JP rail pass - worth for this itinerary?
Jan 17th, 2005, 04:54 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
JP rail pass - worth for this itinerary?
Hi,
We just gave-up Kioto (sadly, saved for other longer stay)for our first visit to Japan, and rather focus on Tokyo(late feb), However, considering airport transfer costs and scheduled day trips. do you think that a 7-d JR pass would be cost efficient? pls. revise our proposed itinerary as follows:
Feb-23 Arrive to Narita at 16:00 - plan to browse Akasaka / Shinjuku for the evening.
Feb-24 Fish Mkt - Imperial Palace - Asakusa
Feb-25/Feb-26 Day Trips to Nikko and/or Kamakura (heavy coat)
Feb-27 Ueno Park (some museum browsing) + Ginza or Shinjuku
Feb-28 Still Open for suggestions. pls. advice/help
Mar-01 Departing
We just gave-up Kioto (sadly, saved for other longer stay)for our first visit to Japan, and rather focus on Tokyo(late feb), However, considering airport transfer costs and scheduled day trips. do you think that a 7-d JR pass would be cost efficient? pls. revise our proposed itinerary as follows:
Feb-23 Arrive to Narita at 16:00 - plan to browse Akasaka / Shinjuku for the evening.
Feb-24 Fish Mkt - Imperial Palace - Asakusa
Feb-25/Feb-26 Day Trips to Nikko and/or Kamakura (heavy coat)
Feb-27 Ueno Park (some museum browsing) + Ginza or Shinjuku
Feb-28 Still Open for suggestions. pls. advice/help
Mar-01 Departing
Jan 18th, 2005, 02:10 AM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 574
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bonjour jcontreras,
Don't bother with the railpass, you need the subway and private railways lines rather than JR (for Nikko, best connection is through Kintetsu line from Asakusa).
Feb 23: there is hardly anything to see in Akasaka, and it will be night by the time you arrive to your hotel (count 1 hour out of the airport and 1 more at least to your hotel).
24: plan fishmarket and Asakusa, maybe via waterbus on the Sumida river. Lots to see in and around Asakusa. In case of bad weather, consider visiting Edo-Tokyo museum. Keep the palace for another time (not much to see anyway, especially at this season).
Another option is fish market, Ginza (rice gallery, Toto kitchen and recipes gallery, Yamaha musical instruments gallery, Itoya paper shop, ...), and maybe the palace.
25-26: 1 daytrip and/or one of the myriad free places you find in Pompian's book "Tokyo for Free"
27: if you do Ueno Park and museum(s) (Shitamachi museum along Shinobazu pond is especially nice - see how the townfolk used to live until approx. WWII), you might stay in the area and visit Yanaka with its traditional houses, temples, craft shops, and shopping streets.
28: more from "Tokyo for free" (if the weather is clear, check the view from the City Hall observation deck in Shinjuku). Bad weather ? why not visit "OEdo Onsen Monogatari" for a hot springs experience ? http://www.tcvb.or.jp/en/hot/sizzling/0302/onsen.htm
Don't bother with the railpass, you need the subway and private railways lines rather than JR (for Nikko, best connection is through Kintetsu line from Asakusa).
Feb 23: there is hardly anything to see in Akasaka, and it will be night by the time you arrive to your hotel (count 1 hour out of the airport and 1 more at least to your hotel).
24: plan fishmarket and Asakusa, maybe via waterbus on the Sumida river. Lots to see in and around Asakusa. In case of bad weather, consider visiting Edo-Tokyo museum. Keep the palace for another time (not much to see anyway, especially at this season).
Another option is fish market, Ginza (rice gallery, Toto kitchen and recipes gallery, Yamaha musical instruments gallery, Itoya paper shop, ...), and maybe the palace.
25-26: 1 daytrip and/or one of the myriad free places you find in Pompian's book "Tokyo for Free"
27: if you do Ueno Park and museum(s) (Shitamachi museum along Shinobazu pond is especially nice - see how the townfolk used to live until approx. WWII), you might stay in the area and visit Yanaka with its traditional houses, temples, craft shops, and shopping streets.
28: more from "Tokyo for free" (if the weather is clear, check the view from the City Hall observation deck in Shinjuku). Bad weather ? why not visit "OEdo Onsen Monogatari" for a hot springs experience ? http://www.tcvb.or.jp/en/hot/sizzling/0302/onsen.htm
Jan 27th, 2005, 07:22 AM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,267
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
jconteras, glad you reconsidered the JR pass.
I am also planning my first trip w/5 days in Tokyo, so this is from perspective of one who is also planning, not one who has been there yet.
You have "and/or" in your line about day trips to Nikko and/or Kamakura. From everything I have read, I don't think you can do both in one day. Nikko is about two hours north of Tokyo, and Kamakura is south of Tokyo. People seem to go to one of those in one day, and even that is a full day, alot to do in both places. I suppose you could go to Yokohama for dinner on the bay after Kamakura, on the way back to Tokyo, but probably just going to Kamakura for a day is alot.
