JAPAN TRAVEL BUDGET GUIDE | PART 1: TRANSPORTATION
I was supposed to do a single post for budget (food, shopping, sightseeing, etc) but as soon as I finished editing my photos, I realized how long and dragging it would be (both for me to write and for you to read) so I decided to break it down into different parts instead.
Will just add links at the end of this post as soon as I'm done with them all.
Budget really depends on travel style so I think this method will work better for everyone when planning a trip.
Case in point: We travelled as 3 friends, same itinerary. At the end of the trip, one friend spent only Php27k, another Php60k and another about Php90k
Read more to find out the best travel alternatives + lessons I learned from our mistakes.
The best way to get around Japan is still via Subway however, there are different ways to go about this. You can purchase your ticket trip by trip (I highly discourage this method unless you're only planning to stay in a certain city for a day or two)
You can pick up a 72 hour unlimited Tokyo Rail pass available at HIS Travel Agency outlets.
Costs only 1500 Yen (Php683) for unlimited train rides around Tokyo for 3 days.
PROS: Way more convenient than ticketing
CONS: Only services Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway Lines (from what I recall, I think there are 4 other lines).
WHAT TO DO: Download the TOKYO SUBWAY MAP HERE and check ahead of time wether the majority of places you're planning to visit fall within their routes.
TIP: Most frequented tourist sites fall within the Tokyo Metro and Toei route so you should be okay unless you've got other plans than the norm.
If you prefer to purchase single trip subway tickets, here are one-way rates:
BUT THEN AGAIN...
Here's what I consider to be the best option and our first mistake...Not getting a SUICA CARD!
Wether you're staying for 2 days or 10, in terms of convenience, I think this is the way to go. If you're worried about not being able to consume the entire amount, don't be. Just like the Octopus Card, you can also use the SUICA to pay for food and other stuff.
FOR MORE INFO ON THE SUICA CARD, CLICK HERE
PROS: The most convenient option! Good for all lines across Japan.
CONS: Pay per trip, no unlimited ride option unlike the 72 hour tourist pass.
THE RAKU BUS is a special tourist bus that has stops at all the popular tourist destinations!
And they only charge a flat rate of 230 YEN (Php 105) for adults, 120 YEN (Php 55) for children!
PROS: Cheap! And you don't need to walk long distances from the Subway Station, you arrive right where you need to be wether it's at the heart of Gion, Kiyomizu Temple, etc!
CONS: They say it could get crowded sometimes (but so does the subway).
FOR MORE INFO ON THE RAKU BUS CLICK HERE
SHINKANSEN!
ie. cutest train ever.
The shinkansen is that fastest and most efficient way to travel from city to city but it can also get quite pricey.
Just like airplanes, there are 3 classes of tickets and fare could range anywhere from around 1000 YEN upwards (I heard rates are also seasonal and subject to change).
TOKYO TO KYOTO will cost you around YEN 13,500 (Php 6200) or you can save money and purchase a rail pass ahead of time (more info HERE)
You can also check HERE and HERE
If you just want to experience riding it, take a short route for only YEN 1000 (one-way)
TAXI FARE
When all else fails, it's late at night, raining and you still can't find your hostel or AirBnb (or you've had too much fun drinking at a club and didn't realize that the subway's already closed), I think it's fair time to hail a cab.
But I warn you, it's expensive. Flag down is around YEN 400 (Php 182). In Osaka, we took a cab cause we couldn't find our apartment. The whole trip lasted about 5 minutes around a single block (face palm moment) and it already cost us YEN 800 (Php 365)!
NIGHT BUS
Inter-city travel via WillerExpress! I highly, highly recommend this.
CONS: No proper bus station in Kyoto, you're made to wait at the bus parking lot with no benches, refreshments (not even a vending machine), no toilets and no roof so good luck if it's raining.
TIP: Best to come 15-30 minutes before departure.
Will just add links at the end of this post as soon as I'm done with them all.
Also, instead of telling you how much money you need to allot for traveling around Japan, I've decided to share the price of basic travel necessities (+ some extras) instead so you can tailor it for your own needs.
