Toni’s Spring 2023 Japan Trip

[katoftw]

Yeah some ATM's run out of money and close. Only on the actual holidays. Not the whole week.

 

Carry lots of cash like everyone else through the holiday period.

[Tony Galiani]

I went to purchase a rail pass yesterday but then changed my mind as I am not sure it is worthwhile for me.  My only significant rail travel will be when we take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto and return.  Based on the pricing it probably makes more sense to just but the tickets for that particular trip.

Our other transportation should not be that costly.  Monorail from Haneda and a local train from Kyoto to Osaka all of which will take our Suica cards.  Or am I missing something?

I would probably like to do a bit more train travel but don't think that is in the cards for our trip.

Ciao,

Tony

[mojo]

53 minutes ago, Tony Galiani said:

I went to purchase a rail pass yesterday but then changed my mind as I am not sure it is worthwhile for me.  My only significant rail travel will be when we take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto and return.  Based on the pricing it probably makes more sense to just but the tickets for that particular trip.

Our other transportation should not be that costly.  Monorail from Haneda and a local train from Kyoto to Osaka all of which will take our Suica cards.  Or am I missing something?

I would probably like to do a bit more train travel but don't think that is in the cards for our trip.

Ciao,

Tony

 

I used an app to collect all the data from my Suica card last time, which includes busses that I used quite a bit as well as trains. Long story short the rail pass wasn't worth it even at the old price, and that's spending all day every day travelling around on trains and busses. I can't imagine anyone could use public transport much more than I did.

 

I think the only way it can be worth it is if you make multiple trips on the Shinkansen.

[kndy]

For those leaving to Japan, just remember to have your QR Codes ready before you leave, or you're going to be stuck in the airport for awhile.  https://vjw-lp.digital.go.jp/en/

 

As for JR Pass, they are great if you are going to do long distance trips a lot and you have the stamina for it.  Before I used to get 14 day passes, but since went 7.    Of course, one's thought of getting a JR Pass (or how many days) will change in October when the rates go up.

[Tony Galiani]

Could it finally be?

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230427_02/

Restrictions ending this week?  Until the next pandemic anyway.

Ciao,

Tony

[chadbag]

For me (at the old price) the JR Pass is about convenience -- not saving money.

 

Not having to worry about tickets, and not having to think about the cost of those tickets (I've already swallowed the cost of the pass) makes the trip more enjoyable for me.  We can make a spontaneous decision to go to Nagasaki for a couple days if we want.  Or take a day trip to Tokyo* or Hiroshima etc.  (Which we used to do when the kids were a little smaller and I was a bit less old and achy 🙂  ).    If I have to think about he cost of the trip each time, I'm more likely to not do the trip.  Taking away that need to think about cost every time and just be able to spontaneously decide to do something or make changes to our plans or whatever is worth it.

 

On our last trip in December, I'm pretty sure we probably just got our money back for me and the kids and the wife didn't pay for her pass.   (She did not go with us to Nagasaki).  We went to Yokohama and then Tokyo and back from Kobe and then we went to Nagasaki and back.  And rode a bunch of local JR trains as well.  Including needing a quick trip from Osaka to Kobe which we did on the Shinkansen last minute instead of trying to get on the slower (taking longer) normal Kobe/Osaka JR Lines.

 

The previous trip, the summer before Covid, we well got our money's worth.  We did Osaka -- Tokyo as well as a trip to Hokkaido and back with a bunch of stops on the way, plus a lot of local and medium runs on normal trains.

 

It's just the convenience for me.   Especially with the good dollar we have / had last Fall/winter.

 

[mojo]

On 4/27/2023 at 5:42 AM, chadbag said:

Not having to worry about tickets, and not having to think about the cost of those tickets (I've already swallowed the cost of the pass) makes the trip more enjoyable for me.

 

That's a fair point. I did try to buy some Shinkansen tickets online but couldn't get the payment to go through. My credit card company declined it, and Yahoo Auctions as well. Very frustrating, had to use a ticket machine in the end.

