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Last minute advice for a 14 day pass!

willimandala
willimandala
about 13 years ago
6 answers

hi ,im currently going to japan tomorrow the 1st and was going to spend 2 weeks and was wondering if the following itenerney would suit a 14 day pass?
also if anybody has any other good place to visit let me know.
thanks in advanced

  1. osaka
  2. Shikotsu-Tōya National Park north japan in Hokkaidō (北海道)
  3. Tokyo ,mount fuji
  4. Mount koya maybe , Wakayama, about one hour south of Osaka
  5. Nara Park, you can walk to almost all the other major sites. 1 hour from oksana .just a maybe:?
  6. Shirakawa-gō (白川郷) central japan old farm houses and one of the big 3 mountains Hakusan National Park
  7. Kanazawa old fashioned town located Ishikawa ,boasts Japan's best-preserved samurai districts and one of the three most beautiful landscape gardens in Japan west from oksana 2hr30 mins i think must do:/
  8. Kyoto central japan
  9. Mount Tate (立山 Tateyama) across from oksana on the west coast day trip
  10. Mount ASO down south in Kyushu's Kumamoto prefecture,
  11. Hitoyosh south in Kyushu's Kumamoto prefecture hotsprings etc.
  12. Hiroshima south japan Hiroshima prefecture (広島県 Hiroshima-ken) 90 minutes form oksana
  13. Nagasaki south west japan
    then see if its worth while getting a ferry to korea or does anyone know if its cheaper to fly

thanks in advanced

avatar
mari
1950 posts
about 13 years ago
Expert

OK!

So for some simple last minute advice, how about removing some locations and rearranging your trip so you can soak in more of the country and use the rail system effectively. I managed to get most of your must-visits in this route I think:

  1. Osaka
  2. Kyoto central japan
  3. Nara
  4. Mount Koya
  5. Tokyo
  6. Tokyo
  7. Mount Fuji
  8. Kanazawa
  9. Shirakawago day trip from Kanazawa
  10. Hiroshima
  11. Miyajima -> Fukuoka
  12. Aso -> Kurokawa onsen night (bus from Aso station)
  13. Kurokawa morning, Nagasaki
  14. Nagasaki/Hakata for the JR Beetle ferry (http://www.jrbeetle.co.jp/english/) to Pusan/Busan in S. Korea (ferry is not covered by the JR Pass)

This itinerary has grouped nearby places together, so you spend more time seeing the places than travelling between them. I also removed the Hokkaido leg as it'll just take too much time out of your journey. Kurokawa is a great onsen and you can get the bus from Mt. Aso station - perfect after a day up the volcano!

Hope this helps and gets to you in time!

M

willimandala
willimandala
6 posts
about 13 years ago

Thanks m,your a star.
Im waiting on my ticket to arrive tomorrow and then pretty much going to follow your IT.
If i have time i think i will shoot up north though as alot of people really recommend it but only if time wil allow.dont want paying for a ticket from up north down south to catch the ferry lol

As you said though i will make more use of my ticket using your IT.

thanks very much for reading and taking the time..

best wishes

w

avatar
mari
1950 posts
about 13 years ago
Expert

Not a problem - have a great journey!

willimandala
willimandala
6 posts
about 13 years ago

Mari,
how are you.
thanks every so much for your advice and i followed your timetable.
I really loved japan and they are miles ahead of korea with manners and kindness and just about everything.
i travel all over asia this past year (20 countries)and japan is one of my favourites.

i recently posted another question about how much i saved if or when you get time check it out.
http://www.jrpass.com/forum/topics/using-the-japan-rail-pass/posts/did-i-save-money
any help welcome.

i found this site very very helpful.its a timetable(excellent) but prices were not accurate:)

http://www.hyperdia.com/en/

thanks once again in advance but just trying to help others who go to:)

avatar
mari
1950 posts
about 13 years ago
Expert

Hi William -

Wow - you're travelling across Asia?! that's a dream journey! (and also explains your hop over to Korea)

I've answered your cost question here, and am pretty blown away with your journey - it must've been quite an experience!

Normally Hyperdia is great for pricing information - what did you find different about the costs it shows? (low/high etc)

All the best with the rest of your journey if you are still travelling!

willimandala
willimandala
6 posts
about 13 years ago

hey Mari,

Yeah it was as you said the fact that sometimes i put in one time and did my check and then another time when i was redoing it as was quite a difference.THose early morning trains are costly:)

Yeah m,I started in russia and really have bin to 80 %of asia and actually just missed india and nepal but maybe at the end i will get to them.

I know i rushed Japan a little bit but in time if i get money i think i will come back and hike right up north and visit the 3000 year old tree not to mention some of the islands so a return is a must someday:)
It really was none stop and was just to get the most of of the pass and budget aswell.

You know im only 70% sure the pass covered me to that lake up north as i cant remeber.i know that when i got to the station i had to get a bus for 20 mins after but nearly sure the pass covered me on local train to toya station but i could be wrong:)

also when you did your great work i actually used the tokyo metro and certain lines JR covered it:)

Back in china now heading to tibet.

I know when you seen the places i went to in japan you were thinking did i just pass tru them lol
but well i did the best i could :)
great place.

Does it sound silly to say if i had not have went up north that maybe that would of bin a huge savings like almost 300 Us??return...doesnt matter anyway as even if i didnt i saved lots.

take care

Toraneko
Toraneko
1303 posts
over 9 years ago

The itinerary looks really good, but just a word of caution if you plan to go see Mount Aso. Sometimes the area up to 1 km from crater is closed to the public due to higher poisonous gas emissions. Lately it has been closed for months. Always check first to see if the area is open, and if not, have a back up plan.

For Fukuoka, there are many open parks, shopping, seaside historical areas, and urban neon. See this site as a good guide.

For Fukuoka, don't miss the Nanzoin Temple which is one of Japan's finest yet almost totally unknown to the outside world and completely FREE!

Look into a Fukuoka Tourist City Pass also.

You can also see a lot of previews on the best there is to see here.

In terms of history and varied points of interest, Nagasaki is really the most interesting city on the island. It is worth a couple days to see the city, and another day to see areas nearby like Shimabara/Unzen or whatever interests you. Gunkanjima, while it takes 3 hours, will blow your mind.

And for Kumamoto, don't miss the Suizenji Garden - it is stunning.


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