Places you should definitely visit while in Japan
- Thread starter Homerduff
- Start date
What follows are places that either I enjoyed or those traveling with me have enjoyed (e.g., work colleagues I took around as I'm the most familiar with the language and country, my wife (6+ times with me to that wonderful country now), and my parents (took them earlier in 2006).
- Nagasaki/Kyushu - went there for work in 2005 and found it (the people) to be completely different than the rest of Japan. A beautiful coastline, laid back atmosphere, and the bomb museum leaves you in awe
- Himeji - stunning castle
- Inuyama - Inu what? It's a smaller town outside of Nagoya with a castle. What makes this one special is that the castle is pretty original. Not the biggest, but it is unique
- Nara (or any place with those aggressive little deer) - fun time had by all
- Tsukiji Fish Market (Tokyo) - strange as it may seem, this is always a crowd pleaser. When you see all the seafood come through there, it makes you realize how many fish are in the oceans!
- Nikko - at the right time of year, the natural and man made beauty can't be beat
But probably my #1 thing is something I've mostly done by myself. I'm an avid cyclist and have taken my bike to Japan a few times. Nothing, and I mean nothing, beats finding remote country roads to pass through really small towns and to climb mountains. It's those places Westerners don't go to that give the true essence of Japan.
I still need to get to the northern reaches of Japan. A coworker spent 2 years in Hokkaido during college and has nothing but good things to say (except for those winters).
Have fun when you go and good luck with the planning. When I took my parents, we had the 7 day rail pass and were able to see Nikko, Kamakura, Kyoto , Nara, Himeji, and Hiroshima. It was a busy intinerary, but many places were simply day trips (used Tokyo, Osaka, and Hiroshima as bases).
- Nagasaki/Kyushu - went there for work in 2005 and found it (the people) to be completely different than the rest of Japan. A beautiful coastline, laid back atmosphere, and the bomb museum leaves you in awe
- Himeji - stunning castle
- Inuyama - Inu what? It's a smaller town outside of Nagoya with a castle. What makes this one special is that the castle is pretty original. Not the biggest, but it is unique
- Nara (or any place with those aggressive little deer) - fun time had by all
- Tsukiji Fish Market (Tokyo) - strange as it may seem, this is always a crowd pleaser. When you see all the seafood come through there, it makes you realize how many fish are in the oceans!
- Nikko - at the right time of year, the natural and man made beauty can't be beat
But probably my #1 thing is something I've mostly done by myself. I'm an avid cyclist and have taken my bike to Japan a few times. Nothing, and I mean nothing, beats finding remote country roads to pass through really small towns and to climb mountains. It's those places Westerners don't go to that give the true essence of Japan.
I still need to get to the northern reaches of Japan. A coworker spent 2 years in Hokkaido during college and has nothing but good things to say (except for those winters).
Have fun when you go and good luck with the planning. When I took my parents, we had the 7 day rail pass and were able to see Nikko, Kamakura, Kyoto , Nara, Himeji, and Hiroshima. It was a busy intinerary, but many places were simply day trips (used Tokyo, Osaka, and Hiroshima as bases).
Sukotto
先輩
- 9 Jul 2003
- 1,426
- 20
Either Nagasaki or Hiroshima for the Peace Parks/Atom Bomb museum, etc.
Definately.
Even if you already totally agree that the bomb should be eliminated
yesterday.
One thing you might want to consider for your time there is the Japan Rail Pass, especially if you plan to visit several cities over one of those weeks.
You can get a one--, two--, or three-week JR pass and ride any JR train anywhere in the country for that time, except trains in cities or subways.
However, you must purchase it before you leave for Japan, and you can start the pass at any time once you are in Japan by going to a JR office.
japanrailpass.net
You can get a pass for the entire country or just one section. When I went in 2003, we spent one week traveling from Nagasaki to Hokkaido and many places in between.
Definately.
