[Standing Birdy]

if my itinerary is like this:
D1 arrive NRT early morning, go kyoto and reach evening/night
D2-4 Kyoto
D5 from Kyoto go Osaka
D6-8 Osaka
D9 from Osaka go Tokyo
D10-16 Tokyo
D16 return HND-SIN

like that should I buy JR pass?

[evilerniex]

poonyq wrote:

Question: If i am purchasing the 72 Hour Tokyo Metro Pass, Is that pass applicable on using JR East Station or Chuo Line?

no, metro pass cannot be used on JR lines

[cancer81]

the time of your travel also matters a lot, the Chuo line for example in rush hour would be a bit on the packed side

my koyo trip in November was pretty okay for trains, the Kyoto buses on the other hand was another story

[evilerniex]

Standing Birdy wrote:

if my itinerary is like this:
D1 arrive NRT early morning, go kyoto and reach evening/night
D2-4 Kyoto
D5 from Kyoto go Osaka
D6-8 Osaka
D9 from Osaka go Tokyo
D10-16 Tokyo
D16 return HND-SIN

like that should I buy JR pass?

JR pass is mainly to cover expensive rides on shinkansen and ltd express trains. for ur case, tt will be the trip from NRT to Kyoto and Osaka to Tokyo. however, these 2 trips are on day1 and 9, so u cant use a 7-day JR pass. a 14-day pass would not be worth it.
so either just get single trip tickets, or adjust ur itinerary to fit osaka and kyoto into 7 days

[Standing Birdy]

evilerniex wrote:

JR pass is mainly to cover expensive rides on shinkansen and ltd express trains. for ur case, tt will be the trip from NRT to Kyoto and Osaka to Tokyo. however, these 2 trips are on day1 and 9, so u cant use a 7-day JR pass. a 14-day pass would not be worth it.
so either just get single trip tickets, or adjust ur itinerary to fit osaka and kyoto into 7 days

Thanks for reply

I will try:
D1 Tokyo to Kyoto
D4 Kyoto to Osaka
D7 Osaka to Tokyo
D7 onwards Tokyo

Need to check the train times

also, should I buy the JR Kansai Area Pass for the 7 days in Kyoto/Osaka area? I want to daytrip to Nara and also visit Yamazaki distillery.

[evilerniex]

Standing Birdy wrote:

Thanks for reply

I will try:
D1 Tokyo to Kyoto
D4 Kyoto to Osaka
D7 Osaka to Tokyo
D7 onwards Tokyo

Need to check the train times

also, should I buy the JR Kansai Area Pass for the 7 days in Kyoto/Osaka area? I want to daytrip to Nara and also visit Yamazaki distillery.

unlikely to be worth it. u will be using metro and buses more in kyoto and osaka. it is worth it to get that pass for 1 day if u are making a day trip himeji.
u can compute how much are the transport fare for each day, and see if it is cheaper to get a pass.

[cancer81]

Kyoto city buses that basically should cover the tourist spots cost 200 yen each ride

the 1 day pass is 500 yen. besides the savings if you take more than 2 bus rides (which is pretty normal), you also do not need to dig around for coins or deal with possible no change left on the bus

[nemo88]

cancer81 wrote:

Kyoto city buses that basically should cover the tourist spots cost 200 yen each ride

the 1 day pass is 500 yen. besides the savings if you take more than 2 bus rides (which is pretty normal), you also do not need to dig around for coins or deal with possible no change left on the bus

It's actually 230Y per ride, the buses have a change machine on board so you can insert 1000Y note and get back coins to pay the 230Y fare. I've see mobile coin changers at a couple of stop on Shijo dori during peak evening hours, manned by a couple of staff, also to help tourists out.

The bus does take ICOCA/SUICA so if you have one just make sure it has sufficient credit.

[cancer81]

the bus does run out of change (I have seen it happen myself)

they accept suica like you mentioned

[nemo88]

cancer81 wrote:

the bus does run out of change (I have seen it happen myself)

I didn't say it doesn't. I was just trying to distinguish that the change machine is to give you coins to pay exact fare in a separate slot, not that it gives you change back from what you owe.

Anyway - just have an ICOCA/SUICA with you, easier.

[Standing Birdy]

cancer81 wrote:

Kyoto city buses that basically should cover the tourist spots cost 200 yen each ride

the 1 day pass is 500 yen. besides the savings if you take more than 2 bus rides (which is pretty normal), you also do not need to dig around for coins or deal with possible no change left on the bus

what pass are you referring to?

[cancer81]

it is a 1 day bus pass, you get them from outside Kyoto train station. If you can't find it, seek help from the tourist help desk. The staff there will most certainly speak english

[nemo88]

cancer81 wrote:

it is a 1 day bus pass, you get them from outside Kyoto train station. If you can't find it, seek help from the tourist help desk. The staff there will most certainly speak english

There are vending machines selling the 1 day bus pass at the main bus bay outside Kyoto Station. The bus pass is activated upon first use when you slot into the machine on the bus, so you can buy multiple passes at once if you'll need them for more than a day.

The Kyoto tourism office on the 2F sells the passes too, and can give you the detailed bus map (or just download the pdf online and save on your smartphone).

[Ruriel]

nemo88 wrote:

There are vending machines selling the 1 day bus pass at the main bus bay outside Kyoto Station. The bus pass is activated upon first use when you slot into the machine on the bus, so you can buy multiple passes at once if you'll need them for more than a day.

The Kyoto tourism office on the 2F sells the passes too, and can give you the detailed bus map (or just download the pdf online and save on your smartphone).

Actually I've read that bus passes in Kyoto are a bit overrated. There are some places that can only be reached by buses yes, but the buses are usually crowded and the waiting time + traffic delays will eat into your time.

May I know how true is that?

I'm contemplating to get a kyoto one day sightseeing pass for the day which I'll be travelling quite a bit on their public transport. But the pass is not valid on Keifuku railway, which most likely I'll be taking to arashiyama station. Of course I could go on another route where the pass is valid on (which involves subway+bus), just that I'm not sure if I should restrict myself to the pass, or should I just ditch the idea and use ICOCA for the entire time....

[Corsabrin]

Hi, would it be better to get mifi or sim card for a 8 day trip? going solo. Thinking of getting mifi from Changi Recommends but worry abt battery life. any recommendation for sim card?