use this site to plan your route. there's ratings for various popular locations
http://www.japan-guide.com/
Budget travel in Japan - tips and info thread
- Thread starter petetherock
- Start date
use this site to plan your route. there's ratings for various popular locations
http://www.japan-guide.com/
petetherock
Senior Member
Ok, when you provide more info, then we know what to tell you too...
Even Tokyo has traditional bits, eg the Yanaku garden area north of Ueno.
Or walk around some of the suburbs close to Tokyo, on the way to the airport, using the Keisei Express train.
But for a collection of it, Kyoto has more.
Read the Frommer's guide online for basic background info, but the famous ones should take you 3 days to cover on your own already.
The trains in Kyoto are not as convenient, maybe if you are the cycling type, you can get a bicycle.
Also the IMPERIAL PALACE KYOTO is closed on weekend, do take note. But this one is worth seeing.
Cheers
Even Tokyo has traditional bits, eg the Yanaku garden area north of Ueno.
Or walk around some of the suburbs close to Tokyo, on the way to the airport, using the Keisei Express train.
But for a collection of it, Kyoto has more.
Read the Frommer's guide online for basic background info, but the famous ones should take you 3 days to cover on your own already.
The trains in Kyoto are not as convenient, maybe if you are the cycling type, you can get a bicycle.
Also the IMPERIAL PALACE KYOTO is closed on weekend, do take note. But this one is worth seeing.
Cheers
Hi sh_37. Never knew there is a voluntary work-for-free program. Have you done that before? Went to the website and it looks really interesting. Have always wanted to do something like that in Japan
Hey canoner, i've never done this before. Haha. I was just searching for ways to stay in japan for a long time, at a low cost. xP Yeah, it looks good. I may go for it too. Hehe...
woofing is one way. a fren done this in japan. i woofed in new zealand. spent $3000 for three months... did touristy things on days off and in between traveling to different farms
you can also get a "youth" train pass in japan. but actually anybody can buy the pass. essentially a booklet of five tickets each valid for a day. it allows unlimited travel on normal rail (not shinkansen). i believe it's only valid at various times in the year. it's a way to travel very long distances for the cheap though it won't be as fast as the bullet train.
you can also get a "youth" train pass in japan. but actually anybody can buy the pass. essentially a booklet of five tickets each valid for a day. it allows unlimited travel on normal rail (not shinkansen). i believe it's only valid at various times in the year. it's a way to travel very long distances for the cheap though it won't be as fast as the bullet train.
Lomographer
Senior Member
don't get caught woofing can already
I went to Japan last year from Mid Oct to Early November.
I bombed a large sum of money at the Square Enix Character Goods store, but that has nothing to do with travel costs cos I shall cut that out of my budget estimation when I tell people how much I spent there.
All in, for 17 days I spent SGD3000.
During these 17 days, I spent time in the Kansai area (about 8 days). Tokyo (about about 6 days), Hakone (1 night) and around one of the five lakes around Fuji (1 night).
In Kansai, I stayed in K's House Kyoto and in Tokyo I stayed in K's House Tokyo. I found K's House to be relatively convenient and affordable.
If you are not going to do a all around Japan blitz, than a JR Pass may not be suitable for you. It costs a lot and the money can only be recouped if you take long rides on the Shinkansen, or if you take so many local trains that you don't have time to see anything off the trains.
Regional Rail passes may actually work better. In Kansai, I bought a Kansai area pass (I think I bought the 4 day one) and most of the cost was offset by the Kansai Airport to Kyoto Limted Express that I took on the first day. The 4 day pass costs 6000 JPY and a one way trip between the airport and Kyoto costs around 3000 JPY.
I had considered buying a 7 day JR pass to cover the Shinkansen that I would be taking to Tokyo, but I realised that with my itinerary, it would not be worthwhile. My friend and I were doing the "Take it easy" way. We would spend one day at one main location, e.g. Kobe 1 day, Nara 1 day. We didn't really do much shuttling between towns / cities / whatever other places so a JR Pass would really have cost us more than what we would have spent.
Before deciding on whether to buy a JR Pass, work out a rough itinerary and then estimate your travel costs. If you do a Hiroshima to Hokkaido trip, then you are all covered
Flying to Japan is so cheap now. I had to pay around SGD 1200 on my airfare. My SGD 3000 for 17 days estimate is inclusive of airfare, food, accomodation, overland travel, admission fees and minor travel. Basically all expenditure I had in Japan..... minus the spree in Square Enix CHaracter Goods Store. You don't wanna know how much I spent there!
All in, I think that it is definitely possible to have an affordable time in Japan, but if you wanna go shopping...... bye bye wallet!
I bombed a large sum of money at the Square Enix Character Goods store, but that has nothing to do with travel costs cos I shall cut that out of my budget estimation when I tell people how much I spent there.
All in, for 17 days I spent SGD3000.
