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Should we buy the 7 days JR Pass

phwong
phwong
about 9 years ago
3 responses

Hi. We are planning a 9 days Osaka/Takayama/Matsumoto/Tokyo trip in mid-April 2015. We would appreciate your help to figure out if we should buy the 7 days JR Pass. Our itinerary and questions are as follow:-

D1. Osaka Itami airport to Kyoto - we will catch a bus to Kyoto train station. Our lodging is near to this station.

D2. Kyoto - Arashiyama and maybe Dotonbori in Osaka at night and back to Kyoto
q1. Should we take a JR train for most part of the journey to these destinations.

D3. Leave Kyoto for Takayama. Our lodging is close to this station.
q1. Should we take a JR train to Takayama
q2. In Takayama, we would like to go to Shirakawa-go, the Golden Pavilion and Gion. Should we take the JR trains to these destinations.

D4. Leave Takayama for Matsumoto. Our lodging is close to this station.
q1. Should we take a JR train to Matsumoto
q2. At Matsumoto, our 1st stop will be the Jigokudani Monkey Park. This will involve taking a train and then a bus. ls a JR train available here.

D5. We will do a day trip to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine. We may need to take a train to somewhere to connect to the Alpine route.
q1. Should we take a JR train or would it be easier to catch a bus.

D6. Walk to the Matsumoto Castle as it's within walking distance from our hotel.

D7. Leave Matsumoto for Tokyo. Our lodging in Tokyo is near to the Golanda station in the Shinagawa area.
q1. Should we take a JR train or a JR Shinkansen to Tokyo
q2. Should we travel around tokyo with the JR Pass

D8. Tokyo - probably go to some popular places within Tokyo or do a day trip outside Tokyo. No definite plans yet.

D9. Tokyo to Haneda airport
q1. Should we take a JR train or catch the airport bus

Thank you in advance for your comments and suggestions.
phwong

Toraneko
Toraneko
1303 posts
about 9 years ago

You can make a 7 day pass pay off with your plan - especially with a day trip from Tokyo to Nikko, Kamakura, Hakone etc.
You can take JR trains for your whole trip, except for some places like Tateyama. If you can fit it in, seeing Nara for at least 1/2 a day is well worth it.
You also might rearrange things a little bit - to go from Takayama to Matsumoto, you have to go through Toyama, which is one of the places you can start the Tateyama Alpine Route. So you might do that before going to Matsumoto.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7550.html

For your Day 3 the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) and Gion are in Kyoto, not Takayama.
For the Jigokudani Monkey Park please read this:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6028.html

Within Tokyo you can still use your JR Pass for the JR Yamanote Line - it goes to many popular tourist places. For city subways though you cannot use it. But it is not expensive.

For seeing Arashiyama & Dotonbori, have a look at:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3950_arashiyama_full.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efvtB_5jmjA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT4VQFmHFyM

For the rest of Kyoto, see:

http://www.kyoto.travel/

http://www.ar.jal.com/world/en/guidetojapan/city_information/uky/see/central/

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2158.html

For Tokyo:

http://www.gotokyo.org/en/index.html

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/tokyo/index.html

http://www.ar.jal.com/world/en/guidetojapan/city_information/tyo/see/akasaka/

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164.html

phwong
phwong
3 posts
about 9 years ago

Hi Toraneko

I appreciate your quick response and suggestions.

Domo arigato gozaimasu.

Regards
phwong

phwong
phwong
3 posts
about 9 years ago

Hi Toraneko

I appreciate your quick response and suggestions.

Domo arigato gozaimasu.

Regards
phwong


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