Hi Everybody, My wife and I arrive for our 1st visit. Tokyo Narita 10th October for 15 days inclusive.
My Itinerary, 5 nights Tokyo ( 4 days ) 1 day to visit Mt Fiji.
train to Matsumoto 1 night, Next day travel the Alpine route to Kanazawa.
2 nights Kanazawa. 5 nights Kyoto ( include Nara and Himeji Castle)
1 night Osaka. Fly from Osaka late evening.
First, yes I think I need a 15 day rail pass? which one do I buy to cover all?
Pasmo and Suica Cards, Which one? do they cover Tokyo and Kyoto?
How much to put on one ( to see the usual sights ) and how do I get left over money back?
I am from UK living in Thailand 15 years. I have UK Sterling to take to Japan.Where to exchange for best rates? My experience is worst places are Airports and Banks. In Thailand money exchanges on all high streets are the best.
Thank you in anticipation. Barry
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Comments
The first thing you need to do is refine your plans. For the Mt Fuji area, most people go visit either the Hakone area or the Fuji 5 Lakes area. If you go onto Mt Fuji itself to the 5th Station (as far as vehicles can go), there is no view of anything since you're standing on the mountain.
The truth is though that no pass will cover everywhere you want to go here. By my calculations, if you go to Hakone, Matsumoto, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nara and Himeji, you come up just slightly short of making a 7 day pass pay off - and that assumes you bundle all those destinations within 7 days. You are way, way short of making a 14 day pass pay off.
So first - for the Mt Fuji area - the JR Pass can get you part way there, but you'd still need a regional pass to save some money. Look through these and see which area appeals to you:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5200.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6900.html
The Odakyu passes can help you see the area:
http://www.odakyu.jp/english/deels/
For Hakone, the Loop Course is a good way to get around.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5210.html
The JR Pass is useless for the Tateyama Alpine Route as well.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7550.html
A Tateyama Kurobe Option Ticket for 9000 yen can save you some money.
The IC cards are convenient but save you next to nothing. I suggest for Tokyo you get a 2-3 day subway pass.
http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/value/travel/index.html#anc03
Both Kyoto and Nara have a 500 yen bus day pass.
If you don't get any JR Pass, then a 1 day Kansai Area Pass is good to get to Himeji and back.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_03.html
You can see regular fares, routes and schedules on Hyperdia.
http://www.hyperdia.com
Under "More Options", be sure to uncheck the Nozomi box since you can't ride that train using the pass.
For IC card info, see here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html
The Icoca & Haruka discount ticket may be a good way to move around Kansai and get to KIX.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_icoca_haruka.html
If you get a Pasmo or Suica card, you cannot refund any balance on it in Kansai.
For British Pounds, I have no info on which country will give you a better exchange rate. But as a rule of thumb, it's better to exchange money in the country with the smaller economy. In Japan however there is very little difference in exchange rates at the airport and big banks in the city.
What I can show you however, are the current rates in Japan.
http://www.mizuhobank.co.jp/rate/market/cash.html
Look under the British Pounds (GBP) column and you'll see 2 numbers. The one on the left is using yen to buy pounds, and the 2nd one is the one you want - buying yen from pounds. Compare that number with the day's rate in Thailand.
If in fact you can do better in Japan, then as said there is little difference between the airport banks and in the city - but if you want to try, you can go to any large main post office in Japan - they can do foreign exchange also, and their rates are as good as the banks or may be slightly better.
You can see previews of some of the best places to see in Japan on:
https://www.youtube.com/user/thejapanfaq/videos
Yes we are staying the night Matsumoto for next day Alpine route.Thank you re the Open Ticket, where do you buy it? At the end get train to Kanazawa. ( 2 nights) In Kyoto I have to see the local sights first before Nara . Himeji Castle is only if time. Will be seeing Osaka Castle.
Yes subway pass Toyko and Bus for Kyoto thanks
Do not understand Kansai and KIX. I have to admit I have not read your full article yet but wanted to thank you first . I will be looking at the money problem now. Regards Barry
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_06.html
It can get you up to Lake Kawaguchi. There are other passes to see the whole area as well - see:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6905.html
For the Tateyama pass, as it says in the page I linked to, "The ticket is sold at selected JR ticket offices, including the ones at Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Osaka, Shin-Osaka, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Nagano and Toyama stations, but not at Shinano-Omachi Station."
The Kansai Region of Japan includes the cities of Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Kobe and Himeji. KIX is Kansai International Airport which you said you'll be using.
Good luck.
I have looked at the Mizuho Bank web page, the rate of exchange seems poor. Today its is 133.55 to UK pound Were the European Currency converter show 144.6 yen to UK pound. I will have a look around my local money exchanges in Thailand and see if its more beneficial?
Thanks again for all your help.
Regards Barry