During these 17 days, I spent time in the Kansai area (about 8 days). Tokyo (about about 6 days), Hakone (1 night) and around one of the five lakes around Fuji (1 night).
In Kansai, I stayed in K's House Kyoto and in Tokyo I stayed in K's House Tokyo. I found K's House to be relatively convenient and affordable.
If you are not going to do a all around Japan blitz, than a JR Pass may not be suitable for you. It costs a lot and the money can only be recouped if you take long rides on the Shinkansen, or if you take so many local trains that you don't have time to see anything off the trains.
Regional Rail passes may actually work better. In Kansai, I bought a Kansai area pass (I think I bought the 4 day one) and most of the cost was offset by the Kansai Airport to Kyoto Limted Express that I took on the first day. The 4 day pass costs 6000 JPY and a one way trip between the airport and Kyoto costs around 3000 JPY.
I had considered buying a 7 day JR pass to cover the Shinkansen that I would be taking to Tokyo, but I realised that with my itinerary, it would not be worthwhile. My friend and I were doing the "Take it easy" way. We would spend one day at one main location, e.g. Kobe 1 day, Nara 1 day. We didn't really do much shuttling between towns / cities / whatever other places so a JR Pass would really have cost us more than what we would have spent.
Before deciding on whether to buy a JR Pass, work out a rough itinerary and then estimate your travel costs. If you do a Hiroshima to Hokkaido trip, then you are all covered
Flying to Japan is so cheap now. I had to pay around SGD 1200 on my airfare. My SGD 3000 for 17 days estimate is inclusive of airfare, food, accomodation, overland travel, admission fees and minor travel. Basically all expenditure I had in Japan..... minus the spree in Square Enix CHaracter Goods Store. You don't wanna know how much I spent there!
All in, I think that it is definitely possible to have an affordable time in Japan, but if you wanna go shopping...... bye bye wallet!
You might prefer the Kansai area more than Tokyo. At least for me that was the case. I thoroughly loved Kansai...... Tokyo was kinda boring since I don't like to shop.
The Tokyo subway system, though intimidating, is actually nothing to be afraid of. The first day, I was kinda confused too. However, it is easy to get used to as long as you can read a map.
Also, Japan is like one big instruction manual. It doesn't matter if you cannot speak Japanese. Unless you are going to some really ulu place where no one can speak English, there will always be someone who can help you. I even met guides at the Tokyo subway station who helped me exchange my subway ticket because I was traveling from a private line to a metro line.
My favourite weapon is the BLUR look. Gets you places, gets you help.
Ha ha, their subway system is complicated; especially you dont understand their language. I got a hard time there taking subway together with some of my "Ang mo" friends.
absoluthal
New Member
So lets say if i buy the rail pass for my 6 days stay there,
can it be use for all the train systems there?
or do i need a separate one?
hope u guys understand wat im trying to ask....
can it be use for all the train systems there?
or do i need a separate one?
hope u guys understand wat im trying to ask....
ortega
Moderator
Lomographer
Senior Member
it does depend
the tokyo metro pass does not apply to the JR line
whereas the JR line pass does allow rides in the tokyo metro on certain lines
for more info check out the website ortega included
I don't understand the language but I always made sure I had a map. Maps help a lot and they are free! When maps don't work, ask. May be tough in english but you'll get what you want
There are many companies operating trains in Japan. Just Tokyo alone there are JR, Tokyo Metro and the smaller private lines.
That's one of the reasons why I mentioned that buying a JR Pass need not be the best idea.
petetherock
Senior Member
Many hotels in the Tokyo area will sell you a 2 day METRO (not JR) pass for 980 Y, which is about 400Y cheaper than buying off the Metro station.
absoluthal
New Member
Im getting more n more confused after reading the link above.
its ok, still got 3 months to get familiarised with the train network....
its ok, still got 3 months to get familiarised with the train network....
Lomographer
Senior Member
don't worry,
once you're there you will naturally get used to it,
i doubt you will be using all lines..
and they are different rail-ways too, JR line, tokyo metro,
and btw, the reasons why the lines are so messy is because some lines are privately owned,
not govt, hence they run all over the place but somehow they interconnect.
once you're there you will naturally get used to it,
i doubt you will be using all lines..
and they are different rail-ways too, JR line, tokyo metro,
and btw, the reasons why the lines are so messy is because some lines are privately owned,
not govt, hence they run all over the place but somehow they interconnect.
Don't let the map scare you, once you get there, u will find it as easy as our MRT 
, provided you don't get distracted by the pretty OL . I also suggest you wait for awhile after you alight from the train, so you can orientate yourself easier without the crowd. A good map will also help you with the many exits for bigger stations.
, provided you don't get distracted by the pretty OL . I also suggest you wait for awhile after you alight from the train, so you can orientate yourself easier without the crowd. A good map will also help you with the many exits for bigger stations.Similar threads
