Japan Accomodation

[cyra1ax]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt


We ended up booking it.

The only thing that concerned me was that Hotels.com, Booking.com, and Expedia ALL showed it as being completely sold out, but Japanican.com had almost every room type available listed as "few left". So we booked with JapanIcan, but I am a little worried. We got a confirmation number at least so hopefully it worked.

It was $600 CAD total for 2 nights in a "Japanese style room" with "large private bath" and half board (breakfast & Keiseki (sp) dinner)

No worries, Japanican is actually set up by the Japanese Government/Tourism Board IIRC, and from what I've seen in the Tokyo/Kyoto region actually gets slightly better rates over OTA's.

That being said, while the inclusion of a TripAdvisor rating is a good idea, the website absolutely stinks IMO.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by cyra1ax


No worries, Japanican is actually set up by the Japanese Government/Tourism Board IIRC, and from what I've seen in the Tokyo/Kyoto region actually gets slightly better rates over OTA's.

That being said, while the inclusion of a TripAdvisor rating is a good idea, the website absolutely stinks IMO.

Yeah the site itself seemed legit enough (though like you say not a lot of effort was put into translations making it simple and "westernized" for us North American tourists haha).

The only thing that worried me is that 3 other reputable sites said there were no rooms, but JapanIcan had 4 or 5 room possibilities to choose from. So, either they overbooked, or JapanICan has access to a larger number of rooms than Expedia, Booking.com, and Hotels.com. Hopefully it's the latter haha.

I got a confirmation number and I don't pay until I arrive, so hopefully it all works out. I'm not worried about the money I'm worried about not getting to stay there if anything.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Is there a go-to place to get the JR passes, or is the price the same everywhere?

[saiyajin]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Is there a go-to place to get the JR passes, or is the price the same everywhere?

i mentioned this on Page 1

Originally posted by saiyajin


i get my JR pass from Nippon travel downtown
http://www.nippontravel.ab.ca/rail_passes.php

my friends have used this site
http://www.jrpass.com/

i prefer going downtown and getting my voucher on the spot rather than waiting for it in the mail and such and i found the price doesn't vary that much between the 2.

i always just got the Ordinary instead of the Green car(first class) and found it pretty comfortable, personally never tried the green car so can't comment but like i mentioned the regular was fine for me.

i never needed a sim just used a pocket wifi and used WhatsApp, getting my pocket wifi from here
http://globaladvancedcomm.com/order/index.html
you can pick it up at the airport but i get them to send it to the place i am staying, return is a breeze you just drop it off in the mailbox at the airport when you leave.

[Boat]

Wife and I will be heading to Japan in March and I just wanted to jump in say thanks for all of the information so far everyone! I will definitely be referencing this when we start planning.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by saiyajin


i mentioned this on Page 1

Sorry I missed that - thanks again. Covertting their Yen to CAD pricing seems to be slightly more expensive than these guys, but close enough:

http://www.jtb.ca/eweb/jrpass/alljrpass.aspx

Seems like just go with whatever is convenient.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Got my JR passes from Nippon travel for $565 (I think they undercharged me a tiny bit?)

Anyways, I want to reserve my Pocket WiFi now but I will be arriving on a Sunday. Does anyone know if post offices or the rental kiosks will be closed on Sunday afternoon at Narita? We arrive around 2:40PM Japan time and will have to clear customs, etc. Is that going to be a problem? I'd have them send it to our Tokyo hotel but we need it to figure out how to get from the airport to said hotel.

I was just going to use Global Advanced but I want to make sure I can actually get it when I arrive. Looks like I might be OK until 8PM but I want to make sure.

[A2VR6]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Got my JR passes from Nippon travel for $565 (I think they undercharged me a tiny bit?)

Anyways, I want to reserve my Pocket WiFi now but I will be arriving on a Sunday. Does anyone know if post offices or the rental kiosks will be closed on Sunday afternoon at Narita? We arrive around 2:40PM Japan time and will have to clear customs, etc. Is that going to be a problem? I'd have them send it to our Tokyo hotel but we need it to figure out how to get from the airport to said hotel.

I was just going to use Global Advanced but I want to make sure I can actually get it when I arrive. Looks like I might be OK until 8PM but I want to make sure.

My JR Passes for 2 weeks were around 584 (went end of Sept) so I think they charged you right.

As far as the post office is concerned they are open 8:30 am -8 pm 365 days a year on the 4th floor of terminal 1 (floor where you check in for your flight when you leave Narita) so you should be ok. We were able to clear customs in about a hour. It was fairly easy to get to the post office (it's to the right of all the check in counters... theres a info desk that can help direct you) and it was painless getting the packaged and getting the WiFi setup with Global Advanced's instructions.

[eblend]

Just throw it out there since I just came back from the Japan and used mobile data for first time...b-mobile was rock solid and was only 2300 yen for two weeks for unlimited LTE. I bought one for wife and myself. My buddy also used them for 3 weeks prior to my arrival and said that after the first 2 weeks are up, you can renew for a week if you call, or just renew for 2 weeks online. Much cheaper than some of the other SIM card options available, and come in all SIM sizes.

[The_Rural_Juror]

I used U-Mobile's pre-paid sim they have a vending machine at Narita because they have a 15 day option instead of the usual 14 days. Worked pretty well. It's unlimited LTE but slows down after the first 200 MB per day.

[eblend]

Originally posted by The_Rural_Juror
Save your sexy time for the Tokyo love hotels.

I am having trouble with Koyasan. Anyone familiar with booking there? Most of the pages are in Japanese.

