{"id":186,"date":"2019-02-11T15:35:44","date_gmt":"2019-02-11T15:35:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/?p=160533"},"modified":"2019-02-11T15:35:44","modified_gmt":"2019-02-11T15:35:44","slug":"how-to-get-around-japan-on-a-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourfunjourney.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/11\/how-to-get-around-japan-on-a-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Around Japan on a Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"a
\nPosted:<\/strong> 2\/11\/2019 | February 11th, 2019<\/p>\n

I have a confession to make: I put off traveling to Japan<\/a> until 2011 because I always thought it was too expensive.<\/p>\n

Everyone always told me Japan was one of the most expensive countries in the world. That was the collective wisdom. <\/p>\n

But, when I got there, I realized two things: First, I love Japan<\/a>! It\u2019s one of the most amazing, beautiful, and friendliest countries in the world. It lives up to all the hype. <\/p>\n

Second, while Japan is expensive, it\u2019s not out of reach for budget travelers<\/a>. <\/p>\n

There are many cheap ways to enjoy Japan on a budget.<\/p>\n

From finding delicious food<\/a> to affordable hotels to fun activities, you don\u2019t have to pinch every penny have fun.<\/p>\n

However, the one thing that is truly expensive in Japan? Quick transportation.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s not a huge country, the island nation\u2019s transportation infrastructure is geared to expensive, high-speed travel or inexpensive, (really) low-speed travel. There\u2019s not much in between. It\u2019s a three-hour train ride or a 12-hour bus ride! <\/p>\n

So what are the best ways to travel around Japan<\/a> without spending all your money on transportation?<\/p>\n

In this post, I\u2019ll break that down (because it does require some work).<\/p>\n

Getting Around Japan By Train<\/h3>\n

\"A
\nJapan\u2019s infamous bullet trains (called shinkansen) are beautiful, comfortable, convenient, and fast. They are a wonder of transportation, racing around at speeds up to 320 km (200 miles) per hour. These trains run on special tracks, separate from the other trains.<\/p>\n

They are a beautiful feat of engineering and a smooth ride. It\u2019s the best in train travel. <\/p>\n

However, they are also very, very expensive. <\/p>\n

Individual tickets can cost hundreds of dollars \u2014 even more than airfare. To travel on a bullet train, you pay a basic train fare, then there\u2019s an additional \u201csuper express fee\u201d of 800 to 8,000 JPY ($7.50 to $75). For example, a one-way ticket from Kyoto<\/a> to Hiroshima<\/a> can cost 11,300 JPY ($105 USD), from Tokyo<\/a> to Kyoto is 13,710 JPY ($126 USD), from Osaka to Tokyo is around 15,000 JPY ($140 USD), and from Tokyo to Nagasaki is 25,850 ($240 USD). <\/p>\n

To make matters worse, there are very rarely promotions or discounts. And, unless you know Japanese, they are nearly impossible to find.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there are other options. Japan also has regular limited express and regional trains. Naturally, they are much slower than the shinkansen, but they are also cheaper.<\/p>\n

For example, a trip on a local train from Kyoto<\/a> to Tokyo will cost around 8,000 JPY ($73 USD) instead of 13,710 JPY ($126 USD) for the bullet train. However, the journey will take 9 hours instead of 3 hours and will also require several transfers, making it a less than an ideal choice for most travelers.<\/p>\n

Whether you opt for the bullet train or regional trains, I think train travel is the best way to see the country. It\u2019s just not a good idea to buy individual tickets. In order to reduce your train costs, you need to get a Japan Rail (JR) pass. <\/p>\n

The passes are good for JR trains \u2014 both regular trains as well as the shinkansen bullet trains! \u2014 which go to nearly every destination and region in the country. What I really like is that these JR trains also serve metropolitan areas, so they can be used within cities. On my last visit, I used my pass to get around Kyoto and Tokyo instead of buying metro tickets. <\/p>\n

The JR pass is indispensable for travel in Japan, as you get unlimited rides with it. The pass has several options (each valid for consecutive days, not just travel days):<\/p>\n