Way cheap to travel around Japan: Seishun 18 Kippu + How to buy the ticket | Japan Travel Guide
Japan has a public transport system, the most practical segment which is an excellent rail service in the nation, you can fly good for long distance trips but expensive unless you plan ahead, as the cheapest mode of travel, ferry and car.
The most effective way to travel around most of Japan is If you are being taken through the countryside on the famous Shinkansen train or are Snaking a forested mountain in an electric tram, trains in Japan are punctual, comfortable, safe and clean all trains except local commuters have toilets, toilets and drinking water Bullet trains even have phones and carts selling food and drinks and because the stations are usually located in the heart of the city, next to the bus station in the city or a subway station, arriving in a train town is usually the practice more method, most stations in major Japanese cities and resort areas have tourist office staff can not speak English, but you usually have cards or brochures in English and can point in any direction h Such stations may also have a counter where hotel bookings can be free most of Japan's passenger trains are operated by six co mpanies such as JR East and JR Kyushu that make up the Japan Railways Group JR There are also companies private regional as Kinki Nippon Railway Kintetsu operates around Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya and Ise and operating Odakyu Tokyo Hakone.
Shinkansen Bullet Train - Shinkansen is probably the best known being Japan with a car before that resembles a space rocket, the Shinkansen hurtles along at a top speed of 187 mph 300kmph through the countryside on its own special tracks.
There are five basic Shinkansen routes in Japan and some ramifications The most used line for tourists is the Tokaido Shinkansen, which runs from Tokyo and stations west Shinagawa to cities like Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka Sanyo Shinkansen s extends towards the west by Kobe Osaka, Himeji, Okayama and Hiroshima before reaching its final destination in Hakata Fukuoka on Kyushu Shinkansen super express Nozomi Only the fastest trains and more frequent, cover all 730 miles 1179 km between Tokyo and Hakata Hikari made more stops than the Nozomi; the Kodama stops at every station Frustratingly, the Nozomi are not covered by the Japan Rail Pass, so travelers pass rail who want to go the whole distance must take Hikari and Kodama and transfer trains in Osaka Okayama run so often - as often as four times an hour during periods excluding the Nozomi advanced - it is almost like taking the local subway.
Tohoku Shinkansen line runs north of Tokyo and Ueno stations in Sendai, Morioka, Hachinohe Kakunodate and some trains require reservations, branches extending Shinjo and Akita In 2011, the Akita branch will extend further north all path in Aomori, with the future plan calling for a new Hokkaido Shinkansen to extend all the way to Sapporo in 2013 the Joetsu Shinkansen connects Tokyo and Ueno stations with Niigata on the coast of the sea of Japan, while the Nagano Shinkansen, completed in time for the 1998 winter Olympics, linking Tokyo and Ueno stations with in the Alps Nagano Japan the new line is the Kyushu Shinkansen, which is taking place between Shin-Yatsuhiro and Kagoshima, but extend all way from Kagoshima to Hakata by 2011.
Shinkansen run along these lines typically offer two or more types of services - trains stop only in major cities like Nozomi on the Tokaido-Sanyo line and trains are more stops and are therefore a bit slower Note If your destination is a small town on the Shinkansen line, make sure you take the train stops there as well, each stop is announced in English by a speaker and a digital panel in each car.
Regular service - Besides trains balls, there are also two types of long-distance trains running on regular channels The limited-express trains, or LEX Tokkyu, branch off the Shinkansen system and are the fastest after trains balls, often travel scenic routes, while Kyuko express trains are slightly slower and longer slower still express fast train Shin-Kaisoku and trains, even slower rapid Kaisoku to meet the daily needs of the population Japan travel, local trains Futsu stop at all stations.
For long distances, say, from Tokyo to Sapporo JR operates night trains during the night Shindai-sha, which offer compartments and berths.
Information - For the most comprehensive site covering rail travel in Japan go which also provides links to the websites of the six companies of the JR Group, provides rates and long-distance timetables JR trains including Shinkansen, displays maps Tokyo and Shinjuku stations, and contains information on rail passes I like too, and the two that give way, including transfers, rates and schedules of trains and planes in Japan.
In Japan, stop the Tourist Information Center in downtown Tokyo and at international airports Narita and Osaka for schedule paths valuable iron, published in English and providing train times for the Shinkansen and Japan limited express JR lines to be on the safe side, I also stopped me on the train from the information desk or the tourist information office, as soon as I arrived in town to check train schedules ahead to my next destination another good resource is the JR east InfoLine as 050 2016-1603; available every day at 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 to answer questions about train schedules, fares, how to buy tickets, and more.
