Yufuin and JR north kyushu pass

need your advice :
1) I arrive by bus into yufuin bus stop in April at 7.20pm from Fukuoka Airport
I need to take a taxi from bus stop to my Pension stay (no pickup service)
can you help me- is there a lot of taxi at night waiting at the bus stop
it will be too dark for me to walk as it will take 10mins

2) I am comparing the Jr pass and individual train ticket fare
i am only using JR train from Hakata to Kumamoto and back to hakata
is it possible to book the train ticket the day before i depart and only pay for the train fare? do i also need to pay for seat fare (if i do not need a seat reservation as it take only 40min )?

Thank you

Hi!

If you're using Hyperdia to estimate train fare, "seat fare" is something of a misnomer and it might be a translation issue. The default "seat fare" is actually the express fare+ the seat fare. If you go to the little box where it says "reserved seat fare" you can change it to "green car" or "unreserved seat." The fare via shinkansen from Hakata/Fukuoka is 4610 yen without a reserved seat and 5330 with seat. This is "high" season pricing, as normally it will only be a 500 yen difference. With the cost at 9220 yen round trip at minimum you should probably consider the pass for 8500 yen for 3 days.

Good luck!

I arrive by bus into yufuin bus stop in April at 7.20pm from Fukuoka Airport

There are two bus stops around Yufuin: Machino-eki-Yufuin (Yufuin Interchange) and Yufuin Station. I checked the bus timetable and 19:20 arrival should be Yufuin Station (Yufuin bus center). There should be taxis waiting around Yufuin station and even if there is no you can ask someone around to call for a taxi. This is in the town center and there should be street lights and some shops/restaurants are still open, so you might better just walk to your pension if it is only 10 min walk.

If it is Yufuin Interchange, there should be no taxi waiting.

Thank you rkold & frog1954

Train Ticket
- can JR North Kyushu pass be used to ride on Yufuin no Mori?

- Is there a 2 way unreserved seat tickets (Hakata - Kumamoto-Hakata) available in April at the price of 7460yen? if yes can i buy it at the ticket office at the Hakata station

Yufuin
- May i know around how much is the standard taxi fare for a 4min trip in yufuin?
- Is cycling from town centre to the farm land along an easy cycling path?
- Is there any nearby town which you recommend that i can take the train or bus out of yufuin (i am not interested in shrine, temple )

Thank you

Thankyou

Hi!

OK I've been trying to research this:
http://www.jrkyushu-kippu.jp/fare/ticket/5

It's unclear whether they can be used for return tickets. Someone better at Japanese will need to answer because Google Translate is just not doing it. There are some sort of conditions on the ticket.

If the Yufuin no Mori is up, it would be covered. It's currently not running from Hakata because of storm damage last year and no one is sure when it will be repaired. You can go to Kokura via the pass, but I am unsure if it covers the shinkansen or if you would need to do a LE pass. I think the bus is by far the fasest way to get from Fukuoka to Yufuin though outside renting a car.

Good luck!

It's unclear whether they can be used for return tickets.

This ticket can be used for return tickets (you just buy two tickets that is), but you need to register for the membership the process of which is only in Japanese and if you are not familiar with the language it will be rather difficult.

The OP probably is referring to 2-mai-kippu

http://www.jrkyushu-kippu.jp/fare/ticket/16

which you can buy on the day, on the spot (at Hakata station that is).

Recently JR Kyushu announced temporary Yufuin no mori via Kokura from Fukuoka to Yufuin. If the OP can fit the itinerary, JR Kyushu northern Kyushu pass might be a good deal. Unfortunately you can't receive the pass at Yufuin though.

https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/tabi/yufuin/

May i know around how much is the standard taxi fare for a 4min trip in yufuin?

Minimum fare for 1500 m is 670 yen.

Is cycling from town centre to the farm land along an easy cycling path?

Sorry I can't find "farm land" close to Yufuin. Do you have specific one in mind?

Is there any nearby town which you recommend that i can take the train or bus out of yufuin (i am not interested in shrine, temple )

Hita, Beppu, Kijima-Kogen.

Hita station for old town, need big walk or taxi ride also.

Amagase station for onsen.

Sugikawachi station for nice waterfall you can walk behind, note that only local trains stop here hourly. In the middle of the day there is no train between 11am to 2pm.

Bungo-Mori station has old roundhouse and railway/Kusu area museum.

Thank you so much - rkold & frog1954 , hakata14

1) Great news that i can use JR North Kyushu 3 day Pass for travel on Yufuin no mori !
i read that yufuin no mori has no service from 10-12 April for certain train no. 93 & 94
may i know did i read it correctly that yufuin no mori no 92 is still operating on 12 April 18 : leaves yufuin at 1445 all the way to Hakata?

my first stop is at Yufuin then Fukuoka and Kumamoto - the only place i can exchange my voucher into JR pass is at Oita station ? can i exchange at Fukuoka Airport /International Airport- i arrive at 330pm

2) for my future reference on the 2 mai kippu -
i cannot find Hakata- Kumamoto - Hakata line
do you know whether this 2 mai kippu is not valid on this route.

3) I may rent a bike from Yufuin town centre and cycle to the end of the touristy street ..and maybe i can find more space to ride the bike and enjoy the surrounding.

