Hey Peeps,
I'll be travelling in Japan next year for just over two weeks, with my wife and baby (yet to be born) and I have a question regarding the Japan Rail Pass...
I know if you're going to Kyoto from Tokyo and back and a couple of other places in between (within a week) it can be cheaper, but luckily we have a flight that goes into Tokyo and out of Osaka.
Currently I'm planning... Tokyo (day trip to Nikko) - Fuji - Kyoto - Nara - Osaka... Is it worth getting one of these passes in my case? Looking at the guide book it also seems we'll be fairly restricted if we can solely use Japan Rail, when there are plenty of other options (private rail or bus).
What are people thoughts who've dealt with Japanese transport before?
Cheers,
Mike.
Reply to this Hi Mike,
This is the English link for a site I often use here
jorudan.co.jp.
Another popular site is
hyperdia.com.
I went up to Nikko a week or so ago and met a couple on the night train who chose to pay extra for a sleeper compartment rather than take the free 'sleep on the carpet' option they could have taken with their rail pass.
One option would be to also do Fuji from Tokyo (buses go from Shinjuku) then get a night bus to Kyoto. They're one of the cheapest options and would save on accomodation. Not sure if that would work with the baby or not.
Reply to this Hi ,
I think you can take a bus to Kawaguchi-ko from Shinjyuku to see Mt.Fuji.
this is the fastest and cheapest way of getting there.
and heading to Kansai area, you take a shinkansen to Kyoto from Mishima. it costs a bit but it's fastest.
You can buy a round pass ticket to get around to Kyoto, Osaka, Nara.
check this site.
http://www.surutto.com/conts/ticket/3dayeng/index.html
Reply to this i would suggest the rail pass...all the small little hops you'll make in the cities themselves (and you'll have to take the train inside cities) will be free. Considering the cost of the rail pass (about $250US in my case), it easily will pay for itself in a week if ou use the shinkansen.
Also consider time/flexibility: the JR shinkansen runs frequent routes and you can easily get your tickets changed with no extra fee (you just buy another round of tickets with the pass). Most of the buses that would be considered cheaper only run a few times per day (or only at night) and if so, they usually take a lot longer than the shinkansen.
Reply to this I am japanese. Now I study English.I think it is effective to study Enlish ,replying English blog or forum. So, sorry about my poor Enlish.
If you travel in japan with little baby by bus , it may be exhausting time for your sweet baby.
So, I recomend using railway such as Shinkansen or Odakyu romance car.
It is very comfotable and both have bathroom.
If you want see Mt.Fuji, I recomend hakone. You can use Odakyu romance car from Shinjuku to hakone.
( http://www.odakyu.jp/english/ )
In hakone,It is beautiful to see Mt Fuji from ,for example ,Ashinoko lake.
After travel to hakone, You can go to Kyoto from Odawara , by Shinkansen.
To go around to Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, a round pass ticket is better.
(http://www.westjr.co.jp/english/global.html )
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