JR Pass or Accommodation Advise

[IchisainaRinGo]

Hello Everyone,


I will be travelling with my friend(two of us) to Japan in April 2016 for 13 days.

Kinda need advise from expert about JR Pass, is 7 days or 14 days worth for my trip? as I research that, it's only worth if I do return trips and it's not worth for cities in Osaka/Toyko.


This is our itinerary

New Itinerary after advise(Will go for 7 Day Pass)

D1(start of D1 JR pass) - Sin to Fukuoka Airport @ 0835 > Hakata Stn, collect JR pass, Lunch(Ramen) > Hiroshima
Stay at Hiroshima

D2 - Hiroshima > Miyajiguchi >>Ferry>> Itsukushima >>Ferry>> Miyajimaguchi > Hiroshima
Stay at Hiroshima

D3 - Check out of Hiroshima Hotel > Himeji Castle(leave luggage at stn's coin locker or luggage delivery service?) > Osaka
Stay at Osaka

D4 - Osaka Mt. Yoshino
Stay at Osaka

D5 - Osaka
Stay at Osaka

D6 - Osaka > Kyoto Arashiyama > Osaka
Stay at Osaka

D7(last day of JR pass) - Osaka Hotel Check out > Kyoto Inari Shrine (leave luggage at stn's coin locker or luggage delivery service?) > Tokyo
Stay at Tokyo

D8 - Tokyo (Buy Kinugawa Theme Park Pass @ Asakusa)
Stay at Tokyo

D9(Start of Kinugawa Train Pass) - Tokyo > Nikko Kinugawa
Stay at Nikko (Leave Luggage at Tokyo Hotel if possible)

Should I stay at Nikko or return to Tokyo?



D10(Last day of Kinugawa Train Pass) > Tokyo
Stay at Tokyo

D11 Tokyo > Kanagawa > Tokyo
Stay at Tokyo

D12 Tokyo > Odaiba > Tokyo

D13 Tokyo > Haneda Airport 1710 > SIN

Old Itinerary

D1 - Reach Fukuoka Airport @ 0835 > Hiroshima Hotel(stay)
D2 - Hiroshima Miyajima(Itsukushima Shrine) > return to Hiroshima hotel
D3 - Hiroshima > Himeji Castle(day trip) > Osaka Hotel (Can we leave our luggage at the Train Station's Coin Locker?)
D4 - Osaka
D5 - Osaka Mt. Yoshino
D6 - Kyoto Fushimi Inari Shrine > return to Osaka Hotel
D7 - Kyoto Arashiyama > return to Osaka Hotel
D8 - Osaka > Tokyo (Shibuya Hotel)
D9 - Nikko Kinugawa Onsen(Edo Wonderland & Tobu World Square) > Return to Tokyo Shibuya
D10 - Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market(Sushi Breakfast) - Around Tokyo
D11 - Tokyo > Chigasaki > Return to Tokyo Hotel
D12 - Tokyo Odabai
D13 - Haneda Airport 17:10(Japan Time)

Where can I check train ticket price?
Is shibuya is good place to stay? Safe at night for two ladies?

We just start working last year, so we are kinda budget budget.


Thanks in advance!!!

 

[saffronsatire]

7 days pass is worth if you can squeeze all the long distance travel, I.e. day 1 to 8 into 7 days instead.

Check ticket prices at hyperdia.

Most places in Japan are safe even at night but don't think it's easy to find cheap accom in shibuya. I won't stay in shibuya since it's not near the shinkansen stops and maybe to go to Nikko also.

D3: himeji does have lockers but most places have limited no. of large lockers. Gotta get there early.

 

[IchisainaRinGo]

7 days pass is worth if you can squeeze all the long distance travel, I.e. day 1 to 8 into 7 days instead.

Check ticket prices at hyperdia.

Most places in Japan are safe even at night but don't think it's easy to find cheap accom in shibuya. I won't stay in shibuya since it's not near the shinkansen stops and maybe to go to Nikko also.

D3: himeji does have lockers but most places have limited no. of large lockers. Gotta get there early.

