Questions on Japan trip
Jan 9th, 2003, 01:33 PM
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Questions on Japan trip
I am planning a trip to Japan in late March, starting from Beijing, China, and have the following three questions.<BR><BR>1. It really surprised me to find that the round trip air ticket between Beijing and Tokyo is more expensive than, say, between Vancouver and Tokyo, although the air time is less than half of the latter. Is there a way to get a more reasonable price?<BR><BR>2. Can I get refunded for a JR pass if I somehow don't use it during my stay in Japan? If yes, where to go for the refund - within Japan or back to where I buy it abroad?<BR><BR>3. Can I just carry a photocopy of my passport with me while traveling in Japan and leave the real passport with a friend in Japan in case it gets lost?<BR><BR>Thanks,<BR><BR>Ken
Jan 9th, 2003, 03:40 PM
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<BR>That will be a good time to go. Check the web for info about sakura matsuri (cherry blossom festivals), though I think end of March is a bit early.<BR><BR>1) I can't help here. Vancouver is a gateway to Asia. Any outbound (to Asia) seats they don't sell to people coming from elsewhere in U.S. and Canada, they can sell cheap. Try looking for flights to Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka, but I expect they would be more expensive.<BR><BR>2) You get a voucher outside of Japan and exchange it for a pass when you get to Japan. Once you do the exchange, I don't think you would get a refund. I expect that you would get a voucher refund from the distibutor in Beijing (or wherever you get it). Check www.japanrail.com and/or contact a distributor (like the All Nippon Airways office).<BR><BR>3) I'd leave the copy with a friend and carry my passport and a second copy. If you have an old, expired passport, leave it with the friend. You'll need the passport when you exchange the voucher for the JR pass. Once, when using the pass, a JR guy did ask to see my passport, but I think I would not have had a problem if I wasn't carrying it or had a photocopy of it. If you decide to leave the country earlier than planned (some sort of emergency) you're better off having it with you. It's your's to lose, the Japanese are not going to steal it.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>
Jan 9th, 2003, 03:48 PM
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<BR>4) There's a Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka in March. They run for two weeks or so, probably ending the 23rd.<BR>www.sumo.or.jp<BR><BR>Try this link for general tourist info: www.jnto.go.jp/eng<BR><BR>End of March is probably not too early for baseball. Good luck finding a schedule.<BR>
Jan 10th, 2003, 12:14 AM
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Bonjour Ken,<BR><BR>2. Yes, you can get a refund as long as you haven't exchanged the voucher for the actual railpass. Check with the distributor.<BR><BR>3. All foreign visitors must carry their passport (original) and disembarkment card with them at all time. Failure to comply can lead to a really unpleasant time with the police in case of a control. A couple friends of mine have made the painful experience of spending a night at a police station, being questionned and lectured, until a police officer finally accepted to contact their hotel or a friend who could bring the document. <BR>In addition, you'll need it if you want to benefit from taxfree shopping.<BR>And as Bill rightly pointed, there is almost zero risk of it being stolen in Japan.
Jan 10th, 2003, 04:47 AM
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As for your airfare from Beijing, you may try to contact a local travel agent for a better price. We live in Yokohama and went through an agent here for tickets to Beijing and were able to get them for about half the price of what Northwest's website offered. Remember, though that prices may be higher at that time of year due to the cherry blossoms, which is prime tourist season! Last year the blossoms were in full bloom by the end of March, so you may get lucky and see them while you are here, it is truly beautiful!
Jan 10th, 2003, 07:25 PM
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Ken, Chris's Yokohama agent probably will not be able to help you with a ticket *from* Beijing to Japan, but only the other way round. <BR><BR>However, airlines often run special offers only available in China, there are many agents in Beijing selling tickets far cheaper than the advertised rates (one can buy Beijing-Vancouver-Beijing with Air Canada a lot cheaper than from Air Canada directly, for instance), and there are several expat publications carrying adverts from agents who target expats, although their prices can usually be beaten, too.<BR><BR>To get some idea of deals being offered by the airlines themselves, try this email newsletter:<BR><BR>[email protected]<BR><BR>or look at the main Beijing newsletter, available via the site:<BR><BR>http://www.xianzai.com/<BR><BR>Remember that if you contact agents from overseas you'll always be quoted a higher price than if you go in person in Beijing.<BR><BR>The best way to find discounting travel agents, by the way, is to head to the branch of the Public Security Bureau dealing with visas and passports, on the second ring road just east of the Lama Temple (Yonghe Gong). Here many people had out flyers with their best prices. But always bargain for more. The cheapest seats will be with Air China or China Eastern, who muster between them at least three flights a day, and there's a motley collection of foreign airlines adding at least another eight flights daily, of which the cheapest will probably be Iran Air or Pakistan International, but there's also two Japanese carriers, and two American ones. In short, if you leave it until you arrive to book (almost certainly the cheapest option) you won't have any trouble getting on a plane.<BR><BR>I've frequently dealt with an agent just west of the Jianguo Hotel, whose name temporarily escapes me, but if I stumble across it in the next few days I'll post it. Walking west from the Jianguo it's just before the McDonald's.<BR><BR>Peter N-H<BR>http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html
Jan 10th, 2003, 09:32 PM
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I'm from Vancouver and I've flown to Tokyo about 6 times, my round-trip ticket cost about $1000-$1300 depending on when it was booked. I can't believe that it costs more from Beijing.<BR><BR>Not sure about the JR pass as I have never used one. Sorry , not helpful there.<BR><BR>And about the passport - never carry it around with you no matter what tour books say. It's really unnecessary. There are so many foreigners in Tokyo that you'll never be asked for it by police or anyone. My first time in Tokyo I carried around a copy of my passport and had the original in a safe place.<BR><BR>Hope I helped. Feel free to email me if you have any question regarding Tokyo. It's like my second home.
Jan 11th, 2003, 04:39 AM
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Bonjour Monica,<BR><BR>I'm sorry I have to disagree with you about carrying your passport while in Japan, but I'm speaking from an experience built on more than 20 years of travelling regularly to Japan: you must have it with you at all time. You will hopefully never have to show it to anyone else than your hotel desk and taxfree shopping attendant, but believe me, should you have a brush with some authority, you'll regret not to carry it with you at that time.<BR><BR>Better be safe than sorry.
Jan 11th, 2003, 05:54 PM
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Carry your passport with you... If you have any reason to deal with the police (an accident, say) you will absolutely need to have it. Japanese are the nicest and most helpful people in the world, but they have little patience with people who don't follow the rules! In addition, last time we needed both our passport and our plane tickets to validate the railpass.
Jan 11th, 2003, 08:26 PM
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Ken--Just came across the business card of that Beijing air ticket agent I mentioned. It's Beijin Aeroavenue Maker Airtrans Service Co Ltd. (the Chinese name makes more sense). Tel (86) 10 6595 2255, fax (86) 10 6595 7326, email [email protected], or call the mobile (86) 133 0105 8622 (English spoken, but take it gently, and keep any email simple).<BR><BR>Hope they can help.<BR><BR>Peter N-H<BR>http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html
. Is there a typo in it? Please advise.<BR>
