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Few questions about my 25 day itinerary 2008/2/11 02:30
I would like to say that this excellent site and forum have helped immensely with my planning. Also using DK eyewitness traval and Lonely Planet Japan.
I am travelling from singapore, which is 1 time zone away, so hopefully there will be no jet lag. I am travelling in a group of 4 guys of around 24 year old.
The following are tentative dates for the trip with the time in brackets being the duration of 1 way trips.

9 June (Mon) – Kansai Airport to Kyoto. Kyoto station area.
10 June (Tues) – Kyoto. Higashiyama Area
11 June (Wed) – Kyoto. Imperial Palace and Northwest Kyoto
12 June (Thur) – Kyoto to Osaka then to Koyasan.
13 June (Fri) – Koyasan to Kyoto. Southern Kyoto
14 June (Sat) – Kyoto. Day trip to Osaka, Otaue Rice Planting Festival
15 June (Sun) – Kyoto. Day trip to Nara
16 June (Mon) – Kyoto to Himeiji to Hiroshima (1hr) (1hr 5min)
17 June (Tues) – Hiroshima to Miyajima to Fukuoka (1hr) (1hr 50min) [8am high tide of 3m, 2.30pm low tide of 0.3m]
18 June (Wed) – Fukuoka. Day trip to Nagasaki (2hr)
19 June (Thur) – Fukuoka to Beppu (2hr)
20 June (Fri) – Beppu to Nagoya (5hr 30mins)
21 June (Sat) – Nagoya to Takayama (4hr)
22 June (Sun) –Takayama to Nagoya (4hr)
23 June (Mon) – Nagoya. Day trip to Ise Shima (2hr)
24 June (Tues) – Nagoya to Hakone via Odawara (1hr 10min)
25 June (Wed) – Hakone to Tokyo. Shinjuku, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office, Ikebukuro (1hr 30min)
26 June (Thur) – Tokyo. Day trip to Nikko
27 June (Fri) – Tokyo. Day trip to Kamakura
28 June (Sat) – Tokyo. Day trip to Yokohama
29 June (Sun) – Tokyo. Harajuku, Shibuya, Yebisu.
30 June (Mon) – Tokyo. Tsukiji Market, Ginza, Akihabra, Roppongi, Tokyo Tower
01 July (Tues) – Tokyo. Imperial Palace – Tour + Garden, Ueno, Asakusa, Odaiba
02 July (Wed) – Tokyo. Shopping and misc.
03 July (Thur) – Tokyo. Depart.

Have a few questions, hope someone can help.
1. Should I get a 2 weeks or 3 weeks pass? And which day should I start using it? The difference is 12600Yen.
2. Are there any places in my itinerary that can be skipped and places that can be added? I did consider Kobe and Kanazawa but decided other places are more worthwhile.
3. Any way to improve the arrangement of the trip and the durations?
4. Which transport prepard card should I get, or pay cash? For Tokyo which is more useful, pasmo or suica? Kanto area, Icoca or Surutto Kansai Card? Can I use the cards on any bus and train in those cities? Will it be better to use cash for the other cities I am going to?
5. Are there any train route not covered by the JR pass? What I know is that the route to Ise needs a surcharge. I decided to take the 4hr Takayama to Nagoya route as a 1-way on the limited express cost 5600Yen is far too expensive for me. My budget is about mid range.
6. Any flea/Antique Markets and festivals that coincide with my trip? It seems that June is devoid of much of these. What time does the Osaka Otaue Rice Planting Festival start and how long is it?

Thanks for reading my long post, any comments are appreciated.
by Tetrflare  

... 2008/2/11 09:12
Should I get a 2 weeks or 3 weeks pass?

I would be using a 14-day pass from June 15. The cost for JR transportation on the remaining days des not add up to 12,600 yen.

Are there any places in my itinerary that can be skipped and places that can be added?

I think it is a very well planned itinerary. And an interesting variety of destinations. Which destinations to pick in the end depends on personal preference.

For Tokyo which is more useful, pasmo or suica?

They are identical. Suica is valid on JR trains in the Kansai region, but that is irrelevant in your case, because you visit Kansai before Kanto.

Icoca or Surutto Kansai Card?

I always use the Surutto Kansai Card, because Icoca is not accepted on Kyoto buses, and I am often using Kyoto buses when in the Kansai area.

Are there any train route not covered by the JR pass?

Access to Koyasan and transport inside the Hakone area.

I decided to take the 4hr Takayama to Nagoya route as a 1-way on the limited express cost 5600Yen is far too expensive for me.

I don't understand what you mean. The trip from Nagoya to Takayama takes only 2.5 hours by Hida limited express train and is fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass!
by Uji rate this post as useful

... 2008/2/11 13:20
Thanks for the reply Uji!
I didn't know that Hida limited express train could use the JR pass. That makes things easier.

Anyone know if we can leave our luggage overnight at business hotels like toyoko inn when we do an overnight trip in between the stay?
by Tetrflare rate this post as useful

... 2008/2/11 14:45
Anyone know if we can leave our luggage overnight at business hotels like toyoko inn when we do an overnight trip in between the stay?

That should be okay. While I have not done it at a Toyoko Inn, I have done it at an APA Hotel, which is a similar business hotel chain, without any problems.
by Uji rate this post as useful

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