Train 200 Distances supplement during periods of peak gold week, 21-August 31 July 10 December 25-January 5 Tues., April 21 Children aged 6-11 pay half price, while up to two children aged 5 and under travel free if they do not need a separate seat, I have included the Tokyo train fares for many destinations covered unless otherwise stated, prices in this guide are for adults for seats not reserved on the fastest train available, except Nozomi during the regular season, you can buy JR tickets and information on JR trains travel to Japan at all stations of Japan railways Tokyo includes major stations along the Yamanote line, which loops around Tokyo If you want to buy a ticket using a credit card, go to a ticket booking office Midori-no-madoguchi any major JR station.
Whatever the process, you drive, make sure you hang on your ticket - you will have to give at the end of your trip as you walk out the door.
Seat Reservations - You can book tickets for the Shinkansen and for-express limited and express trains, but not rapid or local trains slower, which are on a first come, first served to all major train station paths Japan iron in Japan seats cost a little more than non-reserved seats 300- 510 for Shinkansen trains and larger stations have a special express reservation counter called Midori-no-madoguchi reservation or ticketing View Plaza Travel Service Center, easily recognizable by their green signs with written tickets reservation on them If you are a JR station without special reservation desk, you can book your seats in a regular windows you can also buy and book tickets to several agents trips, including the giant Japan JTB travel office, which has offices throughout Japan Finally, JR East desserv ing the area around Tokyo and north by Tohoku offers Internet booking for trains to unfortunately the sys tem reservation does not apply to lines operated by other JR companies, including the Tokaido Shinkansen Sanyo popular in Kyoto and beyond .
It is a good idea to book your tickets for the entire journey across Japan as soon as you know your route if you are traveling during peak periods; However, you can only book 1 month in advance if it is not high season, you'll probably agree using a more flexible approach to travel - all trains also have cars that meet on a non-reserved first come, first seated you can also book tickets on travel day until departure time I reserve a seat almost never when it is not peak season, preferring the flexibility to hop on the next available train or sometimes I reserve a seat just before boarding If you want to sit in the car non-smoking Shinkansen train, ask the kinensha, although nowadays most trains are completely non-smoking.
Tips for saving money - If your ticket to travel more than 100 km 62 miles, you can make as many stops along the way as you like as long as you complete your journey in the period of validity of tickets the ticket for 100 200 km 62-124 miles are valid for 2 days 1 day added for each additional ticket of 200 kilometers, too, that stops are granted only for trips that are not among the large urban areas, such as Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Kobe, Hiroshima, Kitakyushyu, Fukuoka, Sendai and Sapporo stops also are not allowed when traveling by express express and Learn on limited stops when purchasing your ticket .
You can also save money by buying a return ticket for long distance A return ticket by train over distances greater than 600 km 373 miles one way costs 20 less than two one-way tickets.
If you don t qualify for a Japan Rail Pass, the Seishun 18 Seishun ju-Hachi kippu is a railway crossing 5 days to 11500 to travel throughout Japan as long as you use JR local and express trains is not Shinkansen, limited express, or express trains, making it a good bet for day trips into the countryside, but very slow trip from Tokyo to Kyoto would 9am and requires at least three sets of changes, compared to 2 hours 20 minutes on the Shinkansen the biggest drawback, however, is that it is available for three major spring break school holidays March 10 April 1 in Japan; summer vacation July 20-September 10; and winter rental 10 December 10 January You can use it on 5 consecutive days or 5 days during spring break; people traveling together can share the five towers for example, two people can travel for 2 days and a person can travel for 1 day.
There are also good regional tickets for sightseeing Hakone Pass Free, for example, offered by the railways Odakyu includes transportation to and from Tokyo and unlimited travel in Hakone for a number of days Hokkaido Furii Pasu valid 7 days train JR and travel by bus in Hokkaido, costs 25500, although some restrictions There are also special passes for full Moon elders pass, valid for married couples with a total age of 88 and two or three women aged 30 and over traveling as a group of Midi Nice Pass If you qualify, the Japan rail Pass, however, is a better deal than these alternatives.
Japan Rail Pass - The Japan Rail Pass is undoubtedly the most convenient and most economical way to travel around Japan with the railway package, you do not have to worry about buying individual tickets, and you can book your tickets on all JR trains free rail pass entitles you to unlimited travel on all JR train lines, including the Shinkansen except unfortunately the super express Nozomi, as well as most buses JR and ferry JR Miyajima.
There are many types of rail passes available; make your decision based on the duration of your stay in Japan and the cities you plan to visit you might even find best to combine several passes to cover your trips to Japan as a pass standard of 1 week for long distances, say, Kyushu, plus a regional just going to pass Kyushu online information is available.
