Everything is crazy expensive, food is not cheap and the accommodation can burn a hole in your pocket. Transport, especially the Japan rail pass and bullet trains, don’t even go there. All in all Japan sounds like a backpacker’s nightmare. But is it really? With some planning you can pull of even a month long trip to Japan without emptying the coffers. Here is how-
JR pass– Yeah ok. These passes available as one, two and three week passes are not inexpensive ( 243 USD for a one week adult pass) but with superb connections, it can take you across the length of most of the country in a matter of a few hours at most . The biggest advantage of the JR pass is that you can cover a whole lot without spending too much time and effort getting to different places.
How you plan matters too. Say for instance you land in Tokyo. To make full and efficient use of your pass, start your pass after you have spent enough time in the city. End the pass also in a city you are either flying out of or are considering spending a long stretch of time in. In between, plan day trips to any place of your liking, as you can use the shinkansen or bullet trains on major routes at no extra cost. Make sure to reserve seats though at ticket offices at least a few days in advance especially during holiday season when trains tend to get packed. The JR pass must be purchased outside of Japan through an authorized agent. Shop around for the best prices. JR also offers multiple regional passes that can be bought inside Japan. For those on a modest budget it makes sense to combine a one week pass with some of the other options listed below.
JR Seishen 18 ticket -If you really want to save some moolah and can time your trip to match sale of tickets, consider buying the Seishen 18 ticket which is essentially valid on travel on slower trains but can be used for travel on five consecutive days. This ticket is only available three times a year and can be bought both by Japanese nationals and international tourists. These are the usual dates when tickets are valid and when they go on sale.
Pass validity When you can buy them
March 1- April 10 Feb 20-March 31
July 20- Sept 10 July 1- Aug 31
Dec 10- Jan 10 Dec 1- Dec 31
Kintetsu rail pass– To travel and travel well you must have one of the two in big fat gobs. And what is that you might ask. Well you must either have plentiful of green or you must have oodles of time. And one of these is true with passes like the ones offered by the Kintetesu line. The Kintetsu line unlike JR that has lines that take the shortest distance between any two points, uses rather circuitous routes to get from one place to another often going through more rustic parts of the country. If you have the time and you are willing to spend long hours lazily gazing out of the window, the Kintetsu rail pass is available for purchase at a steal of 32 USD. It is valid for travel on five consecutive days. This pass works great to explore out of the way places like Ise, Nara, the Mikimoto pearl island etc. The line also connects Kyoto with Osaka and Nagoya.
Buses– Bus passes are an excellent option for penny pinchers. The pass is offered by Willer Express as three day or five day passes. These do not have to be redeemed on consecutive days and can be used for bus travel within a two month period from the day of purchase. The 3 day pass costs 10,000 yen (approximately 84 USD) and the 5 day pass 15,000 Yen (approx. 125 USD). Apart from being the most economical option, those on shoestring budgets can cut costs even more by catching 40 winks on night journeys. You can use it in several combinations combining a night journey with a day journey or two day journeys etc. Night travel especially for the young and fit is an excellent way to save on hotel costs. The disadvantage: the routes are not as extensive as JR and may not cover off beat destinations.
(To be continued…)
Feature image- Nara in Spring. Image courtesy- Supachita Ae / Shutterstock.com
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