If we are planning to visit several places around Japan and they are a few hundred kilometres apart, it is important for us to get a JR Pass. Last year we got ourselves a two-week JR Pass at 45,100yen each. The year before, we got a 7-days JR Pass at 28,300yen each. These passes are quite a bargain if you plan to do extensive travelling on the Shinkansens. And we do travel A LOT on Shinkansens. The super efficient train system is our favourite thing about vacationing in Japan. We can spend days just hopping on and off trains; comparing the different train features and be completely happy. Weird? Maybe.
Anyway, we got to travel from Kyushu all the way to Tokyo on JR trains with plenty of stops in between and not have to worry about additional ticket fares.
Anyway, we got to travel from Kyushu all the way to Tokyo on JR trains with plenty of stops in between and not have to worry about additional ticket fares.
For this year's visit (if we get to go, that is) we are not planning to go all over the country and will concentrate mostly to the East side of Japan. So a JR East Pass looks like our best option.
There is a promotion for a 3-day flexible JR East Special Pass available for sale from Sep 1 - Dec 1, 2009 and can be used from Sep 1 - Dec 31, 2009. The pass is to be sold at just 10,000yen. As a comparison, a flexible 4 day pass is sold at 20,000yen which is the same rate as a 5 consecutive days pass. That is a lot of savings! The JR East Pass can be used to ride the Izu Kyuko Line (Super-View Odoriko, Odoriko), the Hokuetsu Kyuko Line (Hakutaka, between Echigoyuzawa and Naoetsu) and the Tobu-Nikko Line (Nikko, Spacia Nikko, Kinugawa and Spacia Kinugawa trains). Cool! (Zaini can be a complete nerd when it comes to trains)
Maybe this time, I get to go to Nikko.
So far, our rough plan is:
2 days at Disneyland/Disneysea to celebrate Raimie's birthday on Dec 2 which is to be towards the end of our vacation.
Hiking to Mount Iwate, Morioka
Railway Museum in Saitama
Yokohama to check out Heroes Base (and meet Ultraman) among others there
A day or two for shopping : Karuizawa & Gotemba Premium Outlet came to mind
another 7 days worth of vacation days yet to be planned. Hmm... I wonder if we can afford going to a Ryokan and soak in an onsen this time around?
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