Day 2: JR Kyushu 5-Day Rail Pass (Oct 2015)

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Monday, 19th October 2015

The JR Kyushu 5-Day Rail Pass is a worthwhile investment as I travelled extensively on the island during my week-long stay in Japan. The Pass cost me 18,000 Yen (SGD 201) for 5 consecutive days of usage starting from first validation.

At first glance, 18,000 Yen seemed like a lot of money. But considering the ground that I managed to cover using the 5 Day Pass, this was one of the best bargains that I had for this trip as I probably clocked more than 30,000 Yen worth of train fares.

Some of the sample one-way fares on selected routes that I travelled using this pass :-

1) Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo (10,450 Yen - Shinkansen) - Kagoshima is the gateway to the Sakura-Jima Volcano with a relaxed sea-front vibe and charming city trams.

2) Kagoshima-Chuo to Kumamoto (6,940 Yen - Shinkansen) - Kumamoto is a castle town and the birth place of Ajisen Ramen.

3) Kumamoto to Hakata (5,130 Yen - Shinkansen) - Affectionately known as "Fukuoka", the largest city on the island of Kyushu.

4) Kagoshima-Chuo to Ibusuki (2,130 Yen - Limited Express Ibusuki-No-Tamatebako 1) - Home to the famous sand baths and the Chiran Peace Museum.

* 5) Hakata to Kokura (2,310 Yen - Limited Express) - Gateway to Moji-ko Retro Town and Kokura Castle.

6) Hakata to Yoshizuka (160 Yen - Ordinary Trains) - To Higayashi Park and 24-hour supermarket.

* The only time that this pass is not allowed on train travel is for the Sanyo Shinkansen service between Hakata and Kokura as this line is operated by the JR West Japan Railways. Even so, it took me only about 60 mins of travel between these 2 cities via Limited Express Trains.

Otherwise, I found the Pass to be extremely useful with fuss-free ticket reservations at JR Offices.

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