14 day JL pass for 12 day FUK-KYO-TYO trip?
May 31st, 2012, 02:38 PM
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14 day JL pass for 12 day FUK-KYO-TYO trip?
First off, a bit of thanks and aloha to camilwhitney and hawiiantraveler for some great info floating out there. Glad to read my proposed late November trip to Japan might get some decent weather! the great pics from camilwhitney especially gave me hope!
One question that I know you all get 100 times over is the JL pass. Wife and I are headed to Fukuoka -> Kyoto -> Tokyo arriving in Tokyo 11/12 or 11/13 depending on what airfare is cheap, leaving for sure 11/24 so, at least 11 days. I love sumo, so a full day at the basho and a day split between onward travel to Kyoto and seeing a bit of the city, so we have 9 days in Kyoto/Tokyo.
We're not big planners, but outside of having to see the November Tournament, Hirajuku, and a few temples who name escapes me, it'll be very organic, but we're busy bodies, so going here and there and back to here where we loved that one bar is about every night.
November looks to have moderate weather for lots of walking (both of us hike and do a lot of BC backpacking) Flight is looking like SFO-FUK and TYO-SFO so we are always headed east, not enough time to loop back, even in the shink is only 6.5 hrs from FUK to TYO according to google, and google also puts the cost of the Eastern trek at about $300 USD per person, here http://www.japan-rail-pass.com/train-japon/ they have a 7 day JL pass for $351 and a 14 day for $559.
All this is is summed up here: based on this info, would it make sense to get a 14 day so we can make use of JL trains in these three cities to get around? would reversing the cities make more sense and walk Tokyo (e.g. stay Central Tokyo) then use a 7 day pass? Out of pocket for all of it? I've never been on a train, so it has to be on a train!
sorry for the long post, hopefully you had some coffee and a snack to go with it!
thanks!
One question that I know you all get 100 times over is the JL pass. Wife and I are headed to Fukuoka -> Kyoto -> Tokyo arriving in Tokyo 11/12 or 11/13 depending on what airfare is cheap, leaving for sure 11/24 so, at least 11 days. I love sumo, so a full day at the basho and a day split between onward travel to Kyoto and seeing a bit of the city, so we have 9 days in Kyoto/Tokyo.
We're not big planners, but outside of having to see the November Tournament, Hirajuku, and a few temples who name escapes me, it'll be very organic, but we're busy bodies, so going here and there and back to here where we loved that one bar is about every night.
November looks to have moderate weather for lots of walking (both of us hike and do a lot of BC backpacking) Flight is looking like SFO-FUK and TYO-SFO so we are always headed east, not enough time to loop back, even in the shink is only 6.5 hrs from FUK to TYO according to google, and google also puts the cost of the Eastern trek at about $300 USD per person, here http://www.japan-rail-pass.com/train-japon/ they have a 7 day JL pass for $351 and a 14 day for $559.
All this is is summed up here: based on this info, would it make sense to get a 14 day so we can make use of JL trains in these three cities to get around? would reversing the cities make more sense and walk Tokyo (e.g. stay Central Tokyo) then use a 7 day pass? Out of pocket for all of it? I've never been on a train, so it has to be on a train!
sorry for the long post, hopefully you had some coffee and a snack to go with it!
thanks!
May 31st, 2012, 02:55 PM
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If traveling Hakata(Fukuoka) to Kyoto then Kyoto to Tokyo wouldn't require any pass. The cost would be about equal without a pass so you don't have to go thru the hassle of buying the voucher and redeeming it. You also get a chance to ride a nozomi shinkansen which I rate up there with the sumo basho,lol. That is imho of course.
Aloha!
Aloha!
May 31st, 2012, 07:06 PM
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As ht said above, if your trips from Fukuoka/Hakata to Kyoto and on to Tokyo are within seven days then a JR pass would just about break even but if you were planning a number of side trips on JR trains during your time in Japan it could be worthwhile.....such as Kyoto to Nara or Tokyo to Nikko, etc....although there are alternate ways to do those trips as well....
May 31st, 2012, 07:48 PM
#6
One thing for sure: you don't need a 14-day JR Pass. A JR Pass won't do you any good in Fukuoka or in Kyoto and it would be of marginal value in Tokyo.
The real value of a JR Pass is for intercity travel. I'm not sure what you meant by your "going here and there" comment. Does that mean that it is possible that one day in Kyoto you might decide you wanted to go down to Okayama and visit the castle and gardens there and then return to Kyoto? Or you realize that you passed Hiroshima on the way to Kyoto and decide you want to make a daytrip backtracking to Hiroshima from Kyoto?
The real value of a JR Pass is for intercity travel. I'm not sure what you meant by your "going here and there" comment. Does that mean that it is possible that one day in Kyoto you might decide you wanted to go down to Okayama and visit the castle and gardens there and then return to Kyoto? Or you realize that you passed Hiroshima on the way to Kyoto and decide you want to make a daytrip backtracking to Hiroshima from Kyoto?
Jun 1st, 2012, 07:59 AM
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Not much back tracking, but a lot of "all over the City we happen to be in" travel.
I'm think of perhaps reversing course and heading west so we can make a few more stops along the way and have the option of a 7 day JL Rail pass meaning we have our 4 days in Tokyo, using whatever travel needed, then have the next 7 days on the JL Pass and fly out of FUK to SFO.
but if it is only break even and might even be a bit more restrictive it sounds to be better to just pay as you go.
I'm think of perhaps reversing course and heading west so we can make a few more stops along the way and have the option of a 7 day JL Rail pass meaning we have our 4 days in Tokyo, using whatever travel needed, then have the next 7 days on the JL Pass and fly out of FUK to SFO.
but if it is only break even and might even be a bit more restrictive it sounds to be better to just pay as you go.
Jun 1st, 2012, 02:54 PM
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I did a similar train trip this spring - but I was able to use the JR Pass from Nagasaki to Fukuoka and at the end from Tokyo to Narita Airport - so that put me about 8000 JPY ahead using the Pass. I always make up a spreadsheet to figure it out....
Jun 4th, 2012, 08:45 AM
#11
The usefulness of a pass depends on your itinerary. If you stay on the shinkansen lines, as you described but with stops, then I might lean towards getting a pass.
The pass is restrictive in that it excludes Nozomi trains. For Tokyo to Kyoto, Nozomi trains depart every 15 to 20 minuts and take 140 minutes. Hikari trains, which can be used with the pass, depart every 30 minutes and take 160 minutes.
When your plan was to go straight through from Hakata to Kyoto just buying a ticket made good sense. If you make stops along the Sanyo line then using a 7-day pass starts looking better. If you also want to make stops between Tokyo and Kyoto, or maybe a side trip to Takayama or Kanazawa, then the pass is looking good.
The pass is restrictive in that it excludes Nozomi trains. For Tokyo to Kyoto, Nozomi trains depart every 15 to 20 minuts and take 140 minutes. Hikari trains, which can be used with the pass, depart every 30 minutes and take 160 minutes.
When your plan was to go straight through from Hakata to Kyoto just buying a ticket made good sense. If you make stops along the Sanyo line then using a 7-day pass starts looking better. If you also want to make stops between Tokyo and Kyoto, or maybe a side trip to Takayama or Kanazawa, then the pass is looking good.
