Advice from Transportation Experts
 

Hello! I have my itinerary finalized and all hotels booked for my first visit to Japan this November (thank you too all who helped me with this!). I am not used to public transportation, so it has been difficult for me to figure out transportation arrangements for all of my upcoming travels during the trip. I'd like to have as detailed of an outline as I can, to make it less confusing for me come November. The following days in my itinerary, are days that I will be traveling. Based on earlier feedback, this is what I have come up with: (please let me know if there are more efficient options or if I have made any planning mistakes)

Day 2: Narita Airport to Tokyo
- Narita Airport to Tokyo Station: JR Narita Express NEX, 60 minutes, (¥3,000)
- Tokyo Station to Shinbashi Station: Taxi, 10 minutes

Day 5: Roundtrip to Nikko
- Shimbashi Station to Tokyo Station: JR, 2 minutes, Kanto Area Pass (¥8,300)
- Tokyo Station to Utsunomiya Station: SHINKANSEN, 50 minutes, (KAP)
- Utsunomiya Station to Nikko Station: JR Nikko Line, 50 minutes, (KAP)

Day 6: Shimbashi Station to Lake Kawaguchiko
- Shimbashi Station to Tokyo Station: JR, 2 minutes, (covered with KAP)
- Tokyo Station to Mitaka Station: JR Chuo Line Rapid Service, 30 minutes, (covered with KAP)
- Mitaka Station to Otsuki Station: LTD. EXP, 50 minutes, (covered with KAP)
- Otsuki Station to Kawaguchiko Station: Fujikyu Railway, 50 minutes, (covered with KAP)

Day 7: Lake Kawaguchiko to Kyoto
- Kawaguchiko Station to Otsuki Station: Fujikyu Railway, 45 minutes, (covered with KAP)
- Otsuki Station to Hachioji Station: LTD. EXP, 30 minutes, (covered with KAP)
- Hachioji Station to Shin-Yokohama Station: JR Yokohama, 40 minutes, (covered with KAP)
- Shin-Yokohama Station to Kyoto Station: SHINKANSEN NOZOMI, 120 minutes, (¥18,030 – Green Seat)

Day 10: Roundtrip to Nara (with stop at Fushimi Inari Shrine)
- Hotel to Fushimi Inari Shrine: Taxi, 10 minutes
- Fushimiinari Station to Tofukuji Station: Keihan Main/Nakanoshima Line Local, 5 minutes, (¥150)
- Tofukuji to Nara Station: JR Nara Line Rapid Service, 45 minutes, (¥710)

Day 11: Kyoto Mt Koya
- Kyoto Station to Osaka Station: JR Special Rapid Service, 30 minutes, (¥920)
- Osaka Station to Shinimamiya Station: Osaka Loop Line(Inner loop), 20 minutes, (included in Kyoto to OsakafFare)
- Shinimamiya Station to Gokurakubashi Station: LTD. EXP, 77 minutes, (¥1,650)
- Gokurakubashi Station to Koyasan: Nankai Koyasan Cable Car, 5 minutes, (¥390)

Day 12: MT Koya to Kansai Airport
- Koyasan to Gokurakubashi Station: Nankai Koyasan Cable Car, 5 minutes, (¥390)
- Gokurakubashi Station to Tengachaya Station: LTD. EXP, 80 minutes, (¥1,650)
- Tengachaya Station to Kansai Airport: Nankai Airport Exp, 40 minutes, (¥920)

That looks familiar. You were looking for a place to stop on the way to Kyoto. Hachioji might be worth a stop, tho I don't remember why.

I think my main confusion is whether or not the KAP covers all of the travel on Days 5, 6, and part of 7.

From your earlier thread:
"The Kanto Area Pass is a clear winner, I think, not just on the ballpark price, but you would be able to use the shinkansen for Nikko and a limited express enroute to Kawaguchiko. And you get full use of the 3 days."
"That KAP was designed for your trip."

Hikone is probably not a good idea as you would be getting there later in the afternoon.