Even if you already totally agree that the bomb should be eliminated
yesterday.
One thing you might want to consider for your time there is the Japan Rail Pass, especially if you plan to visit several cities over one of those weeks.
You can get a one--, two--, or three-week JR pass and ride any JR train anywhere in the country for that time, except trains in cities or subways.
However, you must purchase it before you leave for Japan, and you can start the pass at any time once you are in Japan by going to a JR office.
ジャパン・レール・パス | JAPAN RAIL PASS
日本観光になくてはならないJAPAN RAIL PASSは、JRグループ6社が共同して提供するパスです。
japanrailpass.net
You can get a pass for the entire country or just one section. When I went in 2003, we spent one week traveling from Nagasaki to Hokkaido and many places in between.
Homerduff
ケビン
- 2 Jan 2007
- 382
- 11
- Thread starter
- #4
wow I really appreciate your answers ! Thanks !
As im just a student, my budget is pretty tight. I could go for a 7 day rail pass at most. In my oppinion it would be waste of money for the tickets, to go to Japan and only see one or 2 cities..
I may consider landing in Hiroshima in place of Tokyo. And then I can travel further east/north to Kyoto, Osaka and a place called Okazaki where a school is situated which I would really like to visit. Pretty busy schedule for 7 days but you achieved in it so..
So after my pass has expired, I could settle myself in the region of Yokohama/Tokyo and spend my last week there. Much more time for 2 cities but they are also the biggest and for my first trip I think its important to get to know the capital city the most !
Nice.. im starting to get a vision on my trip ! If you have any other suggestions or think you should correct me, I would appreciate it a lot ! I dont have any experience actually with travelling, it would be my first travel on my own. I know Japan is a big step to start with but im so interested in it. Im already learning the language..
As im just a student, my budget is pretty tight. I could go for a 7 day rail pass at most. In my oppinion it would be waste of money for the tickets, to go to Japan and only see one or 2 cities..
I may consider landing in Hiroshima in place of Tokyo. And then I can travel further east/north to Kyoto, Osaka and a place called Okazaki where a school is situated which I would really like to visit. Pretty busy schedule for 7 days but you achieved in it so..
So after my pass has expired, I could settle myself in the region of Yokohama/Tokyo and spend my last week there. Much more time for 2 cities but they are also the biggest and for my first trip I think its important to get to know the capital city the most !
Nice.. im starting to get a vision on my trip ! If you have any other suggestions or think you should correct me, I would appreciate it a lot ! I dont have any experience actually with travelling, it would be my first travel on my own. I know Japan is a big step to start with but im so interested in it. Im already learning the language..
- 5 Feb 2005
- 7,694
- 627
Kansai region, the reason for this is because you have Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Kobe, and Himeji within a distance of 1.5 hour.
Other than that I think Hiroshima is great for 3 days (1 day in Miyajima).
(There are too many nice places in Japan, so it really depends what you like yourself)
Other than that I think Hiroshima is great for 3 days (1 day in Miyajima).
(There are too many nice places in Japan, so it really depends what you like yourself)
Homerduff
ケビン
- 2 Jan 2007
- 382
- 11
- Thread starter
- #6
thanks for the answer..
I made a small plan already, based on what I read on the internet and my preferences. and also some things suggested here..
day 1 / Hiroshima. visit to peace park + museum. sleeping at hiroshima.
day 2 / Hiroshima. with ferry (free thanks to rail pass !) visiting Miyajima.
