Osaka & Kyoto, Japan Thread 2

[shegie_285]

From Kansai aiport there is also an express JR train (not the shinkansen, its cheaper than the Shinkansen) that goes to Osaka and Kyoto. That's a good alternative. There is a normal JR train din that goes to OSaka and Kyoto but it stops at every station and ang tagal ng byahe.  Then you can buy the Haruka + Icoca combination (Haruka is the express JR train) dahil lumalabas almost free na ang 1,500yen na load sa Icoca. Mas mahal din kasi ang Haruka compared sa normal JR train. You can buy the Haruka + Icoca combination na one way ticket lang ang Haruka.

May reserved seats din ang Haruka but we didnt pay for the reserved seat.

Nung papunta kami ng Osaka ang nasakyan namin is the normal JR train, it took us almost an hour from Kansai to Osaka. Then sabi ko sa asawa ko, mali kasi ang tinuro nung nasa station sa amin, sasakay na ako dapat sa Haruka train but tinuro kami sa normal JR train.  I think dahil naunang aalis ang normal JR train. We only realised this on our way back na sa Kansai dahil nasa tamang train na kami and nag-stop lang ang train sa Osaka and another station (we got the train sa Kyoto).

Sa normal JR train walang lalagyan na bag so nasa harap namin ang luggages. Sa Haruka may mga lalagyan ng bag.

Fittotravel - I love Japan too, a big part is probably because I love Japanese food. Ang sarap mag-food trip. Oh you prefer Seoul to Tokyo. So i guess I should lower my expectation sa Tokyo, hehe... No plans pa naman to go back to Japan dahil malayo (I live in Europe) but my husband and I would like to go back to Japan someday.

[fittotravel]

@shegie_285: Yes. I love Japan. Buti na lang malapit lang dito sa atin at laging may sale ang Cebu Pacific.  Seoul is better than Tokyo, pero para sa akin lang 'yan. But we enjoyed the chery blossoms naman in Shinjuku Gyoen Park sa Tokyo. 

Tip pala about the trains in Japan, it really takes some getting used to. There are JR trains but not every single one is a rapid train. You'd know this kasi usually mas puno lagi 'yung dumadaan na rapid trains. Iba pa 'yung express. Iba pa 'yung limited express. Tapos iba rin 'yung local (na mas maraming stops). Usually, merong time at type ng train na dadaan na nakapost sa mga station para hindi kayo malito. Or you can also ask the station master para hindi kayo mamali ng sasakyang train. 

Value for money 'yung Haruka + ICOCA combination. Especially if you're heading straight to Kyoto from Kansai International Airport. 

[kreng]

Mga sis,

Saang agency pala kyo nag-apply for Japan visa?

[SOFIEMAE]

^sis my Japan Visa thread, mine sa discovery tour

[IamDindin]

sis shegie_285 and sis fittotravel Paano mga sis if ang itinerary namin Kyoto and Nagoya? Pwede din ba yung Haruka + ICOCA combination?  Baka Nagoya na kami to fly back ng Manila gusto ko lang makita yung winter illumination sa Nabana No Sato. Pero from Manila, Kansai airport kami, diretso na kami ng Kyoto, hindi na dadaan ng Osaka. 

Pasensya na, nalilito talaga ko sa mga trains nila

[kreng]

Thanks sis Sofiemae

[shegie_285]

Hi I amDindin - yes sis you can still buy that combination bale one way ang Haruka ticket mo to Kyoto tapos may 1500 na load ang Icoca  card. I don't know what train from Kyoto to Nagoya but if it's a JR train you can use the load sa Icoca card for it.

[rasee16]

medyo kinabahan ako nung mabasa ko yung usapan sa trains.. parang ang dami. natatakot tuloy ako baka mali kami ng masakyan.. ano ba mga sasakyan namin?

Day 1 - Kansai airport to Osaka (What train?)
Day 2 - sight seeing in Osaka
Day 3 - Universal studios
Day 4 - Osaka to Kyoto and sightseeing in Kyoto (What train?)
Day 5 - sightseeing in Kyoto
Day 6 - Kyoto to Tokyo and sightseeing in Tokyo (what train?)
Day 7 - Disney Sea
Day 8 - Tokyo to Narita airport (what train?)

[shygirlme]

^hi sis do you have pocket wifi ba? alam mo kasi kami ng husband ko non wala din idea san train sasakay haha kaya yun google maps lang gamit namin

[fittotravel]

@rasee16: Don't worry, getting lost is actually part of the whole experience. And believe me when I say you will eventually get lost no matter how prepared you think you are.  Check Hyperdia for train routes. Madali lang namang intindihin. Andun lahat ng options para sa mga gusto n'yong puntahan (time ng departure, connections, platform, etc.).  Tama si shygirlme, rent a pocket wifi para kampante kayo in case mawala kayo.

