Journey to Japan 2/3

Hi everyone!

In last post I wrote about the three basic things that you need to think about going to Japan, that is : choosing traveling time, buying plane tickets and getting a JR Pass. It is true that JR Railway Pass is rather expensive, which is why I recommend it to people who intend to visit many places and spend their holidays in an active way. Also long distance buses might be useful visiting Japan. I read some customer reviews, that it is a cheaper mean of transport, but I can not recommend it, because I did not try it myself. However I have my doubts regarding a relatively long travel time compared to the trains. An important advantage of the trains is their cleanliness, punctuality and frequency of train departures.

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Ishikawa-chō station

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Using the trains it is worth to visit in every city the tourist center, which is located on every major station. In such a place we can get necessary help in the English language (which is sometimes difficult to find on street) but also we can ask for maps and information about local monuments. Japanese stations are not only about transportation, but also a lively place from dawn to dusk. There are hotels, underground shopping malls, dozens of restaurants, so it is no surprise that many Japanese teenagers spend there all day.

If you are planning for the first time to go to Japan, I recommend visiting the island - Honshu. You will find there a most of Japanese "MUST SEE" monuments, so it is the perfect place to start a  journey. Selecting cities to visit, remember to check earlier whether a particular castle or temple is not under renovation, as it can be completely covered and inaccessible to the visitors. Examples of renovating monuments are the castle of Himeji and temple in Uji. It is particularly important to check this information, if we are going to a city a specially to see that monument. In the list of Honshu cities should appeared: Tokyo, Kamakura, Kyoto, Nara, Nikko, Osaka, Hiroshima, Miyajima, and I also recommend Kurashiki, Inuyama, Nagoya, Ise, Yokohama. However, there are too many cities worth of visiting to mention here, so think well what to see during your stay! :)

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Journey to Japan 1/3

Hello!

In today's post I would like to mention a couple of things that in my recognition should be keep in mind planning a journey to Japan. For many, Japan seems to be a real challenge, but I would like to discourage you from choosing organized tours, which are more expensive. Personally, I like to have everything under control and I am afraid of "unpleasant surprises", so I recommend you to plan your journey well. Regarding the traveling time I recommend to go there for at least 10 days during the spring (February, March) or autumn (November). I discourage from traveling in the summer, because at that time it is very hot and humid, due to the wet season. During the spring in Japan, you can enjoy Hanami season, while in the autumn temples and parks are filled with multicolored leaves.

Spring or Autumn? :)

Tickets

The first step is to purchase airline tickets at a bargain price. Usually without a problem, you can buy tickets from Poland (using the Russian airlines) for about 2500 zlotych in both directions. However, it is worth to keep track of airlines web sites, that gives the opportunity of choosing the Emirates airlines (at low cost), which are known for their high standards and great attention to customer. Russian advantages of the air lines are a short flight, and low price. Normally the most expensive, economy class tickets cost about 4 000 zlotych and the cheapest is around 1300 zlotych in both ways!

JR Railway Pass

Visiting Japan without a JR Railway Pass is not possible. Anyone who intends to go to Japan should purchase this pass, which is valid for a limited period of time (7, 14, 21 days) that allows using trains and buses on selected lines. This is the cheapest way of traveling that is intended only for tourists and can be bought only outside of Japan.

See you next time! :)