Itsukushima shrine and the mountain Misen. Also hoping to see some animals there like monkeys. sleeping at hiroshima.
day 3 / Hiroshima. taking shinkansen to Osaka but getting of at Himeji.
visiting castle + gardens. taking shinkansen further to Osaka and sleeping there.
day 4 / Osaka. kinda rest day, visiting the city and relax. visiting minami part. Sleeping in Osaka.
day 5 / Osaka. shinkansen to Kyoto. visiting sanjusangendo building with all the statues + golden kinkakuji temple . Sleeping at Kyoto.
day 6 / Kyoto. shinkansen to Nagoya. visiting the city + toyota museum (for friend). Sleeping at Nagoya.
day 7 / Nagoya. shinkansen to Yokohama (kinda long trip). looking out of the train window to mount fuji hehe. relaxing in Yokohama when arriving there. Sleeping at Yokohama.
day 8 / Yokohama. visiting the minato mirai 21 part. visiting landmark tower for a great sight over the city. sleeping at Yokohama.
day 9 / Yokohama. going to Tokyo. having fun in the shinjuku part of the city. sleeping at Tokyo.
day 10 / Tokyo. visiting the tsukiji market + shibuya part. sleeping at Tokyo.
day 11 / Tokyo. visiting some more hehe, looking for some gifts if theres still money left ! sleeping at Tokyo.
day 12 / Tokyo. going back home.
hmm the first week will be kinda hectic but as I will take a rail pass for only 7 days, I will need to hurry. I havent really calculated the time that the shinkansen takes to go from one city to another so I may have made a big miscalculation ! Anyway does this look like a nice and overall cheap schedule ?
in total it would cost me 1170 euros or 1,524 americain dollars for tickets, accomodation and tourist place prices which is barely nothing. So I will still have enough left for food and some gifts..
Anyway this would be more or less my travel program IF I really want to visit as much as cities in Japan. As its my first travel to Japan, and im planning more in the next years, I may decide to visit lets say Tokyo + Yokohama for 2 weeks. I wont have to buy a rail pass then. But I feel its a shame to spoil so much money on fly tickets, if only you are visiting a small part of that country. But then again visiting a lot of cities with just seeing a small part may not be smart either.
Any suggestions are much appreciated !
I made a small plan already, based on what I read on the internet and my preferences. and also some things suggested here..
day 1 / Hiroshima. visit to peace park + museum. sleeping at hiroshima.
day 2 / Hiroshima. with ferry (free thanks to rail pass !) visiting Miyajima.
Itsukushima shrine and the mountain Misen. Also hoping to see some animals there like monkeys. sleeping at hiroshima.
day 3 / Hiroshima. taking shinkansen to Osaka but getting of at Himeji.
visiting castle + gardens. taking shinkansen further to Osaka and sleeping there.
day 4 / Osaka. kinda rest day, visiting the city and relax. visiting minami part. Sleeping in Osaka.
day 5 / Osaka. shinkansen to Kyoto. visiting sanjusangendo building with all the statues + golden kinkakuji temple . Sleeping at Kyoto.
day 6 / Kyoto. shinkansen to Nagoya. visiting the city + toyota museum (for friend). Sleeping at Nagoya.
day 7 / Nagoya. shinkansen to Yokohama (kinda long trip). looking out of the train window to mount fuji hehe. relaxing in Yokohama when arriving there. Sleeping at Yokohama.
day 8 / Yokohama. visiting the minato mirai 21 part. visiting landmark tower for a great sight over the city. sleeping at Yokohama.
day 9 / Yokohama. going to Tokyo. having fun in the shinjuku part of the city. sleeping at Tokyo.
day 10 / Tokyo. visiting the tsukiji market + shibuya part. sleeping at Tokyo.
day 11 / Tokyo. visiting some more hehe, looking for some gifts if theres still money left ! sleeping at Tokyo.
day 12 / Tokyo. going back home.
hmm the first week will be kinda hectic but as I will take a rail pass for only 7 days, I will need to hurry. I havent really calculated the time that the shinkansen takes to go from one city to another so I may have made a big miscalculation ! Anyway does this look like a nice and overall cheap schedule ?
in total it would cost me 1170 euros or 1,524 americain dollars for tickets, accomodation and tourist place prices which is barely nothing. So I will still have enough left for food and some gifts..
