Travel: Japan - General

[Estéema]

Kevinlu:

Thanks alot, dreamgear & esteema,


I was reading up on how to use the JR to travel from place to place. and totally concede defeat. haha. even google map is so congested in those main area. it certainly look and sound very intimidating,...
how do i even differentiate the different type of train? Coz it say JR pass is not for certain train.

Also, i read about leaving luggage at the station, what that means? coz if i travel on winter, surely the luggage will be alot, feasible to carry them all around? say if im going to kyoto/osaka...

Sorry for these noob questions, just very confuse about the travelling. haha.

any recommendation for first timer?

Kevinlu,

JR Pass for purpose of traveling out of e.g. Tokyo to Osaka or to Nagoya. Shinkansen are within say Tokyo as local travel & those can go outside of Tokyo. Similarly those that travels within Osaka will not bring you out fr Osaka to Kyoto or elsewhere. The JR super-fast train really save you time do you can visit more places, whilst the normal JR train can take 2 hours or more. That 2 extra hours allows me more rests & shopping time.


If u're uncertain which direction to transfer fr JR to Shinkansen or vis-versa, just ask train station staff.

There are lockers at train stations, but we don't prefer those. We cldnt find any available lockers for big luggage at peak hours & weekends within Tokyo stations. The best option I found was to leave with the hotel u checked out or when u return to stay in new hotel. All hotels provide a storage room & will issue you a number to collect when u return. We did that in Osaka & left for Tokyo for next 8 days, then return to collect luggage to take limousine bus that bring us straight to airport.

Limousine bus is cheapest option as it is extremely expensive to take taxi. Limousine bus allows you to put luggage in lower compartment & you're free fr holding on to luggage like its nec if u bring luggages on JR Trains.

[Kevinlu]

hi Esteema, thanks so much for the very detail and layman explanation.

together 1 more member who PM me to explain, i now get a much much better understanding!

now it's time to slowly plan for the trip...

[Estéema]

Yes. I’m layman. Share only what I know. Don’t know technicalities. S’times need time to recall. Getting old.

[MyPillow]

Esteema, I read that some bullet train fr Tokyo to Osaka / Tokyo to Nagoya are not covered by the JR pass? So what type of train to take n how much longer then ?

[Estéema]

MyPillow:

Esteema, I read that some bullet train fr Tokyo to Osaka / Tokyo to Nagoya are not covered by the JR pass? So what type of train to take n how much longer then ?

Yes. Indeed. But only bcoz those are luxury type tt u need to pay top dollar to experience. Much more expensive than JR Pass & you get ticket at station. Can't rmbr the name but it's a dark green train. A lot of special services, etc. Don't rmbr tt provides super-fast coz it's meant for scenic rides.

JR Pass is the SGMaglev one that travels super-fast.

[MyPillow]

How long does it take for a typical bullet train (jr pass) to travel fr

Osaka to Tokyo (vice versa)
Or Nagoya / Osaka then ?

Jr pass does not cover Nozomi & mizuho bullet trains , as these trains are v fast . Takes abt 150 min to reach Osaka

[Estéema]

Japan, Hokkaido having heavy snow. As bad as last year. I rmbr last year they’ve to close airport for some days. Hope it’s less incident in Tokyo.

[Estéema]

MyPillow:

How long does it take for a typical bullet train (jr pass) to travel fr

Osaka to Tokyo (vice versa)
Or Nagoya / Osaka then ?

Jr pass does not cover Nozomi & mizuho bullet trains , as these trains are v fast . Takes abt 150 min to reach Osaka

Osaka to Tokyo - abt 2.5 hrs
Nagoya to Osaka - 1hr

Super-fast train cuts the hrs but I don't rmbr by how much. Only know we were so amazed to hv reached before we cld rest our eyes.

You're right, JR do not cover Nozomi & Mizuho

[Zeit]

Esteema

You were not allowed to take Nozomi & Mizuho trains, right? If you had taken Hikari (2nd fastest Shinkansen), it'd have been 3h 10-15 min. Had you hopped onto Kodama Shinkansen, it'd be even longer.

Osaka to Nagoya is slightly over an hr (70-80min, depending on departure timing or u]depending on whether your hotel is in Shin-Osaka or Osaka (Umeda downtown)[/u]). The Shin Osaka-Osaka journey itself is 3-4min but allow for 10min to transfer to another platform within the JR station, if need be.

My Pillow

Please use HyperDia to search for your preferred departure timings, and remember to de-select NOZOMI/MIZUHO and Private Railway. Keep others checked.

http://www.hyperdia.com/en/#


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If still very confused, please go to Tg Pagar Japan Rail counter (there's a nice Jap cafe there) to consult the staff, like Esteema did

[Zeit]

Kevinlu:

I was reading up on how to use the JR to travel from place to place. and totally concede defeat. haha. even google map is so congested in those main area. it certainly look and sound very intimidating,...
how do i even differentiate the different type of train? Coz it say JR pass is not for certain train.

Also, i read about leaving luggage at the station, what that means? coz if i travel on winter, surely the luggage will be alot, feasible to carry them all around? say if im going to kyoto/osaka...

Sorry for these noob questions, just very confuse about the travelling. haha.

any recommendation for first timer?

don't be confused. First things first. Who where what which?

Who - are your 6 and 8 year olds cooperative? Are they sleepyheads, whiners, slow walkers, first-timers?
Where - have you visited all the tourism sites for each of those cities mentioned by forummers here yet? Go have a read and consult your little kids and wifey if they are game. Some temples, museums and gardens can bore the hell out of 6-8 year olds.
What - what are their interests? Sanrio, Lego, Tomika, Plarail, Pokemon, Disney, Ghibli? Your wifey needs shopping?
Which - which is their preferred mode of transport? Can they train-hop or subway-hop?

Next, study the map of Japan very closely. It's elongated so you need to strategise a bit, eg buy open jaw airtickets or back-track. Circle those cities you desire to visit after your family meeting. Put down estimated no of nights you want next to city. Then connect the dots, i.e check HyperDia for train or bus timings and fares. Also, check if there are day tours from your base, e.g Nagoya, so you need not lug your bags everywhere.

Then calculate the fare breakdowns and compare with JR Pass' 7-day ot 14-day prices. Make a decision to buy or not to buy.


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Edited to add the last 'W' - 'When' you travel.

You asked about the est budget for 12-14 days for 2A2C. I think the period that you travel will tip the scales. Nov-Dec hols can be divided into 4 broad periods:
1. End of SA2 (i.e. you ponteng a few days or after PSLE)
2. Last 2 weeks of Nov
3. First 2 weeks of Dec
4. Last 2 weeks of Dec

Run a quick search based on your desired period on some hotel and airline booking websites and you'll see your budget fluctuate. F&B as all forummer have rightly pointed out is very cheap in Japan, more so if you have two 6 and 8 year olds who will pick the cheaper Kids' Meals