[rasee16]

thanks sisses! where do i rent a pocket wifi and how much?

nakita ko na pala yung sa hyperdia. kaloka ang daming trains pala talaga! like yung nankai airport express, pano ko malalaman kung pasok ba sya sa JR pass?

Tingin nyo ba masusulit namin yung JR pass o kahit hindi na kami magavail kasi di naman kami magpapabalik-balik?

sorry ang dami kong tanong lol. mom ko kasi yung kasama ko. and for sure sa akin yun aasa for directions.

[shygirlme]

^sa telecomsquare kami kumuha sis pick up and drop off lang sa airport. kinuha namin sa osaka tapos sa tokyo namin binalik. may stalls sila sa airports. ano destination nyo sis?if di ka na magpapabalik balik sa isang lugar (like us osaka kyoto tokyo) hindi sya sulit but if example sa narita (tokyo) entry and exit mo i suggest kumuha ka ng jr pass. may nakalagay naman sis na JR line don.

[rasee16]

^same tayo sis, osaka-kyoto-tokyo din ang way namin. Kansai ang entry then Narita ang exit.
Hmm.. ok so sige hindi nalang siguro kami kukuha nung JR pass. Pero yung touring around the cities, anong budget train card kinuha nyo?

[shygirlme]

^wala kami kinuha na ticket sis. bumibili nalang kami ticket sa tran station.

[rasee16]

ah ok sige. pero hindi naman hassle kung pila kayo ng pila to buy tickets?
yung pocket wifi nalang muna siguro ang priority ko para makapili kami kung anong routes/trains ang sasakyan namin.

[shygirlme]

^for us hindi naman sis. hindi naman mahaba pila e. di kasi namin napag aralan yung mga train cards kaya nagtyaga nalang kami sa pagbuy ng tickets

[fittotravel]

@rasee16: I had the same trip routes as yours when I availed of the 7-day JR Pass. At sobrang nasulit ko naman! I posted a 7-day itinerary on my blog with tips on how to maximize the JR Pass. Nasa ibaba nitong post ko 'yung link. May post din sa comment section noon kung aling pass ang maganda sa Osaka and Kyoto. 

Plan your train travels well if you're not purchasing the JR Pass cause rail travel in Japan is NOT cheap. One of the advantages of having a JR Pass at your disposal is you minimize the risk of spending more in case you missed your train or if you take the wrong one.  Convenient din kasi you don't have to buy tickets everytime you'll take the train. Kapag nandun ka na kasi, sobrang you will rely heavily on rail transport. 

Tama yan na you're planning early. The first time I went there kasi, I only had my hotel booking for the first 2 nights and a JR Pass -- wala nang iba. Inaasikaso ko 'yung itinerary ko the night before, sa hotel. At nakasurvive naman ako ng 11 days!

[shegie_285]

Actually nalito nga kami sa Osaka going to Kobe and Kyoto but i think in Osaka station JR trains naman lahat (correct me if im wrong) so ang disadvantage lang if hindi rapid train nasakyan mo, matagal na byahe. Parang ang daming train to Kyoto. We went to information desk (english) all the time to confirm train times and platform. Tapos sa screen nakalagay Rapid or S. (Special) Rapid train to final destination (hindi Kyoto) so parang maling platform kami so ask sa nakapila kung Kyoto. One time say platform 9 kami  (as per information desk) then nakita ko platform 8 Kyoto din. Now ko lang na-realise na both trains dadaan sa Kyoto but one is probably faster.

There is another station in Osaka shin-osaka dito ang shinkansen and the express train from Kansai airport.

Kami we didn't have a pocket wifi - but lahat ng hotel namin may wifi sa room. The night before we use googlemaps na then screenshot. Googlemaps is good may price pa ng train ticket. we always stop for coffee din and coffeeshops have wifi din.

Sa Kansai airport ask for Kyoto and Osaka guide, may map ito ng subway naman to go around these cities.

[fittotravel]

@shegie_285: Yup, nakakalito talaga minsan no?  Pero Hyperdia has naman all the information you need regarding rail travel in Japan. What I did was, I took screenshot of my preferred travel time saka 'yung mas maaga at mas late na schedule. Para in case mapaaga ako ng dating sa station (or malate), alam ko pa rin kung saang platform ako pupunta at aling train ang sasakyan ko. 

If you don't want to avail of the pocket wifi service, JR West Rail offers free wifi service for 8 days. Pwedeng gamitin sa mga JR station. Here's the link: https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/travel-information/wifi/

Nakakalito nga 'yung Osaka station kasi Umeda station din ang tawag sa kanya, depende kung anong rail company.    Pero within the same complex lang naman itong 2.

[kreng]

 Anong hotel kyo nagstay mga sis?