Once again Thank you so much for your valuable information that helps me in my planning . THANKS !

yufuin no mori no 92 is still operating on 12 April 18 : leaves yufuin at 1445 all the way to Hakata?

Yes, you are right. I guess you can read some Japanese so you can check the availability of the reserved seat via Cyberstation.

http://www.jr.cyberstation.ne.jp/vacancy/Vacancy.html

Yufuin-no-mori has no non-reserved seat so you must reserve seat, probably on the spot. Today's Yufuin no mori has still vacant seat so you may probably have it on the weekday in mid April.

my first stop is at Yufuin then Fukuoka and Kumamoto - the only place i can exchange my voucher into JR pass is at Oita station ?

Oita or Beppu I think. There is bus service from Yufuin to Beppu, 54 min 900 yen.

can i exchange at Fukuoka Airport /International Airport- i arrive at 330pm

Unfortunately, no. If you have time to go to JR Hakata station before getting on the bus, then of course you can buy it there, but I think you will not have that spare time.

2) for my future reference on the 2 mai kippu -
i cannot find Hakata- Kumamoto - Hakata line
do you know whether this 2 mai kippu is not valid on this route.

Sorry, I gave you wrong link. It should be this.

http://www.jrkyushu-kippu.jp/fare/ticket/10

Kyushu Shinkansen 2-mai kippu.

3) I may rent a bike from Yufuin town centre and cycle to the end of the touristy street ..and maybe i can find more space to ride the bike and enjoy the surrounding.

I think it is a good idea.

https://www.visit-oita.jp/spots/detail/4408

Enjoy your trip!

can i exchange at Fukuoka Airport /International Airport- i arrive at 330pm

And you will get on the bus at 17:38? If your flight arrive on time and you can go through immigration smoothly you may have time to go to JR Hakata station (direct bus from Fukuoka AP international terminal, 15 min, 260 yen). Your bus will depart Hakata bus terminal at 17:18 so if you catch 16:00 bus you might have time to buy the JR Kyushu northern Kyushu pass and then get on the bus.

Probably be easier to just get the bus back to Hakata. IF you have to train it to Oita or bus it to Beppu, then exchange your voucher for the pass, then attempt to make a booking, you'll most likely miss the train you want. So might as well plan for the safe and cheaper option.

Thanks all for your advice

if I can go to Oita station 4 day before my departure on Yufuin no mori from Yufuin to Hakata
I can exchange my evoucher for the JR North Kyushu pass .

when I exchange for the Pass 4 day before departure, can I also indicate the first day of train ride and reserve a seat on the Yufuin no mori at Oita station?

Thank you

if I can go to Oita station 4 day before my departure on Yufuin no mori from Yufuin to Hakata
I can exchange my evoucher for the JR North Kyushu pass .

Yes. You can also exchange or just buy without evoucher at Oita and Beppu. If you have some reason to go to Oita, it's OK, but if you go there to just buy the pass, I think you might better consider going to Beppu which is more interesting place. You can use 1 day or 2 day free pass covering Yufuin and Beppu.

http://www.kamenoibus.com/guruspa/hp/info/index.html

1 day pass 1600 yen and 2 day pass 2400 yen.

when I exchange for the Pass 4 day before departure, can I also indicate the first day of train ride and reserve a seat on the Yufuin no mori at Oita station?

Yes. You can reserve with your pass 1 month ahead of actual ride, at any JR stamations with "Midori no madoguchi" ticket booth.

Oh if that is the case, I would by a e-ticket and do an online booking.

http://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/railpass/how_to_purchase.html

This allows you to make a booking using the e-ticket before you have exchanged you voucher for said rail pass.

Many Thanks for your advice

for the 2 mai Shinkansen kippu in mid April - if i buy in the day before i depart hakata to kumamoto and back the same day , will it be risky that i may not get the ticket/seat?

i have to buy it at the ticket machine or can i get help from the JR ticket information counter

- the routing is Fukuoka city to Kumamoto : Fukuoka city means Hakata station?

for the 2 mai Shinkansen kippu in mid April - if i buy in the day before i depart hakata to kumamoto and back the same day , will it be risky that i may not get the ticket/seat?

The 2 mai Shinkansen Kippu is for non-reserved seat, so it can not be sold out. You can always buy it. But since it is non-reserved seat (there are some non-reserved seat cars on the train and you must get on there), theoretically the seat might be full. But I think this to be rather unlikely, since many tourist get off at Hakata and there should be vacant seats on the non-reserved cars. Further shinkansen trains run every 20 min, you can wait for the next train.

http://www.hyperdia.com/en/cgi/en/deptime.html?dep_node=HAKATA&arv_nod...

Tsubame is from Fukuoka (the station name is Hakata) and since it's slower and less popular, you have more chance to take a seat. But most likely you can take "non-reserved seat" in any train I think.

i have to buy it at the ticket machine or can i get help from the JR ticket information counter

I am not sure whether it is sold at the machine, but at least you can buy it at the manned ticket counter.

- the routing is Fukuoka city to Kumamoto : Fukuoka city means Hakata station?

JR Hakata station is in Fukuoka city. Basically Fukuoka city has two major city centers, Hakata and Fukuoka. Another major station in Fukuoka city is Nishitetsu-Fukuoka (Tenjin) so you have to take care which station to go. Fukuoka (JR) station is in Toyama prefecture, but this is another story :).