 

Might just have been an issue with my bank, but it certainly would be nice to be able to use the pass instead of trying to arrange tickets for multiple trips. Only issue I can see if that you might not get a seat if you don't reserve one, or can you reserve seats with the pass?

Edited April 28, 2023 by disturbman

[Yugamu Tsuki]

4 hours ago, mojo said:

 

That's a fair point. I did try to buy some Shinkansen tickets online but couldn't get the payment to go through. My credit card company declined it, and Yahoo Auctions as well. Very frustrating, had to use a ticket machine in the end.

 

Might just have been an issue with my bank, but it certainly would be nice to be able to use the pass instead of trying to arrange tickets for multiple trips. Only issue I can see if that you might not get a seat if you don't reserve one, or can you reserve seats with the pass?

I know I was able to reserve my Hayabusa seats with the pass a few years back. I think it still allows you to reserve ahead of time at JR offices.

[chadbag]

7 hours ago, mojo said:

 

That's a fair point. I did try to buy some Shinkansen tickets online but couldn't get the payment to go through. My credit card company declined it, and Yahoo Auctions as well. Very frustrating, had to use a ticket machine in the end.

 

Might just have been an issue with my bank, but it certainly would be nice to be able to use the pass instead of trying to arrange tickets for multiple trips. Only issue I can see if that you might not get a seat if you don't reserve one, or can you reserve seats with the pass?

 

Yes you reserve with the pass.  Just go to the ticket line, give them the pass, and the route you want and they'll do the seat reservation.

 

[Guest]

You can make your own reservations at the ticket machine, no need to queue in the ticket counter.

[cteno4]

9 hours ago, mojo said:

Might just have been an issue with my bank, but it certainly would be nice to be able to use the pass instead of trying to arrange tickets for multiple trips. Only issue I can see if that you might not get a seat if you don't reserve one, or can you reserve seats with the pass?

Do you always let your bank/credit card know you will be traveling or ordering a pile from Japanese sources? This has always helped me in the past when traveling not to get into a fraud alert/decline and have to deal with it while traveling or after trying to do a larger than usual international charge.

 

jeff

[chadbag]

1 hour ago, Bob Martin said:

You can make your own reservations at the ticket machine, no need to queue in the ticket counter.

 

I think that is only if you bought the pass from JR directly?

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, chadbag said:

 

I think that is only if you bought the pass from JR directly?

Incorrect. Passes are the same regardless where voucher was purchased.  Remember, you’re NOT buying a pass, you’re buying an exchange voucher.

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by Bob Martin

[chadbag]

20 minutes ago, Bob Martin said:

Incorrect. Passes are the same regardless where voucher was purchased.  Remember, you’re NOT buying a pass, you’re buying an exchange voucher.

 

 

Correct, except, for example, you can only do online bookings if you buy the pass (voucher) from JR.  So there are differences.  I just don't know what all the differences are.

 

[katoftw]

1 hour ago, chadbag said:

 

I think that is only if you bought the pass from JR directly?

The newer style passes have a scan code things to allow payment at a machine.

[katoftw]

1 hour ago, Bob Martin said:

Incorrect. Passes are the same regardless where voucher was purchased.  Remember, you’re NOT buying a pass, you’re buying an exchange voucher.

While that is vaguely correct for after the exchange process. There are huge differences and benefits depending you how/whom you purchase from, before the exchange process.

 

Traditional 3 month voucher version purchased from a reseller. You exchange in Japan as normal. No advance online seat bookings.

 

Online version purchased direct from JR group website. Only 1 month out. Allows direct online website seat bookings from same group website 1 month in advance. Costs a few hundred yet more.

 

In person within Japan. No exchange voucher. No advanced online seat bookings. Costs a few thousand yen more.

 

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by katoftw

[mojo]

On 4/28/2023 at 7:30 PM, cteno4 said:

Do you always let your bank/credit card know you will be traveling or ordering a pile from Japanese sources? This has always helped me in the past when traveling not to get into a fraud alert/decline and have to deal with it while traveling or after trying to do a larger than usual international charge.

