Japan Thread 4

[kachich]

Sisses, quick question, can you buy jr pass 3 days prior your trip (reli/discovery)? Or do you really need to secure it in advanced?

Also, would you know if discovery tours sell discounted JR tickets in travel expo? I think someone posted this already but can't recall if visa application fee lang yung discounted or pati JR pass.

Maraming salamat!

[summer_princess]

Sisses, quick question, can you buy jr pass 3 days prior your trip (reli/discovery)? Or do you really need to secure it in advanced?

Also, would you know if discovery tours sell discounted JR tickets in travel expo? I think someone posted this already but can't recall if visa application fee lang yung discounted or pati JR pass.

Maraming salamat!

Hi sis! I inquired both in Discovery, Reli & UHI they all have waiting time on JR pass processing

my agent offered the same day issuance since yung contact nya ay japan operator here in manila.
we will be travelling next week and we just got our JR passes today

[kachich]

Thank you so much for the quick response!

Update:
Went to friendship, reli and universal and the agents told me I can buy JR pass a day prior the trip. Just need to present passport and visa.

[darna88]

from narita airport papunat downtown tokyo like sa nippori skyiner ba sinakyan nyo or yun keisei sky access?..tama ba need reservationsa skyliner and mas mahal sya?...pwede na din ba sky access na train pa papunta nippori? pwede ba buy dun on the day na lang? ty

[katniss]

Help baka may alam kayong cheaper ryoken or kahit traiditonal japanese room accommodation in lake kawaguchi. Less than 2k/night sana. tia!

[mrs. sweet]

Hi. I really can't understand their train timetable online LOL Anybody knows the time of the last train from Otaru to Sapporo?

[shygirlme]

^you can check online sis or sa google maps. dyan lang kami umaasa pag nasa Japan

[mrs. sweet]

^I checked their timetable na, but I can't understand it. Wala kasing mga legends/labels. May mga numbers that have odd intervals, d ko sure if yun yung time of travels

[drag0nfly]

Sali na din ako sa thread kahit Nov pa ang planong punta namin.

[ataypool]

^looks like the time at the minute. Pero user-friendly ang timetables sa Hyperdia than the rail network's official website.

[mrs. sweet]

^thanks sis! yay excited na for next week's hokkaido trip!!!

[emem12]

Narita express palang yung natry kong transpo from Narita, okay naman sya and mabilis.  Nagstop sya sa Shinjuku.

Hello Kitty/Puroland, madali lang puntahan though medyo malayo sya.  Try to check Hyperdia para makita mo mga transport options and efficient yung time na nakalagay dun.  Hanapin mo Tama Center, yun ang station na malapit.

Disneyland naman laging maraming tao, nung nagpunta kami, weekday, andaming taong nakapila pero manageable naman if I'll base it na hindi kami gaano naghintay sa mga rides.  I think mas konti tao sa Disneysea compared sa Disneyland, based sa experience ko 

On visa naman, if multiple pwede mo gamitin ng ilang beses within the validity of the visa.  Hindi ka man matuloy ngayon, pwede mo sya magamit basta within the visa validity.  Yung una kong visa sa Japan di ko rin nagamit kasi kinuha ko lang sya para makapasok ako sa Taiwan.  Mas mura kasi visa ng Japan kesa Taiwan so yun ang kinuha ko then nag apply ako ng pass/exception for Taiwan using my Japan visa.  Then nung pupunta na ako sa Japan, I applied again, okay naman.  They know naman that there are sometimes change in plans so they won't take it against you if di mo nagamit yung visa.

[darna88]

sis emem nun nagsky access ka on the day mo lang buy yun ticket or you buy in advance? pwede ba yun mga checkin luggages dun sa harap mo lang lalagay? ty

[travelling_daisy]

@mrs. sweet : hope you can share with us your Hokkaido itinerary. Been looking for trip reports on Sapporo / Hokkaido since our family is planning to go next winter. I hope you can share some tips and where you're staying at. Thanks so much, sis!

[mrs. sweet]

^Hi. It's just a 5 day trip, so short lang. Primary purpose lang is to witness the Ice Festival, timing pa sa V-date namin ni hubs   Here's what I plan to do:

Day 1: Upon arriving airport, we'll have our luggages be delivered to our hotel, Mercure Sapporo. Then head off to Otaru for the Light Path Festival, which only happens during night time, so tama lang sa arrival namin.

Day 2: Ice festival sites, Susukino (which is around our hotel area lang) and Odori Park. Best site daw for overlooking the Odori Park is from the Sapporo TV Tower, so, puntahan din namin yan.

Day 3: Tsu Dome site naman. Whole day here kasi mejo may travel konti and may mga snow activities din kasi.

Day 4: Roam around the sites na lang like the Sapporo Clock Tower, beer museum, shiroi koibito factory and nijo market.

Day 5: Uwian na!!! hehe

[travelling_daisy]

^ wow, thanks for the quick revert, sis!
We're planning to stay for 5D/4N too then move to Tokyo for another 3 days.
I am also considering Mercure Hotel Sapporo. I have read good reviews but I hope you can share your own experience here as well when you come back.
I also included most of the spots you've mentioned in your itinerary sa draft itinerary ko, except for Tsudome. Also, wala pang ice festival on our planned travel dates (Dec 2017) but that's okay with us. More on snow experience/activities lang din, like what we did on our Korea trip 2 years ago.
By the way, anong airline kinuha nyo sis, if I may ask? And how much yung airfare?

Thanks so much!

[mrs. sweet]

Sige sis, balitaan kita re Mercure Sapporo. Actually, d yan first choice ko sa hotel. Mas like ko sana yung nasa Odori area, kaso lang late na ako nagbook ng hotel. Almost all fully booked na, buti meron pa sa Mercure.

We booked Cathay Pacific nung nagpromo sila, $600+ each ata. Mejo matagal  na kasi, forgot ko na hehe

[travelling_daisy]

^Thanks, sis! Enjoy your vacay! Will check  your feedback RE Mercure on your return.

I checked Cathay before but it was too pricey. I'm looking at other airlines pa before I make my booking. Sana makahanap pa ako ng mas mababang airfare.

[grace08]

mga sis na sanay sa japan nastress na ako . 5 adults 6kids 1 senior and 1 1 yr old kasama ko .  first timer kami lahat sa japan . and wala ako idea sa gagawin namin itenerary and sa what trains and pass need to buy . pwede patulong naman gumawa ng itenerary na hindi ganun katoxic and wala gaanong long walks pero hindi naman puro taxi dahil mahal daw and anong mga pass ang need ko bilhin sa airport .  ang plan pa lang namin is one day disneysea and tokyo lang kami . most probably friday to tues lang. salamat in advance sa maghelp

[mrs. sweet]

^^try mo via Tokyo lang sis, then in between your Tokyo trip, dun mo isingit si Hokkaido. check mo Jetstar. Last year, parents ko went to Tokyo & Hokkaido, they scored a cheap fare Tokyo-Chitose-Tokyo via jetstar.