ksandness

I find it hard to believe that all the business hotels are booked up. Sure, they're not luxurious, sort of like a college dorm room, but there are so many of them, and they're everywhere. Plus, they charge less than $100 for a single room and often include a breakfast buffet.

robyng

That doesn't sound right to me. I don't know what your dates are - but the lowest priced rooms at the Four Seasons are 42,500 yen - and there seems to be plenty of availability after 9/15 (a special ends on that date - there is availability of higher priced rooms before 9/15 - and they're still less than 60,000 yen). Robyn

KPT

And if you use sites like PH you can still earn miles on them (and not pay any FTF at the time of purchase)

Himeno

The "92% booked" is what a couple of the hotel booking sites were telling me on the weekend when I was looking for somewhere in Tokyo to book myself.


Anyway, the friend who is planning on 2 Osaka-Tokyo returns during her 2 weeks in Japan is looking at having to use a bus for the first one (the person she is staying with for the first part of her stay wants to use the bus).
Are any Oaska-Tokyo buses valid with the JR pass? The JR pass info site said something about express JR buses not being valid...

msb0b

I don't know how accurate that number is. I don't know when and what type of lodging you are looking for, but the business hotels that I stayed at were much better than college dorm rooms. Especially the recently renovated properties: they are smart and more spacious than the properties of the bubble years.

Some of the Japanese hotel properties are only listed on Japanese-oriented travel agencies like Rakuten Travel or Agoda

Correct, JR highway buses are not valid.

Willer Express is one of the larger express bus companies. They even have a bus pass 3 days for 10,000 yen.

fozziedoggie

Rather than start a new thread, I thought I would ask my question here.

Two of us are traveling for leisure, starting in Fukuoka and making our way up to Tokyo. We will be in Japan for about a week and plan on doing 3-4 day trips besides making our way up to Nagoya and on to Tokyo. I think purchasing a JR pass is worth it in this case?

We will not travel during peak commuter hours, but I'm curious if it's worth paying for JR seven day (Japan-wide) First Class pass or stay with regular class. The price difference is about $100USD; are the trains in Japan typically that full in regular class? Are the additional amenities in First Class worth the price of admission?

Thanks in advance.

RTW1

Just type in a few of your intented routes in Hyperdia and you will see the regular prices. Pretty easy to figure out if you are saving. If your side trips are a bit longer you probably will. If you go south from Fukuoka those tickets get very pricy. Your Fukuoka-Toko ticket alone will be about Ą20k out of the Ą29k for the regular rail pass.

Don't buy the argument that for first class you will have less issues getting seats. That's hardly ever the case. And not an issue when you get your tickets a few days before. The only time I had a problem was when I travelled on a Sunday morning without making seat reservations. But even then I found a (regular) seat in the non-reserved car.

But when I travelled a few months ago I did appreciate the extra space and a little less crowded trains. On some of the trains the difference in seats is more significant than on others. I could care less about the towel you get in First.

And the difference for a 7day passs is "only" about $100 pp.

fozziedoggie

Thanks RTW1,

I will definitely save money with a JR Pass. I'm trying to decide if it's worth the extra $100 for "Green," or just go with standard. Sounds like your experiences have been easy to find a seat in non-green cars. So I guess it comes down to bigger seats and more luggage space (if needed) for an extra $14 per day; I guess it's not much to pay for guaranteed peace of mind and a hot towel.

RTW1

Luggage space is even less of an issue than seating, I've never had a problem with that regardless of class. But I think it's worth the small supplement (even when the towels are actually cold/shrink wrapped :-)).

fozziedoggie

I suspect you're right. After I realized the price is only $100 more, it seems like a "no-brainer," I will opt for the Green Pass. Who knows, they might even have a microwave oven on board to heat up my towel.

RTW1

I think so too.... and you can always sit on that towel for a while :-).

azotw

I'm looking at the JR Rail website and they show a map of bullet train service, but they don't say if something is JR East, JR South, etc.

Which JR pass do I need to go from Tokyo to the Osaka/Kyoto areas?

Adam

jib71

The Shinkansen Line from Tokyo to Osaka is JR Tokai.
For travel between Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto, you could use a JR Pass (i.e. the one that covers the entire country). The price of the pass is close to the price of a roundtrip ticket between Tokyo and Osaka. So if you're planning any other rail trips, its' an attractive option. Another way is to buy a train + hotel deal from a tour operator, which can be better value.

chunky649

I have a business trip coming up, and getting the JR pass would save my company at least $100. It would also be easier/convenient for me on my off days around Tokyo.

As far as I know, the entry stamp I get only say "Temporary Visitor", and there are no distinction on a business or tourist visitor... Can I still get/use a JR Pass?

ksandness

JR doesn't care. Immigration would care if you did paid work for a Japanese employer or enrolled in a school, but JR just asks to see your passport. As long as your passport is stamped with "Temporary Visitor," you can use a JR Pass. They won't ask what you're doing during your temporary stay, and you don't need to tell them.

(I'm assuming that you know that you need to buy the voucher outside Japan.)

However, unless you're going to be traveling long distances (at least a round trip between Tokyo and the Kansai (Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe) region or making a LOT of side trips, a JR Pass may not be such a good deal, since you can't use it on the Tokyo subways or the regional private railroads.

For transportation on the subways, buses, and private railroads in the Tokyo area, your best bet is a Suica or Pasmo debit card, for sale at all stations, which doesn't save you any money but saves you from the hassle of buying individual tickets.

If your trips are limited to a certain area, you may want to look into the regional passes, too. For example, the JR East Pass:

https://www.japan-rail-pass.com/pass...FYkjgQodQtoFKg