 

jeff

 

I did. For a few years they stopped letting you do it because they claimed their fraud prevention didn't need it, but they have started again now.

 

It worked in person if I entered the PIN, just not online. Ah, well it did work online when buying in-flight wifi, but not when I tried to book a taxi for the UK online. Very odd.

[Tony Galiani]

Amex tells me I do need to alert them for that card while my local bank requests an alert and info as to where I will be going with dates.  So I guess this varies a bit though I have been lucky as well and rarely run into issues.

 

I do tend to go to a lot of places that prefer cash rather than credit cards.  In Greece I even rented a car at a local agency that did not accept credit cards.  Just need to make sure to find a place to get cash as soon as I arrive at the airport.

 

Ciao,

Tony

[chadbag]

On 4/30/2023 at 7:16 AM, Tony Galiani said:

Amex tells me I do need to alert them for that card while my local bank requests an alert and info as to where I will be going with dates.  So I guess this varies a bit though I have been lucky as well and rarely run into issues.

 

I do tend to go to a lot of places that prefer cash rather than credit cards.  In Greece I even rented a car at a local agency that did not accept credit cards.  Just need to make sure to find a place to get cash as soon as I arrive at the airport.

 

Some of my cards want travel alerts, others tell me it is not necessary any longer.  Really up to the issuing bank.

 

Of course you know why these companies don't want to take cards:  easier to make the money disappear before the tax man sees it

[Tony Galiani]

14 minutes ago, chadbag said:

Of course you know why these companies don't want to take cards:  easier to make the money disappear before the tax man sees it

 

I expect that is part of it but there is more to it.  Those point of sale units are not cheap - the least expensive here runs about US$300 and most cost more.  The ones I used to install out our clinics were over US$600 at the time.  Plus the carrying charges.  Plus the secure internet connection with decent speed.  And then the credit card company takes 3% or more.  Not a big deal for big operations but a lot of extra overhead for a small family business.

 

Ciao,

Tony

 

[chadbag]

7 minutes ago, Tony Galiani said:

 

I expect that is part of it but there is more to it.  Those point of sale units are not cheap - the least expensive here runs about US$300 and most cost more.  The ones I used to install out our clinics were over US$600 at the time.  Plus the carrying charges.  Plus the secure internet connection with decent speed.  And then the credit card company takes 3% or more.  Not a big deal for big operations but a lot of extra overhead for a small family business.

 

Ciao,

Tony

 

 

You get a lot more business in the first place taking cards.   There is an expense but your business throughput is much greater.  Especially in tourist type businesses. 

 

(I should say I wrote a client for a certain credit card processing system for the iPhone and also have taken cards for my business in the past so I am well aware of the costs of taking cards and I have no love for the credit card companies has a business)

 

Tax avoidance, especially in places like Greece, is the main reason -- I would put money on it 🙂

 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by chadbag

[Tony Galiani]

Japan entry seems to be back to pre-Covid set up:  https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/bordercontrol.html

 

Now I just have to worry about the usual travel concerns - how many times will United change my flight schedule, will I be able to get the Princess of Procrastination to the airport on time, will I remember everything I need ....

It's like going back to 2019!

 

Ciao,

Tony

[Beaver]

One of those times when the capitalist hunger for unrestricted global movement of people, materials and money in pursuit of profit, actually works to the benefit of ordinary people.........

[chadbag]

On 5/2/2023 at 5:42 AM, Tony Galiani said:

how many times will United change my flight schedule

 

Have you thought about "United" being the root of that problem?

 

[Tony Galiani]

Not really.  In the last year or so I have flown United, Delta and Air Canada and have ended up with flight schedule changes on all of them.  In fact, United just changed the schedule on the last leg of my return from Japan but only by about 15 minutes.

 

I usually have a Plan B so that I can manage the situation when I get a change.

 

Tony