Budget really depends on travel style so I think this method will work better for everyone when planning a trip.
Case in point: We travelled as 3 friends, same itinerary. At the end of the trip, one friend spent only Php27k, another Php60k and another about Php90k
Read more to find out the best travel alternatives + lessons I learned from our mistakes.
The best way to get around Japan is still via Subway however, there are different ways to go about this. You can purchase your ticket trip by trip (I highly discourage this method unless you're only planning to stay in a certain city for a day or two)
You can pick up a 72 hour unlimited Tokyo Rail pass available at HIS Travel Agency outlets.
Costs only 1500 Yen (Php683) for unlimited train rides around Tokyo for 3 days.
PROS: Way more convenient than ticketing
CONS: Only services Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway Lines (from what I recall, I think there are 4 other lines).
WHAT TO DO: Download the TOKYO SUBWAY MAP HERE and check ahead of time wether the majority of places you're planning to visit fall within their routes.
TIP: Most frequented tourist sites fall within the Tokyo Metro and Toei route so you should be okay unless you've got other plans than the norm.
If you prefer to purchase single trip subway tickets, here are one-way rates:
- their minimum is about 160 YEN (Php 73) that covers around 4 stops,
- beyond that will cost you an average of 240 YEN (Php 110).
- And for long side trips to let's say NARA/YOKOHAMA or riding 'til the end of the route (about an hour), that will cost you 560 YEN (Php255.50)
CONS: Extremely confusing and time consuming! In some areas, subway guides are written completely in Japanese so unless you know Kanji, just figuring out how much money you need to put into the ticket machine could take you anywhere from 10 - 30 minutes. There's also the chance of making a mistake. When that happens, you need to go to a FARE ADJUSTMENT machine at your exit to make additional payments.
PROS: Could come out cheaper if you're just staying for a couple days.
BUT THEN AGAIN...
Here's what I consider to be the best option and our first mistake...Not getting a SUICA CARD!
A SUICA CARD is what an OCTOPUS CARD is to Hong Kong. It costs 2500 YEN (Php 1140): 2000 YEN consumable, 500 YEN Security Deposit.
Wether you're staying for 2 days or 10, in terms of convenience, I think this is the way to go. If you're worried about not being able to consume the entire amount, don't be. Just like the Octopus Card, you can also use the SUICA to pay for food and other stuff.
FOR MORE INFO ON THE SUICA CARD, CLICK HERE
PROS: The most convenient option! Good for all lines across Japan.
CONS: Pay per trip, no unlimited ride option unlike the 72 hour tourist pass.
NEXT MISTAKE: Not taking the bus around KyotoKyoto only has 2 lines but despite this fact, this is the city we got lost in the most. We took the subway during our entire stay. On our last day, while waiting to leave for our night bus to Tokyo, I came across this BUS STOP (FML):
THE RAKU BUS is a special tourist bus that has stops at all the popular tourist destinations!
And they only charge a flat rate of 230 YEN (Php 105) for adults, 120 YEN (Php 55) for children!
PROS: Cheap! And you don't need to walk long distances from the Subway Station, you arrive right where you need to be wether it's at the heart of Gion, Kiyomizu Temple, etc!
CONS: They say it could get crowded sometimes (but so does the subway).
FOR MORE INFO ON THE RAKU BUS CLICK HERE
SHINKANSEN!
ie. cutest train ever.
The shinkansen is that fastest and most efficient way to travel from city to city but it can also get quite pricey.
Just like airplanes, there are 3 classes of tickets and fare could range anywhere from around 1000 YEN upwards (I heard rates are also seasonal and subject to change).
TOKYO TO KYOTO will cost you around YEN 13,500 (Php 6200) or you can save money and purchase a rail pass ahead of time (more info HERE)
You can also check HERE and HERE
If you just want to experience riding it, take a short route for only YEN 1000 (one-way)
TAXI FARE
When all else fails, it's late at night, raining and you still can't find your hostel or AirBnb (or you've had too much fun drinking at a club and didn't realize that the subway's already closed), I think it's fair time to hail a cab.
