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Travelling in Japan By Bus
I want to travel to a few destinations in Japan from Tokyo but when I look through bus travel it seems that they don't operate during the summer months when looking at their schedules. Where do I go to travel by bus? Here are the companies that I was interested in regarding bus travel but they don't operate during the summer months:
EASY BOOKING WITH 123 bus Japan / English service available. 高速バス,夜行バスならオリオンツアー,ENGLISH� ��内,inbound |
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Is it best to get a one-way pass and head to different cities if you plan to visit a few cities? For example, from Tokyo to Osaka, from Osaka to Nagoya or elsewhere, from there to Nagano, etc. Not sure which cities to visit and in which order yet. Would this be a wise option? With the Japan Rail Pass you have to use your pass within 7, 14, etc. days of first use which causes you to keep going from train to train and only spending a single day in the cities you're visiting. Is this correct? I was hoping to stay maybe a few or several days in a city that I like so that's why I want to travel by bus. I get to set my own arrival and departure dates. So if I go to Kyoto by bus, how much will it cost to travel from Kyoto to Osaka, Nara or Kobe? Is it best to take the train between these destinations since they're close by each other? So from those two websites which cities do you recommend visiting? Any insights? |
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Yes, the rail pass is for consecutive days. You can stay in a city to explore it if you want, but it still counts off your rail pass. You may want to look into a juhachi kippu instead. As for which places to visit in Kansai, it depends upon what you enjoy. I'd suggest Osaka, Himeji, Koya-san, Nara, and Kyoto, and there are other places to see nearby as well. IMO the Kansai area has much more to see than the Tokyo area. There is also a night bus from Tokyo to Osaka if you can sleep on a bus, don't mind missing all the scenery along the way, and prefer to have the daylight hours to see the cities themselves... |
Thanks for the help. I'm looking into the Seishun ticket and it seems like a good deal. The only problem is that they're effective from July 20 - Sept. 10 during the summer and I most likely won't be in Japan during these dates. I should be able to catch the Seishun deal if I go during the winter.
I still haven't bought plane tickets but will most likely go before this time since prices seem cheaper. How bad is the rainy season in Japan? Bad enough so that you're stuck indoors most of the time unless you want to constantly be under an umbrella and can't take any pictures without getting your camera wet? So you can use those 5 days with the Seishun ticket whenever you want unlike the JR Rail Pass which expires within 7 consecutive days after first use? If so, I guess it's most wise to use it for long distances to really get your money's worth and not use it within the Kansai region if travelling close distances. I'll closer study what this ticket is all about. I'm getting my info from here: Seishun 18 Ticket - Wikitravel |
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Also, that website describes a night train from Tokyo to Kansai, near the bottom of the page, called the Moonlight Nagara, which you might also consider. Have you looked into buying a plane ticket directly to Kansai International Airport, to avoid having to get from Narita/Tokyo to the Kansai area? |
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Unless you have serious time to kill, I can`t say that the bus from Tokyo to Osaka is a good way to go. It`s faster than regular trains, but a lot slower than the shinkansen. I took an express bus from Nagoya to Tokyo, and it literally took the entire day. (Okay, maybe not that bad, but it was a good 6 or 7 hour trip.) That may not sound like it`s killing a whole day, but really, it is. Unless you`re GREAT at sleeping on buses, or go on a night bus that happens to have beds..... You aren`t really going to feel like doing anything after a trip that long.
To compare, we also recently took the shinkansen to Tokyo - about an hour and a half. We sat down, ate our lunches, talked for a bit, then after playing for a little while on DS or PSP - we were there. It seemed almost *too* short. I`ve also done the regular train with a 18-kippu to Tokyo one, and that was just too awful to consider doing again. 9 or 10 hours if you include changing trains, which you do VERY often on the regular lines. Ended up splurging and taking the shinkansen about half the way back because the thought of doing it again made me feel ill. Then again, my husband apparently went all the way up to Hokkaido that way before we met... But he only rode the train for about 4 to 6 hours a day and stopped in a bunch of places along the way. Buses do have a good point though - they are cheap, and are easy. Their prices are comparable to regular trains. And they`re easier than trains if you just want to relax on your trip. The bus goes straight to the destination, no matter where it is, so you don`t have to think about changing trains. Once you`re on a bus, you can relax until they get there. |
Thanks for the detailed explanation. I guess I will skip the Seishun ticket because I would much rather just relax without worrying about switching trains and would much rather take the bus since you said it's faster. The shinkansen isn't desireable because of the price and I'd like to budget my money. I'm not sure if I could sleep on the bus but as long as it has a toilet then I'm good. Are you allowed to drink alcohol on the bus? Well, it's not like they'll check my bag anyway. Perhaps if I do then I'll have an easier time of falling asleep on the bus.