Pass Standard - If you wish to travel to Japan, your best bet is to buy the Japan Rail Pass standard is available for ordinary coach class and first class Green Car and is available for sustainable travel 1, 2, 3 weeks Rates for ordinary passing of Jan 2010 are 28300 for 7 days, 14 days 45100, and 57700 for 21 days Rates for Green Car are 37800, 61200 and 79600, respectively, ages 6-11 pay half price children personally I've never traveled first class green car in Japan and don t consider it necessary, however, during the New year peak periods, the golden week and Obon in mid-August you may find it easier to reserve a seat in first class green car, you can get an extra fee in addition to showing your regular card.
Before leaving the house - The Japan Rail Pass standard is available only to foreigners visiting Japan as tourists and can only be purchased outside of Japan and is available in most travel agencies, including Kintetsu International Tel 800 422 -3481; and JTB USA Tel 800 235-3523; If you are flying Japan Airlines JAL; tel 800 525-3663; All Nippon Airways or ANA; tel 800 235-9262; you can also buy a rail pass them a complete list of authorized travel agents is available.
When purchasing your pass, you will be issued a voucher called an exchange order, you will then exchange for the actual passing of your arrival in Japan Note that when you buy your voucher, you 3 months until you need to exchange in Japan to the pass itself when to get your pass real, then you must specify the date you want to start using the pass within 1 month.
Once you've arrived - In Japan, you can exchange your voucher for a Japan Rail Pass to over 40 JR stations that exchange offices Japan Rail Pass, during which you must present your passport and the date to which you want to start using the collar; Most offices are open daily from 10 am to 6 or 19 hours, some even more.
Both Narita Airport by day 6 30am 45pm and 9-Kansai International Airport daily June 30 am-9 to 45pm, you can pick up the Japan Rail Pass, or at Travel Service Center or other ticketing travel service centers or ticket offices, all located in JR stations include those in Tokyo all days 5-10 30am 45pm, Ueno, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Shibuya and Shinagawa stations in Tokyo; Kyoto Station; Shin-Osaka and Osaka stations; and Sapporo, Hakodate, Nagoya, Kanazawa, Okayama, Matsue, Hiroshima, Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Kagoshima Chuo stations stations and their hours of operation are listed in a brochure that you will receive your coupon.
Regional Passes for foreign visitors - Besides the standard neck of the Japan Rail above, there are regional JR rail pass available for ordinary coach class that are convenient for travel in east or west Honshu, Kyushu, or Hokkaido They can be purchased before arriving in Japan from the same vendors selling standard all pass, but the Kintetsu rail Pass can also be purchased inside Japan, usually in the area covered by the pass, but also at Narita airport for some passes these regional packages are available for foreign guests and require that you present your passport to verify your status as a temporary visitor; you can also ask you to show your flight A single pass by region by visiting Japan is allowed.
If you arrive by plane to Osaka Kansai airport outside and intend to remain in western Honshu, you can opt for one of two different JR West Pass Kansai Airport, JR Osaka station and other places Kansai Pass region, which can be used to travel between Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, Himeji, and other destinations in the Kansai region, is available in a pass 1 day for 2000 going 2 days for 4000, 3-day pass for 5000 or pass 4 days for 6000 travel is limited to JR rapid and local trains, and places without reserves in limited express trains that run only between the airport Kansai, Shin-Osaka and Kyoto, which Shinkansen are not included in the package children pay half price for all the other passes JR-West pass is available Sanyo pass area, which covers a larger area allows travel via Shinkansen, including ultra-fast local trains Noz OMI and JR Osaka to Hakata in Fukuoka city on Kyushu and includes Hiroshima, Okayama, Kurashiki, Hi meji and Kobe It is available for 4 days to 20 000 and 8 days to 30,000.
There are also another couple going non-JR passes available for Kansai Kansai Thru Pass is valid in the subway of the city, private railways not JR trains and buses throughout the Kansai region Available only for tourists it costs in 3800 and 5000 for 2 days for 3 days and is sold to Kansai International airport and tourist information centers in Osaka and Nara Or, if you plan to spend a few days far more travel between Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto and Ise-Shima, you can save money by buying Kintetsu rail Pass covering travel throughout the region on private lines Kintetsu Available only for foreigners, it must be purchased before arriving in Japan in offices Kintetsu or authorized travel agencies it costs 3500 and includes 5 days of unlimited travel, but only 3 trips on limited express trains to 5,700, you can buy the Pass Kintetsu wide rail, which adds a travel or Centrair airport Kansai, Mie Kotsu bus, and discount coupons for attractions.
