Well hello! Its been a while since I've posted a travel guide. I decided to take my strong desire to travel again as a sign to start writing another post - and this time on my latest travels (Dec 2015) to Japan! I would be covering a few points in this guide, such as:
1. JR Pass
2. Pasmo and Suica Card
3. Airbnb and Wifi
G E T T I N G T H E R E:
Trust me when I say I did lots of research for this trip - and I'm more than happy to be consolidating it here for future references! The tricky part for all travel planning would be deciding the route you would like to take, especially if you are visiting more than one province/state etc. My family and I decided to take a trip that is roughly 9 days (making full use of the lower priced plane tickets) and visit more than one prefecture - shortlisting Tokyo, Nara, Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe.
1. J R P A S S
With that in mind, we decided to get a Japan Railway Pass that cost us SGD$332/pax for a 7 days pass (as of Dec 2015) - that is more economical to get after finding out that one shinkansen (think bullet train) ride between prefectures can cost more than $100. This pass can be use on all JR lines all over Japan except the Nozomi and Mizuho shinkansens. It is also available for use on some of the JR Metro lines (think MRT) etc. They have 3 packages, 7 days/14days/21days pass.
This pass is only available for non-Japanese nationals that are visiting for leisure purposes and only available for sale outside Japan! We ordered our tickets about 1.5 months before the trip and got our tickets in the mail about a month before we departed for our trip. The package had free mailing and it came with a free guide book that gives you tips on travelling by train in Japan as well as their train schedule. - But it is not really necessary once you have downloaded Google Maps into your phone that will update you in real time of the trains you can take to your next destination.
A tip for maximizing your JR Pass would be to reserve your seats before your ride 3 days to a month before the ride. Reserving seats helps you to "chope" seats for free before boarding the train. It can give you a more comfortable experience as you do not have to source for seats or be separated from your loved ones. You might even get to choose a window seat or the front/back rows where there are charging ports and more leg space - very useful for long rides and storing your luggage.
You will be very amazed with the interior of the train that functions so much like a plane on land with their lavatories (aka your toilets), make up rooms, push cart stores, ticket masters in full uniforms, coat hangers on the wall and reclined seats etc. Some seats are also able to change direction for people who want to face their friends or family so that you can chit-chat or play games! (like in the picture above) But the biggest plus point about taking a shinkansen would be the gorgeous view of Japan that you get from out of your window. Especially during sunset/sunrise moments, when the sky is painted in twilight hues and my heart skips a beat.-le sigh-
Your pass will arrive in the mail as a ticket which you need to go to the JR Service counter to exchange for the JR card - no worries locations are all found on your ticket. At the service counter, they will give you a card with your personal particulars and the expiry date of the passport. You will get to decide on when you want to actually activate the card (i.e you might not want to be using it on the day of your arrival until you are going to another prefecture etc.) Have your actual passport with you at all times when you want to use this card as the train or station officers might want to double confirm. To use the JR Pass at stations, proceed towards the counter and flash your card to the officers in the booth and you're through!
This pass is only available for non-Japanese nationals that are visiting for leisure purposes and only available for sale outside Japan! We ordered our tickets about 1.5 months before the trip and got our tickets in the mail about a month before we departed for our trip. The package had free mailing and it came with a free guide book that gives you tips on travelling by train in Japan as well as their train schedule. - But it is not really necessary once you have downloaded Google Maps into your phone that will update you in real time of the trains you can take to your next destination.
A tip for maximizing your JR Pass would be to reserve your seats before your ride 3 days to a month before the ride. Reserving seats helps you to "chope" seats for free before boarding the train. It can give you a more comfortable experience as you do not have to source for seats or be separated from your loved ones. You might even get to choose a window seat or the front/back rows where there are charging ports and more leg space - very useful for long rides and storing your luggage.
You will be very amazed with the interior of the train that functions so much like a plane on land with their lavatories (aka your toilets), make up rooms, push cart stores, ticket masters in full uniforms, coat hangers on the wall and reclined seats etc. Some seats are also able to change direction for people who want to face their friends or family so that you can chit-chat or play games! (like in the picture above) But the biggest plus point about taking a shinkansen would be the gorgeous view of Japan that you get from out of your window. Especially during sunset/sunrise moments, when the sky is painted in twilight hues and my heart skips a beat.-le sigh-
Your pass will arrive in the mail as a ticket which you need to go to the JR Service counter to exchange for the JR card - no worries locations are all found on your ticket. At the service counter, they will give you a card with your personal particulars and the expiry date of the passport. You will get to decide on when you want to actually activate the card (i.e you might not want to be using it on the day of your arrival until you are going to another prefecture etc.) Have your actual passport with you at all times when you want to use this card as the train or station officers might want to double confirm. To use the JR Pass at stations, proceed towards the counter and flash your card to the officers in the booth and you're through!
2. P A S M O / S U I C A C A R D
As much as I would like to think that I got all my transportation in Japan covered, unfortunately I didn't. Well you see, Japan is a big country and their transportation system is actually run by a few companies (86 to be exact) and JR is just one of it - the biggest one that is. Thus your JR Pass would enable you to cover most of the areas that I am recommending in my guide, but you will need a supplementary card for the other companies' trains - Pasmo / Suica card (think ez-link card).
Wait hold on.. so Pasmo or Suica which should I get? Confusing right, I know. But truth to be told it does not matter, they serve similar purposes in Tokyo particularly, but more of a concern if you intent to use in other prefectures (but perfectly fine for those I went).