Anyway this would be more or less my travel program IF I really want to visit as much as cities in Japan. As its my first travel to Japan, and im planning more in the next years, I may decide to visit lets say Tokyo + Yokohama for 2 weeks. I wont have to buy a rail pass then. But I feel its a shame to spoil so much money on fly tickets, if only you are visiting a small part of that country. But then again visiting a lot of cities with just seeing a small part may not be smart either.
Any suggestions are much appreciated !
Last edited:
- 18 Jan 2005
- 11,682
- 3,643
A method to stay cheaply in Hiroshima.
Hiroshima
Yamato Onsen Monogatari
http://www.yamato-onsen.com/area/area3_1.html
"A YUTTARI course"
It is 1,600 yen for use time ten hours.
You can sleep in a large room.
Other, a capsule hotel of Hiroshima.
http://www4.ocn.ne.jp/~koshigoe/kenko/ken/hirosima/index.html
Hiroshima guest house
J-Hoppers Hiroshima
http://hiroshimahostel.jp/index.htm
Japan's cheapest ONSEN RYOKAN
ﾂ静ｧ窶佚｣窶彡窶ｰﾂｷﾂ静ｲ窶板ｷﾅ?ﾃ (Chiyoda ONSEN RYOKAN)
It is crowded at a rate of breakfast and supper.
2,500 yen.
サービス終了のお知らせ
Hiroshima
Yamato Onsen Monogatari
http://www.yamato-onsen.com/area/area3_1.html
"A YUTTARI course"
It is 1,600 yen for use time ten hours.
You can sleep in a large room.
Other, a capsule hotel of Hiroshima.
http://www4.ocn.ne.jp/~koshigoe/kenko/ken/hirosima/index.html
Hiroshima guest house
J-Hoppers Hiroshima
http://hiroshimahostel.jp/index.htm
Japan's cheapest ONSEN RYOKAN
ﾂ静ｧ窶佚｣窶彡窶ｰﾂｷﾂ静ｲ窶板ｷﾅ?ﾃ (Chiyoda ONSEN RYOKAN)
It is crowded at a rate of breakfast and supper.
2,500 yen.
サービス終了のお知らせ
Hi,
good to see that you are forming an idea of what to do. It's exciting i'll bet.
One major suggestion is that you don't bother with the night in Nagoya. I'm sure the Toyota thing could be done by popping in on your way through on the train. You'd be better having more time in Kyoto and seeing the masses of stuff there. One day in Kyoto is probably not going to be enough (unless you are not a big fan of temples and such). If you are a fan, I'd be tempted to have an extra day there rather than Osaka as well.
While in Kyoto, you can use the JR buses with your rail pass. There are routes that go up to the Golden Pavillion and the other temple up there with the famous Zen rock garden (sorry I can't remember the name Ryoan ji or similar).
Your schedule doesn't sound that hectic so I wouldn't worry about that. And for the train times, you can download the shinkansen timetables off the JR web site before you go. I'll dig up the link and send it to you later. From memory, it's 4 hours from Okayama to Tokyo on the Hikari rail star (fastest you can use with the rail pass).
i agree that himeji is well worth seeing, as are the gardens adjacent to the main castle. you can get entry to both on a combi ticket that saves money. Also, when you go to the castle, keep an eye open for any of the free goodwill gides. These friendly and informative locals give you a guided tour, well worth it.
Make sure you take the right ferry to miyajima island as there is one run by JR and another run by someone else who won't accept your rail pass. It would also be worth finding out what time the high tide is at so that you see the water underneath the temple and the Tori gate out to sea. i went at low tide and I think the view was probably not as good.
Hope this helps!
Amos
good to see that you are forming an idea of what to do. It's exciting i'll bet.
One major suggestion is that you don't bother with the night in Nagoya. I'm sure the Toyota thing could be done by popping in on your way through on the train. You'd be better having more time in Kyoto and seeing the masses of stuff there. One day in Kyoto is probably not going to be enough (unless you are not a big fan of temples and such). If you are a fan, I'd be tempted to have an extra day there rather than Osaka as well.
