Fuctifano Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 (edited) Heading to Tokyo for a fortnight in three weeks' time, but will spend a couple of nights in Kyoto as well. Just wondering whether it's still cheaper getting the JR Pass in advance than getting a return Tokyo-Kyoto when I'm there. I've seen some things online that suggest a 7-day pass is about the same as a return to Kyoto, so am I as well just getting the JR Pass the now? Question also addressed to The Other Foot, as you both seem to know your stuff. I was there in February, if you're only doing one direct shinkansen return trip Tokyo- Kyoto it's cheaper to just buy a return than the pass, although the downside to that is you can't buy the tickets until arrival in Japan. However the JR east shop at Narita airport's train station is aimed at tourists, when I was there I was able to buy 1) my Narita Express train ticket into Tokyo, 2) my shinkansen tickets, and 3) a SUICA travel card for getting about once I'd arrived so I was all set by the time I'd left the airport. edit: I'm sure there was a "combo" deal on 1) and 3) for overseas tourists only. Edited April 23, 2015 by Fuctifano 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killie Zenit Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Cheers! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booker_d Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Heard today that this is the best time to visit Japan as the Yen has dropped around 50% recently? What are the costs like generally? I've heard that Tokyo is really expensive. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Tokyo is probably no more expensive than London, and less so than Paris. Remember the sushi conveyor places are dirt cheap, for one thing, and eating out is generally reasonably priced. Accommodation is really the thing that pushes prices up. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tongue_tied_danny Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Tokyo is probably no more expensive than London, and less so than Paris. Remember the sushi conveyor places are dirt cheap, for one thing, and eating out is generally reasonably priced. Accommodation is really the thing that pushes prices up. Depends where you stay. I stayed in this place here.... http://www.toukaisou.com/index-e.htm It was cheap as f**k. Admittedly the room was about the same size as a sardine tin but it was clean and had everything I needed. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantene proV Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 Shinjuku Washington hotel was about £40 a night if I remember correctly. Right next to government buildings and obviously nearby shinjuku station (in fact we only discovered on our last day an underground walkway that takes you from hotel almost str8 to the station) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Parr Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 (in fact we only discovered on our last day an underground walkway that takes you from hotel almost str8 to the station) Unsurprising. I spent a week in Tokyo as part of a trip round Japan last summer and I appeared to find a different way in and out of Shinjuku station every time I went there. Surreal place. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Unsurprising. I spent a week in Tokyo as part of a trip round Japan last summer and I appeared to find a different way in and out of Shinjuku station every time I went there. Surreal place. Yes. It's infamous for being a dreadful place to meet people! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hampden Diehard Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I got tempted with airbnb (who are advertising on telly just now) where you rent a spare room or apartment from the owners. Plenty of choice in Tokyo, and a chance to meet the locals. Pretty reasonable too. Obviously it's better to pick someone who speaks English if you haven't any Japanese. I gave a wide berth to the guy who said that he'd take me to the local bath house and wash me. Things are not great in the physical action stakes at the moment, but it's not quite that bad yet! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S7C Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 For those of who you are interested, there are flights from Edinburgh right now with Turkish Airlines for £370 or less. I've just booked to fly into Tokyo in October and back from Osaka for £370. Not sure how long these fares will be up for but just Kayak it or use Skyscanner. Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand are also at that sort of price right now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantene proV Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Unsurprising. I spent a week in Tokyo as part of a trip round Japan last summer and I appeared to find a different way in and out of Shinjuku station every time I went there. Surreal place. Haha we said exactly the same thing - spent most of my time in that station looking up #wherearewe 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Was in that station late last year. Even by JR standards it is ridiculously hard to get around in a let's make the Narita Express as difficult as possible for the gaijins to find sort of way. Guess there's a reason why Japanese people always advised me to use the Keisei line to Ueno instead. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspy Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 The whole internet refugee thing is a real shame. Wouldn't mind spending maybe 1 night like this though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S7C Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Going next week. Leave Edinburgh on the 16th and arrive in Tokyo via Istanbul on the 17th. Spending 4 nights in Tokyo to begin with (staying in Nishi-Shinjuku) and then heading to Kyoto for three nights (staying in one of those capsule hotels) and then onto Hiroshima for a night and combining that with Miyajima, and then finishing up in Osaka for three nights. Is it worth going to Nara while I'm staying in Kyoto / Osaka, considering the limited time I have in both? Excited but struggling badly with learning Japanese. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Going next week. Leave Edinburgh on the 16th and arrive in Tokyo via Istanbul on the 17th. Spending 4 nights in Tokyo to begin with (staying in Nishi-Shinjuku) and then heading to Kyoto for three nights (staying in one of those capsule hotels) and then onto Hiroshima for a night and combining that with Miyajima, and then finishing up in Osaka for three nights. Is it worth going to Nara while I'm staying in Kyoto / Osaka, considering the limited time I have in both? Excited but struggling badly with learning Japanese. That sounds fine. Miyajima is awesome. That'll take up a day in Hiroshima if you combine it with the peace park/museum and okonomiyaki city. The rest is going to be busy; you'll regret not spending longer in Tokyo, I reckon. Enjoy. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Is it worth going to Nara while I'm staying in Kyoto / Osaka, considering the limited time I have in both? There is more to see in Nara from a tourist standpoint than in Osaka, which is very much a modern industrial city, and it is only a short train ride away like Kyoto, so I would try to do it if you have three days available in that part of Japan. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ando Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Was there for a month whilst back packing in 2004, absolutely loved it, probably my favourite country I've ever visited. From memory I went Tokyo, Nikko, Sapporo, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Matsue, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Nara, Tokyo! Travelled by train. Great people, great food, great partying around the university in Hiroshima. Would love to go back, I would never get tired of Tokyo. I think I was underwhelmed by Osaka but even that was probably in relation to everywhere else. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 The whole Tokyo/Osaka thing is interesting. I'm certainly of the view that you basically have endless amusement in Tokyo and Osaka is a big, comparatively boring city with not much to do aside from eating out but I've heard from several different people/travellers (some very well travelled in Japan and knowledgable) rant and rave about how wonderful Osaka is and how Tokyo is shite and holds no more that a couple of days interest. Weird. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanny paddery Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 The whole Tokyo/Osaka thing is interesting. I'm certainly of the view that you basically have endless amusement in Tokyo and Osaka is a big, comparatively boring city with not much to do aside from eating out but I've heard from several different people/travellers (some very well travelled in Japan and knowledgable) rant and rave about how wonderful Osaka is and how Tokyo is shite and holds no more that a couple of days interest. Weird. I arrived back from 10 days in Japan yesterday. While we didnt stay in Osaka, we met quite a few people who told us that the rent and hotel prices in Kyoto are driving people towards staying in Osaka and taking the train to Kyoto (the bullet from Shin-Osaka only takes 9 mins). I can see the positives of Osaka as it offers easy access to Kyoto, Himeji, Nara and Kobe and even Hiroshima at a push. It only has a much bigger 'fine' dining scene than most places in Japan. I also really enjoyed passing one afternoon in the aquarium. All this being said, Osaka wont beat the things to do in Tokyo or the atmosphere of Kyoto for me. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S7C Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 I'm in Osaka right now and fly home tomorrow Japan is undoubtedly my favourite country now. In fact, I've loved it so much that I'm considering applying for the working holiday visa after I save a bit of money when I get home. Osaka might not have as much to do as Tokyo etc., but the people have been much more outgoing and friendlier in my experience (don't get me wrong, the people in Tokyo were nice and very polite as you'd expect from the Japanese, but Osakans seem like they're more likely to strike up a conversation with you). Kind of reminds me of coming to Scotland from the south of England. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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