Trip to japan. Faq. Please help!!!

[unibrow]

Going to Japan for two weeks, have been doing lots of research. Anyone with experience can help answer a few questions re the JR pass. I'm planning on buying a 7 day pass, arriving in Narita, headed to stay in Osaka for a week, and than travelling to Hiroshima, Nara, Kyoto and Hakone.

I just contacted Elite Orient Travel in downtown Toronto and they said that the pass is $401 for 7 days. Is there any travel agency options, that would offer other price options?

Suggestions, comments, recommendations!!!!

[heymikey]

You don't have to worry about being a faq in Japan even though it seems like a conservative country. Although same-sex affection might be frowned upon when done in public. ;)

As for the JRP pass, the cost is in yen, converted to local currency using today's exchange rate. The price in yen is fixed but you can probably negotiate with the agent for a better exchange rate. I remember buying one for around $250 for a 7-day pass but that was when CAD1 = JPY105.

[frankyflwrs]

I saw the same thing!!

LOLOL:lol:

[forgamez]

The 7-day JR pass is priced in Yen @ 28,900 Yen. This is a fixed price for the travel agency. Not much you can do about it, since the CAD$ is really weak right now.

At today's rate, it should cost you ~CAD$385. So, they probably tacked on a $15 service charge.

If you had some existing U.S. dollars, you can buy the pass for ~USD$300 through H.I.S. USA (http://his-usa.com/en/top/Top.aspx). I emailed them a couple of weeks ago and they were willing to ship to Canada for a fee. Prices get reset every Wednesday.

[eman747]

I brought/pickup my JR Passes here in March 2008. I guess prices is slightly cheaper.

http://www.kiecan.com/toronto/index_e.htm

[cayouche]

I find that quite expensive especially if it's not good for NOZOMI Shinkansen... :confused:

[forgamez]

I find that quite expensive especially if it's not good for NOZOMI Shinkansen... :confused:

I don't understand why that is expensive. If you consider that expensive, can you tell us where to get JR pass for cheaper or a better plan?

7 day JR passes are fixed at 28300yen and 37800yen if you want Nozomi shinkansen. At today's rate of 76YEN/1CAD, the prices quoted at Kintetsu are fair. The price is expensive because are CAD$ sucks, but nothing you can do about that.

[GemInite]

The Japan National Tourism Organization is located in downtown Toronto at University/Dundas. You can pick up a lot of maps from there before you head over which will be very useful.

[j62lee]

I brought/pickup my JR Passes here in March 2008. I guess prices is slightly cheaper.

http://www.kiecan.com/toronto/index_e.htm

This. I just bought a 7 day JR Pass from them. ~$370 after $15 Xpresspost shipping.

[rain]

Buy at the JNTO and you can avoid the shipping. There's no handling fee either. But you might have to pay the exchange rate. I'm not sure if they take US$ though. You can call and ask or drop by.

This seems pretty cheap.

http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/index.html
1,500 yen from narita to tokyo area. Cheapest rate I've seen is keisei for 1,000 yen or so. But you gotta pay for transits and stuff. So it will add up. Might as well take a direct route.

Actually, why not just take a night bus to Osaka if you're staying there for a week? It's a lot cheaper.
http://www.123bus.net/route/tyo/tyo-osa.html
4,100YEN one way.

Kyoto has day pass for 500 yen. If you buy at Narita, Tokyo has 1 day (600yen) or 2 day pass (980yen). If you buy outside of Narita it will cost a bit more
http://www.tokyometro.jp/global/en/ticket/narita.html

[spookie149]

I find that quite expensive especially if it's not good for NOZOMI Shinkansen... :confused:

You sure it doesn't? Last March my JP Rail pass got me lots of rides on the shinkansen.

Get the rail pass. It's def. worth it. Sleeping costs a bomb. Think 25 bucks CDN a night in a dorm room. If you have a railpass you can take a late night train and sleep.

[Sgt_Strider]

Sorry for going off-topic, but I'm wondering how does the JR pass work. Let's say I buy a 7 day pass, does that mean from the day I activate the card, then I have only 7 days to use it?

[Ryu69]

Sorry for going off-topic, but I'm wondering how does the JR pass work. Let's say I buy a 7 day pass, does that mean from the day I activate the card, then I have only 7 days to use it?

yup. the juice runs after the first time you use it.

[lonelydriver]

You sure it doesn't? Last March my JP Rail pass got me lots of rides on the shinkansen.

Get the rail pass. It's def. worth it. Sleeping costs a bomb. Think 25 bucks CDN a night in a dorm room. If you have a railpass you can take a late night train and sleep.

the overnight train services stopped recently

[Sgt_Strider]

yup. the juice runs after the first time you use it.

Will the card indicate when it'll expire the minute I start using it? Or it's just within 7 days from the first day that I use it?

[shumbum]

Going to Japan for two weeks, have been doing lots of research. Anyone with experience can help answer a few questions re the JR pass. I'm planning on buying a 7 day pass, arriving in Narita, headed to stay in Osaka for a week, and than travelling to Hiroshima, Nara, Kyoto and Hakone.

I just contacted Elite Orient Travel in downtown Toronto and they said that the pass is $401 for 7 days. Is there any travel agency options, that would offer other price options?

Suggestions, comments, recommendations!!!!

Hey Im also doing 2 weeks In Japan and my friends are also considering a JR pass... Does anyone know of flex passes for around 7 days? I dont want to travel japan over a period of 1 week and then ending up in one place for 7 days. The 2 week pass for the JR is reeeeally expensive.

ie: 7 day flex pass, where each "token" expires after one full day. I live near Vancouver, BC so I may look around for travel agencies that sells passes.

[woofster]

I bought a 7-day JR pass for $369.00 CAD total last month, as I'll be heading out to Tokyo this Thursday. Since I'll be staying in Japan for greater than 7 days, I was in a similar situation where I had to decide exactly when I should start the JR pass. As most of my travels outside of Tokyo are in the first week, I'll be using it immediately from Narita to JR Tokyo. Once my 7 days are up, I'll be switching from rail to train as train is more economical for shorter distance travels within Tokyo. The last trip back on the Narita Express will be paid for in local currency, i.e. 2940 yen or about $40 CAD.