Re Florence's advice: you know you can't get inside the Imperial Palace, just inside the grounds, right? and nothing will be blooming.
Re Florence's suggestion on the Odeo Onsen Monogatari, we are making a day of it by visiting there and other sites in Odaiba. Do you know about this area? Monogatori is more like a "theme spa" than a real onsen, but it is themed for the Edo period and it looks very cool. Megaweb is in Odaiba, Palate twon complex, Natl Museum of Emerging Science and Technology, Fuji Television bldg. w/panoramic views of Tokyo from the observatory, alot of good indoor activities if the weather bites.
It will be nice to go to Kamakura since you gave up Kyoto. You'll get to see some temples and shrines there. I researched it but we decided sine we are going to Kyoto and will visit some shrines and temples there that we would skip Kamakura this time.
The other day trip alot of people do from Tokyo is Hakone but the weather will not be good for Hakone in Feb. and the views are iffy there.
Are you aware of the very good walking guides to Tokyo, Kamakura, Nikko on JNTO's website. They are a bit hard to find on the site, but they are great guides. I can give you the info on how to access them on the site if you want. They would give you guidance on routes to take as you by train/subway and then foot to and through Asakusa, to the Sumida River cruise, Odaiba, Uneo, Ginza, etc.
I hope you will post a trip report so I can read it before we go in mid- March.
I am also planning my first trip w/5 days in Tokyo, so this is from perspective of one who is also planning, not one who has been there yet.
You have "and/or" in your line about day trips to Nikko and/or Kamakura. From everything I have read, I don't think you can do both in one day. Nikko is about two hours north of Tokyo, and Kamakura is south of Tokyo. People seem to go to one of those in one day, and even that is a full day, alot to do in both places. I suppose you could go to Yokohama for dinner on the bay after Kamakura, on the way back to Tokyo, but probably just going to Kamakura for a day is alot.
Re Florence's advice: you know you can't get inside the Imperial Palace, just inside the grounds, right? and nothing will be blooming.
Re Florence's suggestion on the Odeo Onsen Monogatari, we are making a day of it by visiting there and other sites in Odaiba. Do you know about this area? Monogatori is more like a "theme spa" than a real onsen, but it is themed for the Edo period and it looks very cool. Megaweb is in Odaiba, Palate twon complex, Natl Museum of Emerging Science and Technology, Fuji Television bldg. w/panoramic views of Tokyo from the observatory, alot of good indoor activities if the weather bites.
It will be nice to go to Kamakura since you gave up Kyoto. You'll get to see some temples and shrines there. I researched it but we decided sine we are going to Kyoto and will visit some shrines and temples there that we would skip Kamakura this time.
The other day trip alot of people do from Tokyo is Hakone but the weather will not be good for Hakone in Feb. and the views are iffy there.
Are you aware of the very good walking guides to Tokyo, Kamakura, Nikko on JNTO's website. They are a bit hard to find on the site, but they are great guides. I can give you the info on how to access them on the site if you want. They would give you guidance on routes to take as you by train/subway and then foot to and through Asakusa, to the Sumida River cruise, Odaiba, Uneo, Ginza, etc.
I hope you will post a trip report so I can read it before we go in mid- March.
Jan 27th, 2005, 09:49 AM
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi emd, regarding your hiperdia question, in the english site is possible to qoute TOKYO-KAMAKURA rail fares and itineary (reserved and unreserved). Regarding Nikko, I believe that the private direct line is not listed.
On the other hand, pls. help on the walking guides you mentioned, pls. provide web site to look.
Finally, on florece`s suggestion (OEdo Onsen Monogatari) we have it as a plan b, if weather and time matches.
On the other hand, pls. help on the walking guides you mentioned, pls. provide web site to look.
Finally, on florece`s suggestion (OEdo Onsen Monogatari) we have it as a plan b, if weather and time matches.
Jan 27th, 2005, 12:21 PM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,267
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ok, here is how to get to those good JNTO guides.
Go to http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/index.html
now click on Regional Travel Guides on right side; then click on Practical Travel Guides.
Print out all the ones you need and take them, and print out all the ones you don't need and read them for next ten trips. Ok, I'm nuts, but anyway that is what I did - the guides are that good.
Do you have a good English Tokyo map? I believe the TIC center at Narita has the one I got from the Tokyo Metropolitan Govt. Center tourist org.
It has subway and train map on it also.
Go to http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/index.html
now click on Regional Travel Guides on right side; then click on Practical Travel Guides.
Print out all the ones you need and take them, and print out all the ones you don't need and read them for next ten trips. Ok, I'm nuts, but anyway that is what I did - the guides are that good.
Do you have a good English Tokyo map? I believe the TIC center at Narita has the one I got from the Tokyo Metropolitan Govt. Center tourist org.
It has subway and train map on it also.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ViewEarth
Asia
50
Nov 14th, 2008 02:47 PM
