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lionheart80

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hi all, now changing to yen in sg seems quite low, so woo exchanging to yen in japan a better choice or japan exchange rates will be lower than changing in sg
 

cancer81

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most smaller shops dun really accept card, suggest that you do some estimations and have enough beforehand

the rate also shifts quite harshly for the Yen. Unless u intend to use USD which makes things real tricky
 

Hua_Hui

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is sapporo and otaru generally safe from the recent typhoons?

if i like to add one more safe place to Hokkaido (4 nights total) to visit, what will be good?
 

cancer81

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check your weather warnings and plan accordingly, we can't predict which parts are not affected by adverse weather

if we could.... I would be predicting toto numbers lol....
 

ideline

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Hi, I have few days in Japan and would like to plan my itinerary for Kyoto and Tokyo as per below. I am a little confused on the transport pass i am getting, please do correct me if i am wrong. I will be having a JR Pass as I am travelling from Haneda to Kyoto upon arrival and also few places for the next few days.

For Kyoto: Kyoto City Bus & Kyoto Bus One-Day Pass


Day 1
Starting from Kyoto Stn

1st stop: Nijo castle- Bus 101 or 50 or 9

2nd stop: Kiyomizu-dera Temple- From Nijo castle take bus 202. Get off at Gojo-zaka bus stop

3rd stop: Fushimi Inari Shrine- Return to Kyoto Stn then take JR to Inari Stn

Day 2
Starting from Kyoto Stn
1st stop: Kinkakuji -Bus 101/205

2nd stop: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove(10:30-15:00)
From Kinkakuji, take Bus 204/205 and change to Bus 93
Walk back to Saga-Arashiyama JR station to Kyoto station

3rd stop: Dotonburi Osaka -From Kyoto Stn to Osaka Station, take Midosuji Subway Line from Umeda(connected to Osaka Station) to Namba and walk


For Tokyo: Tokyo Subway 24-hour Ticket
Starting from Shinjuku Stn

Day 1
1st stop: Asakusa Stn -Sensoji Shrine , Nakamise
JR Chuo Line to Kanda Stn, transfer to Ginza Line to Asakusa Stn

2nd stop: Tokyo Skytree
Take Asakusa Line to Oshiage Stn

3rd stop: Tokyo tower
Walk to Oshiage Stn, take Asakusa Line to Daimon Stn and walk 13min to Tokyo Tower

Day 2
Starting from Shinjuku Stn

Shibuya, Harajuku, Ikebukuro

Day 3:
Starting from Shinjuku Stn

Disneysea
 
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cancer81

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He already have Jr pass and will be going to kyoto

I would say just do Kyoto+Osaka but you dun need a 7 day Jr pass. A 2 way discount ticket for shinkansen is possible

Unless u are going to rack up enough to cover the cost of the pass. 373 is not small money
 

anyhowsaysay

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5 days super tight just to cover both Tokyo and Kyoto.
If first time going Japan even worse.

I going for Japan for the 7th times and i still spending 8 nights in Tokyo. Ideally for Tokyo need 2 weeks!
 

Ruriel

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Only for 5 days, is the JR pass really necessary? Can take a look at hyperdia to calculate all the train costs and decide if single ticket purchases are cheaper.

In kyoto JR pass is kinda useless. Can just buy icoca and take the subways/buses, no need to worry if your city bus pass covers this or that. Before you leave for Tokyo, return the icoca at kyoto station for refunds.

In Tokyo just buy and use suica. This way you also won't be restricted to just taking JR lines in order to utilise the JR pass. I find it easier to plan my transport routes without a JR pass actually.
 

evilerniex

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Only for 5 days, is the JR pass really necessary? Can take a look at hyperdia to calculate all the train costs and decide if single ticket purchases are cheaper.

In kyoto JR pass is kinda useless. Can just buy icoca and take the subways/buses, no need to worry if your city bus pass covers this or that. Before you leave for Tokyo, return the icoca at kyoto station for refunds.

In Tokyo just buy and use suica. This way you also won't be restricted to just taking JR lines in order to utilise the JR pass. I find it easier to plan my transport routes without a JR pass actually.

need not return icoca at kyoto coz it can be used in tokyo as well. they made almost all card compatible across japan a few year ago.

