We will be flying in to Fukuoka and plan to stay in Nagasaki for two or three nights. We are also plan to go to Kurume and Futsukaichi as day trips but haven't decided on the actual itinerary yet.
I am still trying to figure out whether it's better to get a Northern Kyushu pass. Can anyone direct me to a website where I can check individual fares?
I stumbled on this website, but I don't understand how the fare pricing works. For example, under Route 1 it states "One way: Y4190" and "Y2810" and "Y1380(non-reserved)". Which fare should I be looking at?
https://roote.ekispert.net/en/result?arr=Nagasaki(Nagasaki)&arr_code=28533&connect=true&day=19&dep=Hakata(Fukuoka)&dep_code=28283&express=true&highway=true&hour=9&liner=true&local=true&minute10=0&minute1=0&plane=true&research=time&shinkansen=true&ship=true&sleep=true&sort=time&submit_btn=Search&surcharge=3&ticket_type=0&transfer=2&type=dep&utf8=✓&via1=&via1_code=&via2=&via2_code=&yyyymm=201804Thanks in advance.
Comments
Futsukaichi is best reached by a Nishitetsu train (not covered with the Pass; 15 minutes by ltd express train from Tenjin Stn).
Not sure why you'd be focusing on those places - Kurume does not have much though the Naritasan Great Buddha is quite a sight. Futsukaichi is a hot spring area with a history going back 1300 years, but there are far better places, like Unzen near Nagasaki. Certainly not worth a whole day. Nearby Dazaifu or Yanagawa would be more interesting if you ask me.
Fukuoka City has a number of good places as well - one of the best is a virtually unknown jewel - the Nanzoin Temple is excellent and just 20 minutes by train from Hakata Station.
http://www.thejapanfaq.com/fukpic.html
http://bit.ly/1KAm8cU
The reason why you are getting different fares in your search is because limited express trains make fewer stops and get you there much quicker. So they cost more.
For the distances you're traveling, a more practical way of looking them up is here:
https://bit.ly/2ErIz3K
If you were paying normal fares, you just need to decide if you want to pay for the seat reservations. Since you're not traveling in a peak time, I wouldn't.
I've done some data entry on Hyperdia, and it does seem that getting the Northern Kyushu pass would be economical. I do have some more questions about the JR Pass which I hope you can help with.
1. The FAQ below doesn't mention the Limited Express Midori or Kamome. If I have a JR pass, do I have to top up the (un)reserved seat fare if I'm taking the Limited Express trains? If so, do you know if payment by MasterCard would be accepted at train stations?
* https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/railpass/qa.html
"Q2. Are there any additional charges when reserving a seat on limited express trains such as Yufuin no Mori, Aso Boy!, and SL Hitoyoshi?
A2. No additional charges apply to reserve a seat so long as the train operates within the valid area of your JR Kyushu Rail Pass."
2. If I have the JR pass and, instead of the Nishitetsu train, I take the JR Kagoshima line from Hakata to Futsukaichi, walk to Nishitetsu Futsukaichi, and take the train to Dazaifu, is it correct that I would only have to pay Y150 for the second leg of the trip?
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4854.html
PS. Why I'm choosing those places:
Futsukaichi - there's an Airbnb countryside homestay that looks interesting. I'm thinking of staying a night, and visiting Dazaifu while we are in the area. I'm still on the fence about Yanagawa, as it seems touristy (bamboo hats!) and we have been to Kurashiki before, though I'm open to it if we have time.
Kurume - Haze Rouge http://simple-moderne.com/ and maybe Kurume Forest Azalea Park after that. But mainly Haze Rouge.
I was also toying with the idea of Okawachiyama (possibly staying a night in Imari) or Kawachi Fujien Wisteria Garden, but that might be a bit of a squeeze as we will only be in Japan for a week.
Thanks for recommending Nanzoin - it looks interesting and I'll see if we can make a trip there.
For Q1 & 2, it's all answered here:
https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/railpass/railpass.html
Yes you can use the trains, no there are no additional charges. You can make 10 seat reservations for free. You can do so online here:
https://kyushurailpass.jrkyushu.co.jp/reserve/
If for whatever reason you want to make more than that, you would need to pay - yes you can use MC at the train station.
Please note that for Haze Rouge it is closed Mon-Tue. If you want to see azaleas, one of the finest places in the area is the Daikozenji Temple in Kiyama.
https://daikouzenji.com
https://bit.ly/2GGmdl3
The Kawachi Fujien would be a surreal dream to see and actually your timing is excellent. It is though a pain to get to. This year it is expected to peak about Apr 24-28 - about a week earlier than usual. You'd need to buy the reservation ticket at a 7-11 or Family Mart, and then pay for the entrance fee when you get there (500 or 1000 yen depending on the time). I'd go then if I could. You'd take a train to Yahata Stn and then either pay for a taxi (maybe 3500 yen) or there is a free bus to nearby hot spring that can take you if there is room.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4881.html
i can't tell from this webpage whether "o" means yes or no:
https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/time_table/station14.html
The "o" means yes, and if no it would be "x".
http://www.sunqpass.jp/english/route/index.html
i am thinking of
hakata/kurume/(haze rouge)/kurume/nagasaki
leaving our bags at kurume while we make our way to haze rouge.
i saw on navitime travel that for some timings there's only a 7-minute gap between switching from the tsubame shinkansen to the kamome at shintosu. for others, there's a leeway of 18 to 20 minutes.
would you know if the shinkansen and kamome platforms at shintosu are near each other?
@luisjp - thanks. i didn't know about the pass.
Japanese trains are quite punctual, so 7 minutes should be plenty of time to make any transfer. Returning to Hakata is really needless backtracking and to me not worth it.
Within Nagasaki you can also get a street trolley day pass - it can save you some money too. There are many good places to see in the city, and be sure to try the chanpon and saraudon for lunch or dinner. They both are excellent.
http://bit.ly/2ob4u8i
https://en.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g298561-i5732-k11330146-Purchasing_train_ticket_from_Hiroshima_to_Nagasaki-Hiroshima_Hiroshima_Prefecture_Chugoku.html
https://translate.google.co.jp/translate?sl=ja&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=ja&ie=UTF-8&u=https://www.jr-odekake.net/eki/premises.php?id=0912045&edit-text=&act=url