Going from Tokyo to Nagoya and seeing Nagoya and then going from Nagoya to Osaka by bus seems like a nice plan. From Osaka I may just take the train around the various area in the Kansai region like Nara, Kyoto and Kobe. So for my first trip to Japan, would it be a good plan to start in Tokyo, travel to Nagoya, Osaka, Nara, Kobe and Kyoto? Any other cities I should check out perhaps? Mt. Fuji worth it or overrated? Yokohama? All this speak about Nagoya makes me wonder if there's much to do or see there. Please give some advice. This site has the bus guide from Tokyo to Fukuoka for only 4,800 yen. Just looking at the map and the vast distance between these two cities strikes me as being unbelievable. It seems like it would literally take an entire day to reach there by bus and it seems like a grueling journey. How the hell do they make money for that particular trip? Check Tokyo <-> Fukuoka on this site: EASY BOOKING WITH 123 bus Japan / English service available. Anyway, thanks for the insights Samurai and Nyororin. Please keep the advice coming. This is helping me greatly. |
This has nothing to do with the bus topic but I don't see the need to make another topic so I'll ask here. I want to budget my money on this trip as much as possible since the trip may last close to 2 months but I haven't decided yet on how long exactly. Anyone have any insights on working at a youth hostel for a couple of hours for a free room? Any tips on what type of food places to look for to get some good Japanese food? Is going during late-May until sometime in July a good plan? So many questions! I'm still thinking how I should approach buying a ticket to Japan.
I'll probably do a bunch of research on the going rates for tickets and try to get the best possible price. Priceline has a feature where you can bid on your own price on how much you're willing to pay for a ticket. It says you can save up to 40% from the cheapest posted flights. I also don't mind stopping over at 2 stops or flying during less desireable times in the morning like 5 a.m. or so. I'm also looking at IACE and JTBUSA for plane tickets but I may have to call them to get the best rate since they dont' list the total price of their tickets. Anyone have any stories about getting some good deals that saved a bunch of money on plane tickets? I may even call a travel agent since they may offer a better price than what's stated online. I need to plan this trip carefully because I decided to go on this trip alone since I've always wanted to go to Japan and I won't let anyone try to taint my experience! I can always meet other people along my travels. Any tips about anything Japan would be greatly appreciated. |
Deleted. Posted same comment by accident. Any help will be appreciated.
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Well i havent been there and i haven´t tried it and maybe its not your thing, but if you´d really save money you could try Hitchhiking. There a Site with links and stuff here: Hitchhiking Japan in East Asia - Backpacking and Budget Travel | digihitch World
For overnight stay you could try couchsurfing (i´m not sure how many are there in Japan) CouchSurfing - Site Down Message or Free Accommodation world wide through Hospitality Exchange - Hospitality Club If you intend to stay more than 2 weeks at a place and want to safe money you could try wwoofing http://www.wwoofjapan.com/main/ (this will probably take more effort and time, but end up giving you 2 extra weeks in a Japanese Home/Farm/Inn for free (you will work some Hours a day for Food and Accomodation, check out some off the offers). Well thats as far as i got till now for cheap travel / Room. Some stuff may take some more time, but you may consider it interesting, thats why i posted this stuff. I will be going to Japan for 1 year Working Holiday, so im collecting usefull link right now :) Firebird |
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Tokyo to Fukuoka is a very long distance by bus... in fact, I'm surprised it can make it in 1 day. By local trains, it takes at least 12 hours to go from Tokyo to Osaka, another 6 hours to Hiroshima, and at least 8-9 hours from Hiroshima to Fukuoka.The bus can do it in less time because it doesn't need to stop so often, and there's no changing trains, but you're still looking at a very long trip. I only passed through Nagoya, never spent much time there, so I can't really say what there is to see there. For other places to see, Himeji castle is considered one of the best in Japan, so if you want to see a Japanese castle, consider spending a half day there. Koya-san is a mountain in Wakayama Prefecture, south of Osaka, that has well over 100 Buddhist temples on top, it has the oldest and most famous cemetery in all of Japan (which may not sound like fun, but believe me, it's impressive!), and was the home of the monk who invented the Hiragana writing system. You can spend the night in a Buddhist monastery there, which is a neat experience. Here are some pictures from the Koya-san cemetery [IMG] ![]() |
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For food, never order drinks in a restaurant. It will be at least 3x more expensive than the vending machines right outside. And even better than the vending machines, find a super-market or 7-11 and get drinks and snacks there. I usually ate breakfast by going to a supermarket, getting a carton of OJ or iced coffee or whatever, some pastry, and a banana, peach, orange or whatever is local and in season (imported fruits and veggies are expensive there). That's a cheap way to eat, usually just $3-4. For lunch and dinner, if you want a restaurant meal, many places have plastic food in the window showing what they serve and what the price is. This lets you "window-shop" for a place to eat, and you can usually find a good meal for not too much money... ramen, zosui, yakisoba, okonomiyaki, donburi, etc |
Thanks Firebird and Samurai!