While in Kyoto, you can use the JR buses with your rail pass. There are routes that go up to the Golden Pavillion and the other temple up there with the famous Zen rock garden (sorry I can't remember the name Ryoan ji or similar).
Your schedule doesn't sound that hectic so I wouldn't worry about that. And for the train times, you can download the shinkansen timetables off the JR web site before you go. I'll dig up the link and send it to you later. From memory, it's 4 hours from Okayama to Tokyo on the Hikari rail star (fastest you can use with the rail pass).
i agree that himeji is well worth seeing, as are the gardens adjacent to the main castle. you can get entry to both on a combi ticket that saves money. Also, when you go to the castle, keep an eye open for any of the free goodwill gides. These friendly and informative locals give you a guided tour, well worth it.
Make sure you take the right ferry to miyajima island as there is one run by JR and another run by someone else who won't accept your rail pass. It would also be worth finding out what time the high tide is at so that you see the water underneath the temple and the Tori gate out to sea. i went at low tide and I think the view was probably not as good.
Hope this helps!
Amos
Harvey
先輩
- 10 Jun 2002
- 466
- 9
Naoshima is pretty awesome if you have a few days to spare and are in the Kansai region!
Some links in here.
Naoshima ArtJapannewbie.com
Also, you might want to try going to Miyazaki Hayao's Gibili museum. It's not so far from Tokyo, and I heard nowadays that if you go on a weekday, you don't need to reserve months in advance.
Hey also if you are in Tokyo, chances are you will pass by Meguro. It's not especially "Japanese" per say, but the ONLY parasite museum in the WORLD happens to be in Meguro.
Prasite Museum - Japannewbie.com
It's worth a peep if you're into that sort of thing!
Some links in here.
Naoshima ArtJapannewbie.com
Also, you might want to try going to Miyazaki Hayao's Gibili museum. It's not so far from Tokyo, and I heard nowadays that if you go on a weekday, you don't need to reserve months in advance.
Hey also if you are in Tokyo, chances are you will pass by Meguro. It's not especially "Japanese" per say, but the ONLY parasite museum in the WORLD happens to be in Meguro.
Prasite Museum - Japannewbie.com
It's worth a peep if you're into that sort of thing!
Homerduff
ケビン
- 2 Jan 2007
- 382
- 11
- Thread starter
- #11
I was actually also thinking that spending a whole day in Nagoya may be waste of time im compare with the other cities I will visit (based on information on the web, the city isnt that interesting ?). But how long will I have to travell with the shinkansen from Kyoto to Yokohama ? Its a pretty big distance. Indeed I could get off in Nagoya to visit the toyota thing, and take a shinkansen back to Yokohama. I will take a look to the shinkansen time tables as you suggested..
And yeah I read that Kyoto is a very interesting city with a lot of culture, so Im definetly interested in spending 2 days there.
oh not hectic ? I think im underestimating the speed of the shinkansen ! wow only 4 hours from Okayama to Tokyo, indeed I could see even more things.
Thanks for the tip ! I also think its worth seeing. It will also be nice to visit a more quiet and smaller city..
I was happily surprised that the JR pass also covered this particular ferry trip ! I will watch out to take the right ferry, thanks. And yes I read about it, I will definetly take note of the high tide time..
Thanks a lot for all the information ! I feel a lot more settled now ! Ofcourse its not complete yet, I still have enough time, this is somewhat the way I would like to have it. Maybe I can spend some more days in Tokyo, cause I actually planned to stay in Japan for 2 weeks. We will see !
Noted ! Still have to look up a lot on Tokyo..
Thanks
Last edited:
leonmarino
Back
- 19 May 2006
- 1,258
- 64
Off topic?
It seems like few people ever recommend going to Touhoku or Hokkaido .. Why is that? I've never been there myself either, but I saw some interesting documentaries about those regions and I wish to go there at least a couple of times before I die.