Hi everyone..

Actually I just want to ask you guys..

I will be traveling to Japan in October for 9 days and will be arriving and leaving in/from Tokyo. I don't have any fixed plan yet but will visit Osaka, Kyoto, and Gotemba (both for sightseeing of the Mt. Fuji and shopping). Is it worth it for me to buy the JR Pass? I really have no idea on how much I will spend on trains and busses.. Please help me... And where can you find the buss and subway fare? Thank you all

julianaoctavia, the answer is probably yes.

The 7-day JR Pass is about ¥29,000 with free seat reservations (worth at least ¥600).

A round-trip between Tokyo and Osaka without seat reservations would cost about ¥27,200, so you are definitely in the ballpark.

Are you flying to or from Narita Airport. If so, then you can use the JR Pass one way between Tokyo and Narita. There are also some JR trains in Tokyo and Osaka where you would be able to use the pass (though the fares are cheap).

But lay out your daily travel plan, please, like:
Day 1: Arrive NRT, night in Tokyo
Day 2: Tokyo
Day 3: Tokyo-Osaka, night in Osaka
...

Subways are cheap. City buses are cheap but you probably won't need to use them.

Gotemba can be reached via JR. That is ¥1,940 each way, so that puts you over the top for getting a JR Pass, even if you don't use JR for the airport.

btw, Narita Airport to Tokyo would be about ¥2,700 each way

Another approach is a series of a la carte packages:

- Round-trip from Narita Airport to anywhere in the Tokyo area for ¥4,000 -- see http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_nex.html

- Round-trip from Tokyo to Kyoto for ¥21,600 (using Nozomi, which you can't use with the JR Pass) -- see http://www.japanican.com/en/tour/det...U&kw=E-Voucher

- Round-trip from Tokyo to Gotemba is less than ¥4,000

That's just about the same price as a 7-day JR pass, and with the JR pass you'd have to add a 1-way trip to or from NRT.

"Day 10: Roundtrip to Nara (with stop at Fushimi Inari Shrine)"

Since Fushimi Inara is open 24/7, and many places in Nara are not, you might want to time your visit to Fushimi Inari for hours outside of opening hours elsewhere. I visited at sunset, which was IMO a wonderful time to see it!

Thank you mrwunrfl... Appreciate it... I will arrive at Narita and depart from Haneda.. Any suggestion on itinerary perhaps? Thank you

You have Tokyo, Kyoto, Gotemba, and Osaka on your itin. Without any knowledge about Tokyo and Kyoto it is easy to put those on any Japan itinerary. You have specific reasons for Gotemba, shopping and to see Fuji-san.

Why is Osaka on YOUR itinerary?

Have you considered visiting Nara? Seeing the castle in Himeji? Or visiting Hiroshima?

Where are you staying on your first night in Japan?

Hi mrwunrfl...

To be honest I don't know yet on the first night.. At first I planned to stay in Tokyo, but my friend said that it would be better to travel to osaka first.. I still do not know where to start in building my Itin. I would arrive in Tokyo like around 9 am. My friend and I basically just a couple of "tourists". We like to visit as many place as we could.. That's why Osaka is on the list. Actually, we would like to visit Kyoto instead, but again some people who have already been there told us to stay in Osaka and we can take daytrips to Kyoto and Nara.. But I will reconsider to stay in Kyoto instead of Osaka if it is not really efficient for my trip... Is there any other suggestion? I am totally clueless here... Need so much help!!!

Thanks

I noticed you received a lot of good advice on another thread you started in January. I think your best bet is to start another thread with your current questions, rather than piggyback on this one which other folks might not be reading anymore.

Did you peruse japan-guide.com as recommended? Many of your questions would find an answer there.

Osaka is not really efficient for your trip - as you have outlined it. The advice you got on Osaka was either about saving a few yen on lodging or about a different kind of trip where basing in Osaka makes sense. You have homework to do at the link that Mara gave.

>>To be honest I don't know yet on the first night..

Figure that out first and work from there.