Firebird, I will look through those links. I looked through the Hospitality Club link before and I'm wondering if I should really look into it doing it. Just having a place to stay for free seems tempting. This is the option I'm most interested in. I also looked through the Wwoofing link and it looks interesting. It may be something to look at in the future but not on my first trip to Japan. I want to move around to different cities throughout Japan during my first trip so I'm thinking on maybe seeing if I can work at some youth hostels or maybe find a host from the Hospitality Club site. I was thinking about the whole hitchhiking aspect but I'm not sure if I should attempt it during my first trip to Japan. Perhaps when I'm a bit more experienced with Japan. I was thinking about ordering The Hitchhiker's Guide to Japan by Will Ferguson and maybe even Hokkaido Highway Blues which he also wrote to get a glimpse of what hitchhiking in Japan is all about. Samurai, those pictures look great. I would definitely want to experience something like that and just be out in nature. I want to balance my stay in Japan by experiencing the traditional, rural and modern/city side of Japan. I will definitely visit the Kansai region but I'm still deciding if I should go beyond that distance. Maybe I should since I'll have such a long time to explore Japan. I read about drinks being more expensive in bars and restaurants but thanks for the tip about buying drinks at supermarkets and convenient stores. I really want to save as much as I can since things can add up fairly quickly if you're staying for over a month. |
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I think you'd enjoy a hike in the Japan Alps, a visit to the Hida Folk Village and Takayama, the beautiful park in Kanazawa, and much more. |
The others have already posted their own experience with travelling from Tokyo -Osaka and here's mine.
The shinkansen is the fastest way to travel, it will only take about 2-2.5 hours from Tokyo - ShinOsaka but its only the most expensive . Right now i think it is around 13,000yen (one-way) Bus: The cheapest I've known so far is the Seishun Mega Dream Bus by JR which cost around 4000yen ( one-way) but note that the bus does not have a CR but it will stop at a service area for 15minutes every 2 hours. I should warn you though the seats is so narrow, and you can't reclined it much. The 8000yen one is the one that is comfortable. Seishun 18-kippu is actually fun to use ( although have not use it personally since I don't have much vacation ). If you are on an adventure, stopping at every place along the way, this is really cheap way to go. My friends started from tokyo around 4am and stops by at Nagoya for about 1-2 hours before finally proceeding to Osaka. They arrived around 8pm cause they keep missing their train. So if you are going to use this ticket, be prepared to with your map and train schedules. If you want to travel chep around Kansai and without Seishun Kippu: Himeji- get the one-day ticket from Hanshin. it cost 2000yen and you can stop anywhere from Osaka to Himeji using Hanshin Line. Kyoto - going to Kyoto take Hankyu, its the cheapest 390yen one way. Then get one-day ticket for bus for only 500yen and use it to all city bus within Kyoto. Osaka - try to your osaka on a friday cause the one-day ticket is cheaper its only 650yen from 850en. and you can use it to all subway, city bus and new tram all over osaka. There are still lots of cheap ticket, especially since you are a tourist. The suretto kansai has a 3000yen ticket for 3days ( i think ) which you can use to travel in Nara, Himeji, Osaka and Kyoto. How to eat cheap? Do not rely on mcdonalds. They are expensive. Try eating in Yoshinoya or matsuya. A bowl of Gyudon, botadon and other food range from 300-500yen and you get really full. Rather than convenience store, look for a dept store on where you are staying. Sometimes after 7pm they will start putting discount on their food, so you can buy them 10% -50% less. |
I was set on landing in Narita but I may even land in Osaka or Nagoya because these alternative airports may possibly provide some cheap discounts on airfare. Thanks for the initial recommendation on landing in Osaka, Samurai.