Maybe off-topic, but I just had to ask.
It seems like few people ever recommend going to Touhoku or Hokkaido .. Why is that? I've never been there myself either, but I saw some interesting documentaries about those regions and I wish to go there at least a couple of times before I die.
Maybe off-topic, but I just had to ask.
Sukotto
先輩
- 9 Jul 2003
- 1,426
- 20
ok, then I will.
I always wanted to go to Hokkaido just because it always seemed ignored.
in 2003 I went w/a friend. it was June so we went hiking up a hill in the small ski resort town of Niseko. It was fun. Shinkansen ended at Hachinohe so the trains got progressively smaller as the trip went on. The last leg was a 2 car train with 1/2 a dozen or so people. Omoshirokatta!
I've heard Sapparo has a winter festival with extravagant ice carvings
and has really wide streets compared to the rest of Japan. Maybe that is worth a visit?
Also I noticed on one website that Hokkaido has a lot of Youth Hostels.
I always wanted to go to Hokkaido just because it always seemed ignored.
in 2003 I went w/a friend. it was June so we went hiking up a hill in the small ski resort town of Niseko. It was fun. Shinkansen ended at Hachinohe so the trains got progressively smaller as the trip went on. The last leg was a 2 car train with 1/2 a dozen or so people. Omoshirokatta!
I've heard Sapparo has a winter festival with extravagant ice carvings
and has really wide streets compared to the rest of Japan. Maybe that is worth a visit?
Also I noticed on one website that Hokkaido has a lot of Youth Hostels.
- 18 Oct 2004
- 2,497
- 110
A friend went up to Hokkaido about a year or so ago and he said that there isn't much there to lure tourists. I wouldn't mind going there to see the snow festival.
Homerduff
ケビン
- 2 Jan 2007
- 382
- 11
- Thread starter
- #15
I found out that landing in Hiroshima would be to expensive, because the amount of flights landing there is simply to small to find any cheap ones. So I could land in Osaka, and from there visit Himeji and Hiroshima. Afterwards taking the shinkansen to Kyoto and continue my trip south of Osaka..
hmm I think it looks pretty nice, but because I dont have any experience with travelling (I have never taken a plane before !) im still not shure whether I will do this. I may also go for a 2 week city trip to Tokyo and Yokohama, which would be a lot more relaxing and I shouldn worry about finding all the youth hostels I will staying at and taken a shinkansen on time. AND I would save money on the JR pass..
It also wont be my first and only trip to Japan. im so interested in the country that I will definetly try to visit it more times after. Im also interested in learning japanese in a japanese language school for one year (in three years already maybe). And eventually I would like to work in Japan as product designer, but ofcourse theres still a long way to go... =)
I will think about what I will do. going for the long stressy trip but see many things, or go for the steady city trip to Tokyo. As being only 17 years old, I might be more interested in city life. Maybe I will enjoy visiting Hiroshima and Himije more when im older. I still have plenty of time left to think about it..
Thanks again for all the help ! I will definetly come back for more advice/information about Japan !
Arigatou Gosaimasu ! ありがとう ごいさます ！
hmm I think it looks pretty nice, but because I dont have any experience with travelling (I have never taken a plane before !) im still not shure whether I will do this. I may also go for a 2 week city trip to Tokyo and Yokohama, which would be a lot more relaxing and I shouldn worry about finding all the youth hostels I will staying at and taken a shinkansen on time. AND I would save money on the JR pass..
It also wont be my first and only trip to Japan. im so interested in the country that I will definetly try to visit it more times after. Im also interested in learning japanese in a japanese language school for one year (in three years already maybe). And eventually I would like to work in Japan as product designer, but ofcourse theres still a long way to go... =)
I will think about what I will do. going for the long stressy trip but see many things, or go for the steady city trip to Tokyo. As being only 17 years old, I might be more interested in city life. Maybe I will enjoy visiting Hiroshima and Himije more when im older. I still have plenty of time left to think about it..