We stayed at the Buddhist Temple there, wife booked it all so don't know the details, but it was basically a Ryokan but ran by monks and you get to see and participate in their morning prayer. If interested I can get the details from the wife, she booked it all (but she is Japanese so it was easier for her..they accept foreigners)

Might have been mentioned on here before, but not all places will accept foreigners, but guessing those places aren't listed on major sites.

If you stay at a ryokan, usually its a shared bath...you walk out naked, no towels allowed in the water at least. It's awkward and I don't really like it, but most places you can reserve a private tub for a period of time, or other places actually have a tub attached to the room, in a detached dwelling outside of the main building. I have yet to see one inside the room....and I have stayed in about 6 of these things over my time, but wife always books them, so perhaps they aren't that tuned for the foreigners and are the more authentic experience.

[eblend]

Originally posted by The_Rural_Juror
I used U-Mobile's pre-paid sim they have a vending machine at Narita because they have a 15 day option instead of the usual 14 days. Worked pretty well. It's unlimited LTE but slows down after the first 200 MB per day.

How much do those run just curious? B-mobile was unlimited, but had a condition too, if you use over 1GB over 3 consecutive days it will slow down. I used about 2.8GB in 2 weeks, didn't need it for the third I was there as was always with wife at inlaws place.

[eblend]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Is there a go-to place to get the JR passes, or is the price the same everywhere?

Last two times I travelled I got em from here, was cheaper at that time than the exchange rates, and lists prices in Canadian dollars, free shipping.

https://www.japan-rail-pass.com

[Mitsu3000gt]

Thanks guys - sounds like I'll be OK with Global Advanced & Pickup at the NRT 4th floor Terminal 1 post office. I was just going to get the Premium Pocket WiFi 75Mbps with unlimited data (slows down after 10GB). I think it worked out to $150 or so for 2 weeks which seemed fair.

I think I got undercharged for my JR passes because the Yen and exchange rate they quoted me was $595 and they charged $565. Maybe they just had a promotion or something. All the websites show $585-$595 or so as well. Oh well, few dollars either way.

I read that I cannot redeem the JR pass without a Tourist stamp in my passport - is this something I need to ask for? Or are they pretty on the ball at customs? I imagine they are because it's Japan haha.

[eblend]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt

I read that I cannot redeem the JR pass without a Tourist stamp in my passport - is this something I need to ask for? Or are they pretty on the ball at customs? I imagine they are because it's Japan haha.

Pretty sure that just means u have an entry stamp, which you will always get. You also need this for any duty-free shopping, they will staple a bunch of receipts into your passport which you detach when leaving and throw into a bin. You can't get JR pass if you are local as it's a ton cheaper than local fees, it's only for tourists, so that's what they check.

My wife is a PR in Canada and has Japanese passport, she gets duty free and JR pass like the rest of us due to the entry stamp, as she doesn't actually live in Japan and this doesn't have to pay taxes.

[A2VR6]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt

I read that I cannot redeem the JR pass without a Tourist stamp in my passport - is this something I need to ask for? Or are they pretty on the ball at customs? I imagine they are because it's Japan haha.

When you head through customs they'll give you a 90 day sticker in your passport. Thats all you need to get the JR pass. I got mine on the B1F level just across from the entrance to the JR line for the Narita Express to Tokyo.

Once you get your JR pass just remember to always go to the station attendant at the side of the turnstyles and show them your JR pass (only at JR stations, if your using the metro ie. tokyo metro, osaka metro, kyoto metro you'll need to either buy a ticket or use a Suica card and go through the turnstyles). The first time you show the JR pass at the Narita Terminal 1 Station they will stamp it which starts your 14 day time limit.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Thanks guys, very helpful.

A coworker gave me a pair of PASMO cards (I would have to load them up with credits I assume) - can I use those instead of the Suica?

[cyra1ax]

I wouldn't bother with the bmobile sim, there's a 300mb daily limit too IIRC from when I was using it in April. This last trip I used one from Sakura Mobile and speeds were much higher with no daily cap. More data too but it cost around $40. Catch is the sim isn't disposable, they give you a pre-addressed and paid envelope to return the SIM card in.

Also, be prepared to wait a LONG time to get your JR rail pass. There's usually an attendant at the door which will direct you to fill out an additional form, if not, make sure you fill out the form lol.

[A2VR6]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Thanks guys, very helpful.

A coworker gave me a pair of PASMO cards (I would have to load them up with credits I assume) - can I use those instead of the Suica?

Yep, you can use either/or, they essentially work the same way. You can even charge/refill them at the same machines in most cases.

[Illusive 4-2]

I ended up going with Japan Wireless (http://japan-wireless.com/) for my WiFi egg; no issues, internet worked throughout our trip and it never ran out of batteries. They do provide an extra battery pack but I never had to use it. Cheaper than a lot of other options out there, I ended up paying ~7,500 yen or just under $100CAD after Paypal FX for 10 days (includes 500 yen insurance).

If you're traveling with people and are getting JR Passes at Narita, I'd suggest sending one person to go line up immediately after you arrive as others have noted, it does take quite a while to get them. The rest of the group can go pick up the WiFi Egg etc. Also note that there are two locations to get your JR Pass at Narita T1, the one that everyone goes to is I think the JR East ticket office which is the one you notice first. However, they have a sign right near the door that says you can also pick up your JR Passes from another location across the open area near where the turnstyles are. We were already half way through the line before we noticed it so we ended up staying at the regular location. The JR East location had more staff (I counted 5 counters open) compared to the other location which looked like it had 2-3 counters when we walked by after we got our tickets to catch the train.