Awesome picks Samurai! I'd definitely like to visit those places you recommended. Samokan, thanks for the tips. I really appreciate the advice because I'm learning more and more. Who says Japan has to be expensive!? I see that experiencing the best aspects of Japan can very much be affordable. |
To the hospitalityclub Topic again: Till now i didnt hear any bad stories abour couchsurfing or hospitalityclub. It seems to work pretty well and i heared awesome stories from people traveling. Japan doesn´t have so many People invinting you to stay at their place, but there are some! If you want to be sure to stay at a save place, just choose someone with a lot of comments. They are very open minden people and mostly traveled alot by themselfes. I think Japan is expensive in a "touristy way". But if you have a bit of time and watch the money, it will be not so expensive (at least i hope so : )
Firebird |
Crap, I spelled traveling wrong. Anyway, yeah, I'll look at the Hospitality Club thing. Right now I'm trying to do some research on Skype. Will I be able to use Skype effectively in internet cafes? Don't you need to be quiet in those places? I may have to only use it in the hostel. I want to occasionally call home to a landline.
Also, are there lots of electrical outlets in public places in Japan in case I want to recharge the battery of my camera? |
they do run in the summer.
But i do not recommend taking buses for long distance travel. The traffic is brutal, buses are slow, at every stop they turn the entire bus off, then restart it when the light is green *very annoying*. pending on when you take the bus, it can take twice as long by bus then train. |
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Expressway buses are like those big fancy tour buses. They most certainly don`t shut down at every stop... To be honest, as they`re using the expressway and have a toilet built in, sometimes they don`t stop at all. |
i still think train is faster then the expressway busses
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But youre right, 3 $ for a Toilette is ok! |
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actually the expensive one has a bigger seat compared to the cheap one. It has its own blanket and small pillow and slipper and the seat can reclined more.. But the one you mention, the 3900 and 4200 does not have much difference , only the toilet.. |
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the op wants to know the fastest way ( besides shinkansen) to get to point a and b.. :vsign: |
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I'd rather just get one with a bathroom since I'll probably drink a bit of liquor on the bus to help me sleep better in less than comfortable positions. I may spend slightly more to be a bit more comfortable. The "stylish bus" seems like the best value, but does it have a toilet? It doesn't have a picture of a toilet. I may just spend a bit more so I can at least get some decent sleep or at least try to. Do you get to pick your own seat on the bus? Are the bus tours usually filled in your experience? Well, these are my choices: Tokyo <-> Osaka lowest fares by Bus / 123 bus Japan |
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have not used this buses yet.. I usually get the JR Buses .. |
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the cheapest one, is the seishun mega dream bus which is 3500yen - 4000yen ( one way ). or when you buy you can always ask the clerks to give you first the cheapest one ...:vsign: |
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Im happy that i could be off help and would like to read about your experience. You might not get any accomodation in a to short time, because people might work/be busy so try like 2-3weeks in advance. You might also have to try more than 1 Host. Just try to get people with "yes i will give accomodation" and some comments (like 3-??). They are more acitve and will answer you faster.
Have Fun! Firebird |
I'd better take cycle! IT is more healthy...
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Thanks Samokan for the site. Firebird, yeah, the best tip is to look at the people who are in the front pages of your desired city on Couchsurfing as they are the most active members. So if I want to stay in Tokyo I should look to contact the people on the first or second page since they frequently log in and host as opposed to the other pages of people you don't log in often. Your search automatically sorts out which people are most active which is helpful. Also, the Couchsurfing site seems to be more active than the Hospitality Club one so I'll probably be using that site most and occasionally looking at the Hospitality Club one if I need to. If I go it will be in late-May so it will be a long time until I can update you on my situation.
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You mean the Airplane tickets? Well i already booked my Ticket in Dezember, because there was a special offer from close to my hometown to Tokyo and it was a 1 year Ticket. So ive got no idea when it is cheap to fly. Just try to avoid the holiday season and book early. You are a little flexible, so you should be fine.
Where are you flying from? |
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