Thanks again for all the help ! I will definetly come back for more advice/information about Japan !
Arigatou Gosaimasu ! ありがとう ごいさます ！
Homer
don't worry about travelling in Japan. It is the easiest country to travel in I've been to, especially if you are just doing the touristy places. The signs are in English and get this, on the shinkansen they have annoucements in English as well! Talk about great service.
Glad that you are steering away from Nagoya. There really are better places to visit first I think.
I can't post links yet so I've PM'd the links for the timetables to you. Looks like I was right about the times. And Yokohama from Nagoya is a little under 2 hrs by the look at it.
Have you thought about just landing in Tokyo (not certain, but I'd think it's the cheapest option). From there you can rocket down to see the places of interest. The rail pass is a good idea too particularly if you get a book by Ramsey Zarifeh "Japan by Rail" He sets out some great itineries, including a 2 weeker that maximises the use of the rail pass. It also has lots of really cool tips for train travelling that mean you'll ahve no probs getting around. Have a look at some of my previous posts as I ran through the itinery I used on my first trip - it covered most of the places you are interested in and really gave a flavour of the country. If you want more time in tokyo than I had, then skip the trip to Matsumoto.
Any questions please let me know
Amos
don't worry about travelling in Japan. It is the easiest country to travel in I've been to, especially if you are just doing the touristy places. The signs are in English and get this, on the shinkansen they have annoucements in English as well! Talk about great service.
Glad that you are steering away from Nagoya. There really are better places to visit first I think.
I can't post links yet so I've PM'd the links for the timetables to you. Looks like I was right about the times. And Yokohama from Nagoya is a little under 2 hrs by the look at it.
Have you thought about just landing in Tokyo (not certain, but I'd think it's the cheapest option). From there you can rocket down to see the places of interest. The rail pass is a good idea too particularly if you get a book by Ramsey Zarifeh "Japan by Rail" He sets out some great itineries, including a 2 weeker that maximises the use of the rail pass. It also has lots of really cool tips for train travelling that mean you'll ahve no probs getting around. Have a look at some of my previous posts as I ran through the itinery I used on my first trip - it covered most of the places you are interested in and really gave a flavour of the country. If you want more time in tokyo than I had, then skip the trip to Matsumoto.
Any questions please let me know
Amos
Homerduff
ケビン
- 2 Jan 2007
- 382
- 11
- Thread starter
- #17
Hi Amos,
I see you landed in Tokyo and travelled south up to Hiroshima and then took the shinkansen back to Tokyo. I was also thinking about this, and yes I would get the cheapest flighttickets (around 800 euros, which I had planned already). How long is the trip from Hiroshima back to Tokyo ?
Anyway im glad to see someone did it so it should be doingable.
did you have a one or two-week JR pass ?
Again thanks for giving me the shinkansen time tables via PM. I really appreciate the effort you do for helping out people like me..
I see you landed in Tokyo and travelled south up to Hiroshima and then took the shinkansen back to Tokyo. I was also thinking about this, and yes I would get the cheapest flighttickets (around 800 euros, which I had planned already). How long is the trip from Hiroshima back to Tokyo ?
Anyway im glad to see someone did it so it should be doingable.
did you have a one or two-week JR pass ?
Again thanks for giving me the shinkansen time tables via PM. I really appreciate the effort you do for helping out people like me..
No problem with the helping, it's nice to relive the excitement of planning a trip
I had a two week rail pass and more than made the expenditure worth it. You also get the narita express from the airport to tokyo and most overland lines in tokyo on the pass, so it's well worth it.
As for the times, have a look on the rail timetables I sent you. Horoshima to Tokyo was a long trip (I wouldn't have wanted any longer) but say 5 hrs from memory. You have to change trains at Osaka i think. You could always break the trip by say going from Kyoto to Hiroshima and then stopping off in Osaka on the way back. The aquarium there was pretty special.