Although not as popular as western Honshu in eastern Honshu also offers its own JR-East pass that includes travel from Tokyo to Nagano, Japan in the Alps and in the Tohoku district, including Sendai, Aomori and Kakunodate via JR Shinkansen and local lines pass for travel in ordinary buses cars are available for 5 days to 20 000 and 10 days to 32000; a pass flexible 4 days valid for all consecutive or non-consecutive days in 4 months costs 20,000 green car passes are also Passes are available at Narita Airport and JR stations in Tokyo, including Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shinjuku, and online at.
If your movements are limited to the island of Kyushu, consider valid JR Kyushu Rail Pass 3 days for only 13 000 7000 North Kyushu and during 5 days to 16 000 and available for purchase at Narita Airport and Hakata, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima Chuo stations and JR Beppu likewise, Sá Hokkaido rail Pass valid for 3 days of travel 15,000 or 5 days or 4 flexible days within 10 days to 19500, sold at the airport Narita and Hakodate and Sapporo JR stations.
Because it takes the best part of a day and night to travel Tokyo by train to the south of Kyushu to northern Hokkaido or you can find it faster - not to mention cheaper if you buy your ticket advance - to fly at least one section of your trip to Japan you can, for example, international flights to Osaka and then forward in Fukuoka on Kyushu, where you can take two weeks leisure travel by train through Kyushu and Honshu before returning to Osaka I n however, advise short flight distances - say, from Tokyo to Osaka - simply because the time spent getting to and from airports is longer than the travel time by Shinkansen.
Almost all domestic flights depart from Tokyo Haneda Airport more conveniently located if you are in Tokyo, you can easily reach Haneda Airport on Airport Limousine Bus, Monorail Hamamatsucho Station on the Yamanote Line, or Keikyu Shinagawa line If you're arriving on an international flight at Narita airport, therefore, be sure whether a connection to a domestic flight is in Narita or requires transfer to Haneda airport via airport Limousine Bus.
Two major domestic airlines are Japan Airlines JAL; 0570 025-071 as in Japan; and All Nippon Airways ANA; 0570 029-709 as in Japan; Regular rates with these two companies are generally the same regardless of the airline you are traveling to the country and are more expensive for the peak season, including New Year Golden Week and the summer holidays but bargains exist Some flights early in the day or late at night can be cheaper than flights during peak hours; there are also discounts for seniors 65 and older Your best bet on snagging a reduction, however, is to buy your ticket in advance Tabiwari ANA and JAL Sakitoku are discounted rates on bookings made 28 days in advance, while the Super and Super Tabiwari Saitoku give significant discounts on tickets purchased 45 days in advance regular rates one way from Tokyo to Naha, Okinawa, for example, are 40900 but go as low as 12,800 for a super Tabiwari or super Saitoku on some flights There are also slight reductions on tickets booked 3-7 days before departure and on return fares.
Otherwise, there are smaller regional airlines typically offer rates that are cheaper than the standard rate full load by JAL or ANA including Skymark as 03 3433-7670 Tokyo or Fukuoka 092 736-3131; operating from Fukuoka; Skynet Asia Airways as 0120 737-283 without charge; linking Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Kagoshima to Tokyo and Okinawa; and Air Do as 0120 0570-333 toll Sapporo.
For more information on Tokyo fares to major cities across Japan, see the list of individual cities in this guide Tickets can be purchased directly from the airline or a travel agent, as Japan Travel Bureau JTB, which has offices all over Japan.
The special national rate for foreigners - The purchase of national tickets in advance as part of your international flight is by far the cheapest way to go JAL oneworld Yokoso Visit Japan Fare ticket, purchased in conjunction with a flight to Japan with JAL or its tariff partners oneworld such as American Airlines and only sold outside Japan, offers discounted fares 10,000 per flight for domestic travel 42 cities in Japan served by JAL and its two subsidiaries, JAL Express and Japan Transocean Air JTA.
The flight visitors from other airlines in Japan can enjoy JAL Welcome to Japan Fare, which offers discounts on domestic flights JAL whatever the international airline is used to reach Japan also sold only outside the Japan, it costs 13650 per flight with a minimum of two required flights.
ANA offers a similar program with its Star Alliance Japan Airpass ticket costs 11 000 per flight if you are flying ANA or one of its Star Alliance partners, such as United Airlines; if you fly another airline, his visit to Japan Fare is 13 000 per ticket Note that there are blackout dates for these rates, primarily in mid-March, during the mid-July summer holiday August and New Year, and that rates exclude airport taxes and insurance You must first buy your international ticket and contact JAL or ANA to buy tickets and reserve your domestic Japan.
