or expensive? Going for 9 days in Japan |
 |
|
| I've never been. I'll probably hit up an avalanche of tourist places. Will my AMEX be usable there? I'm buying a Lonely Planet guide today and my ticket. I saw tickets to Japan for 330,000 KRW roundtrip for May 5. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 12:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
9 days? Not too long at all. I was there for 10 days last spring (nearly a year ago exactly in fact). I did the following:
Days 1&2: Tokyo
Day 3:took shinkansen to Hiroshima, stopping on the way for a few hours in Himeji to see the castle
Day 4: Checked out Miyajima and some other site right outside Hiroshima
Day 5: hiroshima itself
day 6: traveled up to kyoto, checking out central osaka en route
7: kyoto
8: nara (which is a day-trip from kyoto)
9: returned to tokyo
10: flew onto next destination.
I should note that kyoto is pretty close to tokyo (a couple hours away on the train if memory serves). On day #9, I actually spent the majority of the day in Tokyo hanging out with a friend. I also could have crammed a bit more into my trip if I really wanted to.
I budgeted $100/day (not including the railpass) but ended up spending around $85/day. I stayed at hostels but also went out to drink 3 times while I was there (plus 2 nights of getting drunk via convenience stores and vending machines with fellow travelers). My eating was rather low-budget too, minus a couple meals.
Hope that gives you some idea. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
blade
Joined: 30 Jun 2007
|
| Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 3:33 am Post subject: Re: Too long or expensive? Going for 9 days in Japan |
|
|
| agoodmouse wrote: |
| I've never been. I'll probably hit up an avalanche of tourist places. Will my AMEX be usable there? I'm buying a Lonely Planet guide today and my ticket. I saw tickets to Japan for 330,000 KRW roundtrip for May 5. |
Make sure you buy a Japan Rail pass before you leave Korea. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
agoodmouse
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Location: Anyang
|
| Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Where can I buy a Japan Rail Pass in Korea? Can I buy it online and have it sent to me in the mail? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
blade
Joined: 30 Jun 2007
|
| Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 9:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| agoodmouse wrote: |
| Where can I buy a Japan Rail Pass in Korea? Can I buy it online and have it sent to me in the mail? |
Here is a link listing showing were to get the JR passhttp://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en005.html. I'm not sure if it's possible to buy them online as I think you need to show your passport or something when you buy them as JR probably doesn't want people living in Japan to be able to have them. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
agoodmouse
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Location: Anyang
|
| Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 10:52 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Thanks. I think I'll go to Yongsan's location. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sunnyvale
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
Location: Korea
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
If you're just traveling between a couple cities I wouldn't recommend a rail pass, its cheaper to buy individual tickets.
I flew into Tokyo and out of Osaka. I bought a shinkansen ticket between Tokyo and Kyoto, the rest was just local train travel... It was much cheaper than a Rail Pass. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Poemer
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Location: Mullae
|
| Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:24 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Over the course of a 9 day trip I would imagine that you could more than get you moneys worth for a JR Pass. I only traveled from Tokyo to Sendai and back, and I came out ahead.
Last edited by Poemer on Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:51 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
endo
Joined: 14 Mar 2004
Location: Seoul...my home
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 11:19 am Post subject: |
|
|
| bucheon bum wrote: |
9 days? Not too long at all. I was there for 10 days last spring (nearly a year ago exactly in fact). I did the following:
Days 1&2: Tokyo
Day 3:took shinkansen to Hiroshima, stopping on the way for a few hours in Himeji to see the castle
Day 4: Checked out Miyajima and some other site right outside Hiroshima
Day 5: hiroshima itself
day 6: traveled up to kyoto, checking out central osaka en route
7: kyoto
8: nara (which is a day-trip from kyoto)
9: returned to tokyo
10: flew onto next destination.
Hope that gives you some idea. |
What the hell? Was that a vacation or were you on an episoid of the Amazing Race?
Why would you pacl so much in, into such a short time?
Perhaps split the time between Tokyo and Osaka. But in my experience you need at least 5-6 day to really appreciate a big city. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 6:29 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| endo wrote: |
| bucheon bum wrote: |
9 days? Not too long at all. I was there for 10 days last spring (nearly a year ago exactly in fact). I did the following:
Days 1&2: Tokyo
Day 3:took shinkansen to Hiroshima, stopping on the way for a few hours in Himeji to see the castle
Day 4: Checked out Miyajima and some other site right outside Hiroshima
Day 5: hiroshima itself
day 6: traveled up to kyoto, checking out central osaka en route
7: kyoto
8: nara (which is a day-trip from kyoto)
9: returned to tokyo
10: flew onto next destination.
Hope that gives you some idea. |
What the hell? Was that a vacation or were you on an episoid of the Amazing Race?
Why would you pacl so much in, into such a short time?
Perhaps split the time between Tokyo and Osaka. But in my experience you need at least 5-6 day to really appreciate a big city. |
Well I wasn't planning to check out Osaka, since I had been there before. I had to switch trains there to get to Kyoto, and while I was at the station, I said screw it, I'm going to go into central Osaka and wander around for a bit. And if you include days 9 and 10, that's 4 days total for Tokyo.
Regardless, I had a great time. I would have done nearly the exact same thing if I were to do it over again. Each to his/her own  . |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Hank the Iconoclast
Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Location: Busan
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 6:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I'm going for 14 days this August for my honeymoon. Can't wait  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
blade
Joined: 30 Jun 2007
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 8:30 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Poemer wrote: |
| Over the course of a 9 day trip I would imagine that you could more than get you moneys worth for a JR Pass. I only traveled from Seoul to Sendai and back, and I came out ahead. |
It's not always easy to get accommodation at short notice and even when accommodation is available it can be expensive and if you travel to a few different places you have lug your baggage around all the time.
The JR pass is great because it allows you to base yourself in say Kyoto and still be within only a couple of hours of most places in Japan using the Shinkansen. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