On the rail pass you can't use Nozomi - marked N on the timetables. Avoid the slow old Kodomas and stick to the Hikari Rail star - your best friend.
Anyway, hopefully it's given you some more to mull over. You can book hotels online before you go (and there are always some business hotels near to stations for easy). If you are travelling with a friend you can usually get twin rooms for about ﾂ｣30 per person a night - ensuit. More than a hostel, but obviously get the comfort.
Cheers
Amos
I had a two week rail pass and more than made the expenditure worth it. You also get the narita express from the airport to tokyo and most overland lines in tokyo on the pass, so it's well worth it.
As for the times, have a look on the rail timetables I sent you. Horoshima to Tokyo was a long trip (I wouldn't have wanted any longer) but say 5 hrs from memory. You have to change trains at Osaka i think. You could always break the trip by say going from Kyoto to Hiroshima and then stopping off in Osaka on the way back. The aquarium there was pretty special.
On the rail pass you can't use Nozomi - marked N on the timetables. Avoid the slow old Kodomas and stick to the Hikari Rail star - your best friend.
Anyway, hopefully it's given you some more to mull over. You can book hotels online before you go (and there are always some business hotels near to stations for easy). If you are travelling with a friend you can usually get twin rooms for about ﾂ｣30 per person a night - ensuit. More than a hostel, but obviously get the comfort.
Cheers
Amos
Homerduff
ケビン
- 2 Jan 2007
- 382
- 11
- Thread starter
- #19
Im currently shure of a budget of at least1250 euros (838 pounds) of my own, so the tickets + 2 week JR pass would leave me with 150 euros (100 pounds). It should be ok as im planning to work in July and go in August-September (the return ticket may be cheaper when I return in September ? I cant leave in September cause my school will start around the 13th).
I found a really great (in dutch) website about youth hostels in Japan. Comfort isnt really important to me. As long as the beds are big enough (im rather tall in compare with the normal japanese measurements) and its clean. I know the price range more or less already. Anyway I would be glad to hear your advices about good hostels/business hotels in the cities you went !
I found a really great (in dutch) website about youth hostels in Japan. Comfort isnt really important to me. As long as the beds are big enough (im rather tall in compare with the normal japanese measurements) and its clean. I know the price range more or less already. Anyway I would be glad to hear your advices about good hostels/business hotels in the cities you went !
senseiman
先輩
- 24 Jun 2003
- 679
- 47
This looks like a pretty good plan. My only suggestions would be to consider trying to add another day to your stay in Kyoto. There is just so much to see there that you'd really be missing a lot if you only budgeted one day there. I would consider skipping either Osaka or Nagoya, there isn't a lot to see in those cities and you already have several days budgeted for Yokohama and Tokyo, which is where you will get the best experience of modern Japanese urban city life. Not that I have anything against Osaka or Nagoya, they are both really great cities for a variety of reasons, but I think that from the perspective of someone with only two weeks to spend you'd be better off sticking to a Hiroshima - Kyoto - Yokohama/Tokyo itinerary.
About Himeji, I am heavily biased in favor of it because I lived there for 4 years, so I say that is a good way to spend a day. Though I have to admit that other than the castle the city doesn't offer much to the visitor. The garden next to the castle is nice, but there are WAY better ones in Kyoto and other cities on you schedule.
Reggie, I was just looking at your website - nice pictures
Makes me want to plan my own trip
think I may have to make a start on that!Amos
maushan3
Back home
- 1 Feb 2007
- 600
- 23
If you are on a budget, you might want to consider going by thumb. I've seen train prices and it is very expensive. So, why not hitchhike. Of course, I would never do this in Mexico and probably not in the U.S. but I've heard many good stories about hitchhiking in Japan. There's even an article on going by thumb in Japan in wikitravel.
Mauricio
Mauricio