Thanks! I will amend the long distance trips to 7 days, the pass end at 12 midnight right?

Where would you recommend to stay in Tokyo? And is better to use Suica or Tokyo Unlimited subway Day Pass?

 

[evilerniex]

Thanks! I will amend the long distance trips to 7 days, the pass end at 12 midnight right?

Where would you recommend to stay in Tokyo? And is better to use Suica or Tokyo Unlimited subway Day Pass?

u can use hyperdia to check train fare and time:
http://www.hyperdia.com/

it is worth it to get the 7-day pass as mentioned by saffronsatire coz it is abt 9000yen from hakata to hiroshima, 10000yen from hiroshima to osaka, and 14000yen from osaka to tokyo.

yes, JR pass ends at midnight. as long as u board the train before midnight, it is covered.

u can consider staying in ueno or asakusa for cheaper accommodations, or shinagawa for ease of getting to haneda airport

i personally prefer to use suica to get around tokyo coz i dun want to be restricted by the subway pass.

 

[kifo]

Considering most shinkansen services end well before midnight, and I would think most JR lines would end by 1am, except for those rare sleeper services, ending by midnight quite a natural thing. So if you start the JR pass late on the first day, you actually lose out.

 

[IchisainaRinGo]

u can use hyperdia to check train fare and time:
http://www.hyperdia.com/

it is worth it to get the 7-day pass as mentioned by saffronsatire coz it is abt 9000yen from hakata to hiroshima, 10000yen from hiroshima to osaka, and 14000yen from osaka to tokyo.

yes, JR pass ends at midnight. as long as u board the train before midnight, it is covered.

u can consider staying in ueno or asakusa for cheaper accommodations, or shinagawa for ease of getting to haneda airport

i personally prefer to use suica to get around tokyo coz i dun want to be restricted by the subway pass.

Well noted, thanks!
How about Osaka? Is namba a good place to stay?

By the way, I decide to stay in Nikko Kinugawa Onsen there for a day(I will stay in Tokyo for 2 days before going to Nikko), can I leave my Luggage in Tokyo Hotel?

Considering most shinkansen services end well before midnight, and I would think most JR lines would end by 1am, except for those rare sleeper services, ending by midnight quite a natural thing. So if you start the JR pass late on the first day, you actually lose out.

I see, don't worry I will use the JR pass on the first day by 12pm.

 

[evilerniex]

Well noted, thanks!
How about Osaka? Is namba a good place to stay?

By the way, I decide to stay in Nikko Kinugawa Onsen there for a day(I will stay in Tokyo for 2 days before going to Nikko), can I leave my Luggage in Tokyo Hotel?



I see, don't worry I will use the JR pass on the first day by 12pm.

namba is good, lots of shops and eateries there.
umeda will be better for ur case since u are making day trips out of osaka. so try to stay near umeda/osaka station for ease of transport.

most hotels will have no issue holding ur luggage for a night since u are going back to that hotel. u can email them to check if u want to be sure

 

[saffronsatire]

I prefer to stay around umeda too but I guess that you may be travelling around the cherry blossom period (if that is the case), can consider some other areas on the subway midosuji line as well.

I couldn't fine reasonably priced accom around umeda for November. Had to settle for nishinakajima minamigata and kitahama.

 

[IchisainaRinGo]

Guys, my friend suddenly change it's itinerary in Kansai area, now might be planing to stay in Kyoto for a day because she wanna visit arashiyama for 2 days instead of everyday in Osaka.

Btw, if we want to book a hotel on that day is it possible? As that month is sakura blossom's month. I abit worried we have to sleep on the street.

 

[evilerniex]

Guys, my friend suddenly change it's itinerary in Kansai area, now might be planing to stay in Kyoto for a day because she wanna visit arashiyama for 2 days instead of everyday in Osaka.

Btw, if we want to book a hotel on that day is it possible? As that month is sakura blossom's month. I abit worried we have to sleep on the street.

can just stay in osaka and make two day-trips to kyoto. kyoto is not that far from osaka. and also just in case u all got bored after the first day, then still can go elsewhere