I got my family the Suica card. We didn't exactly get to choose but we got it at the JR service counter. Just like an Ez-link card in Singapore, you will have to purchase the card (¥500) and top it up with cash. For a 9 day trip, with vague memory, I think we spent around SGD$100 per person for the 9days trip that included rides in their Metro in Tokyo and Osaka as well as the 2 train rides from Narita airport to City Center.
If at the end of the trip you have excess money in the card that you will not be using, you can refund it at any train counter but it comes with a charge of ¥210. Therefore I would recommend that you use the money in your card by spending it at shops, vending machines or to rent lockers in train station that allows you to pay with the Pasmo/Suica card. I was always buying snacks and drinks from the convenience stores inside the train stations with my Suica Card! It is so convenient with a tap and Japan convenience stores are to die for - I wish Singapore's 7-11 and Cheers would match up. Haha
(Which by the way, locker rental at train stations in Nara or anywhere else is really useful if you have to check out of your accommodation yet cannot check into the next one. You can rent a locker to safe keep your belongings while going sightseeing in the mean time. The locker comes in a few sizes to suit your belongings. You can fit in huge luggage - might want to check online for the measurements)
(Which by the way, locker rental at train stations in Nara or anywhere else is really useful if you have to check out of your accommodation yet cannot check into the next one. You can rent a locker to safe keep your belongings while going sightseeing in the mean time. The locker comes in a few sizes to suit your belongings. You can fit in huge luggage - might want to check online for the measurements)
3. A I R B N B A N D W I F I
Let me touch on the essentials first, internet. I was in a huge dilemma on whether I should rent pocket wifis or purchase data sim cards for the trip. But there is a valid reason why I coined Airbnb and Wifi together.
When I was looking for apartment to stay on Airbnb, I realised that many owners stated free pocket wifi as part of the deal. Which then made no sense to me if I can get a pocket wifi in every city then there is no need to rent one from Singapore right? (Considering I get charged on a daily basis until I return it. There is no need for 2 pocket wifis)
Therefore, we got ourselves data sim cards conveniently from vending machines in Narita Airport. (you read that right! Haha) The package that we got was ¥2,000 for 7 days usage from the smaller vending machine that is in the picture below. It was recommended by another Singaporean that we met there!
Therefore, we got ourselves data sim cards conveniently from vending machines in Narita Airport. (you read that right! Haha) The package that we got was ¥2,000 for 7 days usage from the smaller vending machine that is in the picture below. It was recommended by another Singaporean that we met there!
And truthfully, the connection was not as strong as we thought it would be. But sufficient for the use in between cities when we do not have the pocket wifi. I really expected a lot from Japan considering how it is so innovative and have great advancements with technology. But shockingly, quite a number of people there are not using Iphones or Samsungs, instead they use their own home brand phones and some are still using flip phones (you read that right again, hahaha).
But back to the topic of Airbnb and Pocket Wifi, here are my Airbnb listings for (all with pocket wifi included and near to transportation facilities and amenities!) - click on the headers to bring you to the Airbnb listing!
1. Kyoto Airbnb
Food haul from the supermarket right below our apartment! They sell fresh sushi as seen as well as usual groceries and snacks. Perfect if you want to be cooking in the apartment that comes with a kitchen and all the necessary tools. Although the walk to the nearest station is about 10 minutes, the convenience of the supermarket as well as the experience of sleeping on Tatami is worth giving this place a shot. And in case of emergencies, Kyoto First hospital is within walking distance (Long story, haha).
You can view this apartment tour in my second vlog for Japan here:
2. Osaka Airbnb
This apartment is very quaint and I love the fact that it was located on the top floor so we kind of had the whole roof top space to ourselves, right outside our door! I loved everything about the apartment except the shower, which never in my life have I seen a "gas stove" shower heater. We had to "start a fire" in the heater every time we wanted to bathe.. But undeniably, the apartment is very conveniently located near Shin-Osaka Station (5 minutes walk - take the shortcut behind the elementary school/playground, its much faster than the one suggested by the owner). Which can be important as Shin-Osaka is the interchange to the other prefectures like Kyoto and Nara, which is great for day trips!
Meet Satoshi! The straight up model material owner. He was the only host that we met in person because of some miscommunication. He was really nice and friendly. He's also a hairdresser and owns a salon near harajuku if you ever want to change your hairstyle in Tokyo! By the way, his apartment was my favourite be cause it was meant to accommodate 10 people - more than enough space for the 4 of us. I had the sofa bed all to myself with all the fluffy pillows and duvet, it was simply heaven. PLUS it was super near Shibuya shopping district and about a 10 minutes walk to Shibuya Station. Medical shops like the one above and convenience stores were right outside the building. The only downside to his place was that there is no lift accessible to his unit on the third floor.. So we had to lug our baggage up and down the stairs. But overall, his place was such a gem!
AND HERE"S SOMETHING FOR YOU!
If you are a first time user of Airbnb with no account yet, sign up with this link and receive $27 off your first stay in your next vacation! It is not a scam, but rather a win win situation that you get a discount voucher and that I also get to earn credit for my next trip to fund for more travel guides like this!
So wrapping up this post, I would be sharing a bit more on my itinerary on Tokyo and Kyoto in the next post, followed by Osaka and Nara, which should be up by end of April and May respectively. But we can keep in touch on Instagram or Youtube @SingingSpikes! :)
I'm currently approaching finals soon and this semester is nothing but a headache that I wish I can get over and done with soon. Hope Y'all doing good, coping well with life's little struggles. Everyone have their own battles to fight right?
I'm currently approaching finals soon and this semester is nothing but a headache that I wish I can get over and done with soon. Hope Y'all doing good, coping well with life's little struggles. Everyone have their own battles to fight right?
So good luck soldier! Love yourself and others,
Sharleen x
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