But I warn you, it's expensive. Flag down is around YEN 400 (Php 182). In Osaka, we took a cab cause we couldn't find our apartment. The whole trip lasted about 5 minutes around a single block (face palm moment) and it already cost us YEN 800 (Php 365)!
NIGHT BUS
Inter-city travel via WillerExpress! I highly, highly recommend this.
CONS: No proper bus station in Kyoto, you're made to wait at the bus parking lot with no benches, refreshments (not even a vending machine), no toilets and no roof so good luck if it's raining.
TIP: Best to come 15-30 minutes before departure.
But despite those inconveniences, I still recommend taking the night bus.
Just like the Shinkansen, rates are seasonal. They range from about YEN 3,000 up.
We got ours for YEN 5800 (Php 2650)
Note that buses with lower fares sometimes don't have toilets
This is what the bus stop looks like, you just line up and wait with your luggage:
Once you get on the bus, it's a different story. There's only 3 seats per row which are separated by aisles.
Comes with a pillow + blanket + privacy curtains + toilet (bring your own snacks).
The seats are big enough (slightly smaller than airplane Business Class chairs) but roomy enough to be comfortable.
Seats can be reclined + there's also a foot rest so you can lie down. Great for petites like me but might not be as comfortable for 6 footers.
There's also an outlet for charging your phones/powerbanks/laptops.
Once you shut your curtains and fasten them, it feels like you're in a private room.
It takes about 8 hours to get from Kyoto to Tokyo and I slept like a baby the entire way.
Bus leaves Kyoto around 11pm and arrives in Tokyo around 8am.
BEST THING ABOUT TAKING THE NIGHT BUS? YOU SAVE A DAY ON HOTEL COSTS!
(when you take the Shinkansen, since it's quick, you pay for both. The night bus doubles as transportation AND accomodation)
And finally, once you're done with your trip and you find yourself and your bags are 10x heavier than when you first arrived, the most reasonable and stress-free way to head to the airport is via bus: Friendly Airport Limousine.
You can take the subway but I strongly discourage it. Some stations don't have elevators or escalators and there's not a single walkalator (we had to carry our luggage up 6 flights of stairs on more than 1 occasion, not fun nor easy)!
You can purchase your ticket on the same day and it only costs YEN 3100 + there's an elevator/escalator all the way up to the bus stop! Halleluja!
For those staying in Shibuya, you can get yours at the Shibuya Excel Hotel at the 6th floor) it's the mall behind Hachiko. The bus stop is also at the same location.
There you go! I hope you find this useful!
And one final tip, no matter how busy you are, study your routes ahead of time. The subway can get pretty confusing. Also, there aren't any free subway maps in Osaka and Kyoto so best to print your own copy ahead of time. Oh, and lastly, don't be afraid to ask for directions and don't be surprised if the locals go out of their way accompany you to wherever it is you're going. The Japanese are super nice, accommodating, helpful and polite.
Get your OSAKA SUBWAY MAP HERE | KYOTO SUBWAY MAP HERE
ENJOY JAPAN! :) Definitely one of the BEST places I've ever been to!
CHECK OUT MY OTHER JAPAN POSTS
FOOD GUIDE + DAILY BUDGET WHILE TRAVELING ACROSS JAPAN -
http://www.fashioneggplant.com/2016/07/japan-travel-budget-guide-part-2-food.html
SECOND HAND DESIGNER BAG SHOPPING ACROSS JAPAN -
http://www.fashioneggplant.com/2016/07/2nd-hand-designer-bag-shopping-in-japan.html
FOOD GUIDE + DAILY BUDGET WHILE TRAVELING ACROSS JAPAN -
http://www.fashioneggplant.com/2016/07/japan-travel-budget-guide-part-2-food.html
SECOND HAND DESIGNER BAG SHOPPING ACROSS JAPAN -
http://www.fashioneggplant.com/2016/07/2nd-hand-designer-bag-shopping-in-japan.html
Comments
By the way which airline did you take?
Japan has always been in my bucketlist. And I have been seeing a lot of posts about Japan travels. Maybe it's a sign? :)