JR pass may still be worth it since he is making a round trip between tokyo and kyoto, plus a trip to osaka and travelling ard tokyo. saving is little though, just more for the convenience

but like wat the other have said, i think 5 days is really too short for tokyo and kyoto. tokyo alone is enuf to occupy the 5 days, and can save a few hundred $ on transport if not making the trip to kyoto
 

Ruriel

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need not return icoca at kyoto coz it can be used in tokyo as well. they made almost all card compatible across japan a few year ago.

JR pass may still be worth it since he is making a round trip between tokyo and kyoto, plus a trip to osaka and travelling ard tokyo. saving is little though, just more for the convenience

but like wat the other have said, i think 5 days is really too short for tokyo and kyoto. tokyo alone is enuf to occupy the 5 days, and can save a few hundred $ on transport if not making the trip to kyoto

Oh ya, I didn't see that he was arriving at Haneda. Thought usually if start trip from Kyoto, one would fly in to Osaka.. My bad. :( If round trip on shinkansen then yes, worth it. But 5 days so tight... it's just touch and go at both places.

Wasn't aware that ICOCA can be used in Tokyo as well - but now I know, thanks! I only knew suica can be used in Kyoto haha. Coz my trip is going to be tokyo ->shirakawa go -> kyoto (so I never checked for vice versa). But I'm buying both cards because I wanna take advantage of the icoca+haruka package, so gotta return suica at Tokyo when I leave for shirakawa go.
 

ideline

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Hi All, many thanks for the feedback! Looks like getting the Icoca card will be the best option. I am actually staying in Japan for 9 days(omitted first and last day as i am arriving Haneda and departing from Haneda around 4pm) and there will be another 2 days in Tokyo for work purposes.
 

evilerniex

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Oh ya, I didn't see that he was arriving at Haneda. Thought usually if start trip from Kyoto, one would fly in to Osaka.. My bad. :( If round trip on shinkansen then yes, worth it. But 5 days so tight... it's just touch and go at both places.

Wasn't aware that ICOCA can be used in Tokyo as well - but now I know, thanks! I only knew suica can be used in Kyoto haha. Coz my trip is going to be tokyo ->shirakawa go -> kyoto (so I never checked for vice versa). But I'm buying both cards because I wanna take advantage of the icoca+haruka package, so gotta return suica at Tokyo when I leave for shirakawa go.

note tt there is an admin fee if u need to refund any remaining amount in the card. so either u used finish everything or just keep the card for future trips. an easy way to use finish all value in the card is to go convenient store and pay using the card. they can allow u to pay partially with card and remaining in cash
 

Ruriel

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note tt there is an admin fee if u need to refund any remaining amount in the card. so either u used finish everything or just keep the card for future trips. an easy way to use finish all value in the card is to go convenient store and pay using the card. they can allow u to pay partially with card and remaining in cash

Ya, as with most prepaid transport cards in other countries. Though the admin fee I think is not much la. I usually keep (still have octopus, youyou card, rabbit card and oyster card in my stash lol), but will see how it goes. I'm keeping ICOCA though... for future haruka ticket discounts. :D
 

cpuer

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Oh ya, I didn't see that he was arriving at Haneda. Thought usually if start trip from Kyoto, one would fly in to Osaka.. My bad. :( If round trip on shinkansen then yes, worth it. But 5 days so tight... it's just touch and go at both places.

Wasn't aware that ICOCA can be used in Tokyo as well - but now I know, thanks! I only knew suica can be used in Kyoto haha. Coz my trip is going to be tokyo ->shirakawa go -> kyoto (so I never checked for vice versa). But I'm buying both cards because I wanna take advantage of the icoca+haruka package, so gotta return suica at Tokyo when I leave for shirakawa go.

There' no advantage of getting ICOCA+HARUKA now. They have made the ICOCA a standard at 2000yen on top of whatever destination haruka is going/coming. You can buy your ICOCA separately at 2000yen too.
 

Ruriel

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Ruriel

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Not discon, just that you can buy a set or seprately.

I know I can buy separately, but I don't see any reason why I should use suica in Kyoto while having to pay for Haruka at full price, when I can just return suica in Tokyo, and purchase ICOCA+Haruka as a package so that the Haruka express which I'll be taking from Kyoto to KIX will be at a discounted price.

Am I missing something here? :(
 
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