If you plant to visit at least two islands of Okinawa, in addition to the island of Okinawa, you can save money by purchasing a Pass Okinawa island, valid on five specific roads in the island chain of Okinawa, including flights from Naha to Kume or Ishigaki on Japan Transocean air JAL subsidiary of a minimum of two flights each to 9000 is necessary, and tickets must be purchased before arriving JAL Japan more information, contact your nearest JAL office.
Buses often go where trains don t and may be the only way for you to get into the most remote areas of Japan, such as Shirakawa-go in Japan Alps in Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kyushu, and other places, buses are widely used.
Some intercity buses require you to make reservations or buy your ticket in advance at the ticket office at the bus station to other local buses especially when you board a bus, you will usually find an ATM tickets through the front door Take a ticket, which is number encoded with a digital map displayed on the front of the bus map shows the different rates, which increase with the distance you pay when you get off.
In addition to serving remote areas of the country, long distance bus called chokyori Basu also run between major cities in Japan and offer the best mode of transport Although Japan Railways operates ten eligible bus to JR Rail Pass coverage the majority of buses are operated by private companies, most of whom do not have English websites Some long-distance bus to go at night and offer reclining seats and toilets, and passengers save the price of accommodation long distance bus overnight from Tokyo station, for example, the cost of 4200-8600 Kyoto or Osaka, according to the company and time of day, and 12060 for Hiroshima intercity bus tickets can be purchased Plazas See the main JR stations for JR buses, travel agencies such as JTB, or at the bus station.
For more information on local and intercity bus service, refer to the different cities covered in this guide, please contact the Tourist Information Center in Tokyo or the local tourist office, or visit the websites and.
With the exception, perhaps, of the Izu Peninsula, the Tohoku region and Hokkaido, driving is not recommended for visitors who wish to visit Japan Driving is British style on the left side of the road this can be difficult for those who are not used to it; traffic can be horrible; and driving is not even economic is not only expensive gas, but all the expressways in Japan collect high fees - the toll one way from Tokyo to Kyoto is almost the same price as a ticket to Kyoto on Shinkansen And while the Shinkansen takes only 3 hours to get to Kyoto, driving can take about 8 hours Additionally, you may experience some signs in English in remote areas of driving in cities is even worse roads are often barely wide enough for a pedicab, let alone a car, and many roads didn sidewalks so you have to dodge people, bicycles and telephone poles Free parking is hard to find, and garages are expensive except in remote areas, just doesn t make sense to drive.
If you are undeterred, a good overview of more than 800 car rental agencies in Japan, including those located in airports and train stations, is available at the place where you can make reservations, see photos and rental cars descriptions and examine your knowledge of international signs Otherwise, the major car rental companies in Japan include Toyota rent-A-Car in Tokyo as 03 5954-8020 or 0800 7000 -815 without charge; Nippon Rent-A-Car service such 03 3485-7196 for English Service Desk; Nissan Rent-A-Car as 0120 00-4123 toll and such Notice 0120 31-1911 toll; In Hokkaido, Kyushu and other areas, there is also JR Eki Rent-A-Car, located next to the JR stations and offering discounts on train tickets reserved 20 in conjunction with the rental car; you can book these cars in a Travel Service Center located in JR train stations throughout Japan.
Rates vary, but the average cost for 24 hours with unlimited mileage is about 10 500 for a subcompact, including insurance, but no gas; in some tourist areas, such as Hokkaido, rates are more expensive in high season.
If you're planning to drive in Japan, you will need either an international or a Japanese driver's license Remember, cars are driven on the left side of the road, and signs on all major roads are written in Japanese and English, it is against the law to drink alcohol and drive, and you must wear seat belts at all times Be sure to purchase a bilingual map, back roads have names written cities Japanese Recommended is the Atlas road Shobunsha Japan, available in bookstores that sell English books -Language; it also contains maps of major cities, including Tokyo, Sapporo, Hiroshima, and others.
Pannes is one of several suppliers of road maintenance of emergency services telephone booths along the main streets of Japan to help drivers whose cars have broken down or drivers who need assistance calls of these phones are free and connect to the operations center JAF your request in English is spoken.
Because Japan is an island nation, an extensive ferry network connects the chain of islands Although travel by ferry takes more time, it is also cheaper and can be a pleasant and relaxing, for example, you can take a ferry Osaka to Beppu in Kyushu, with fares from 8,800 for the trip 11 hours Unfortunately, information in English is hard to find Contact the Tourist Office for details on routes, prices, schedules and telephone numbers of the various ferry companies.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
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