Trains in Tokyo

[voel0002]

I have a pretty good trip planned with over 50 landmarks which I have plans to see, and the train routes to visit all of them within one week. I am having trouble understanding train ticket purchasing. I understand there is a discount available to foreigners, I'm having trouble finding how to purhuse it, and if it can be used unlimited amount of times in a day, and if it will cover both the train from Narita Airport and all the routes inside of Tokyo.

Thanks

[JonB]

But what you want is a JR Pass - best value if you have some longer shinkansen trips planned.

You must buy this in your country - they can not be purchased in Japan.

When you arrive you get it validated at Narita (easiest) or Tokyo Station (difficult to find the one place that allows you to do this). Other stations may allow it as well - I saw this week at Shibuya a sign for validating the pass for the first time (been here 7 years).

If it is all in and around Tokyo your best bet may be the suica or passmo - you can not use JR Pass on anything but JR, so no buses, no subways and no private rail. Suica and Passmo you canuse on most everything - enter and leave via the wickets with yellow tape on them to "transfer" and it may save you money.

There are also day tickets for JR and Subway - also weekend I think. These are great value if you are doing a lot of travel on one mode of transport - e.g. subway. But also beware as there are two subway companies!

A couple of links:
TripTouch
Jorudan

For Asia travel in Japan is quite expensive - but if you are coming from London then it is very cheap!

Another tip is that if you can not make out your station because it is all in Japanese (very rare these days) then the best thing to do is buy the cheapest fare. Then when you get to your destination go to the excess fare machine and it will tell you if you need to pay more and if so how much. Nearly all ticket and excess fare machines have a button for English instructions. There are no fines (as in the UK) for travelling beyond your ticket - everyone does it!

[voel0002]

I wasn't aware that subway wasn't JR, but I don't think it matters.. I don't believe that I had any routes that required it. But I was only wondering because I probably will get on and off the trains 10-15 times a day. So aslong as there is no limit, and I was expecting the transit to be some what okay to understand, it does not scare me even though I can not read it at all.

I am a little afraid of getting robed and loosing my visa, because I have a feeling I can't check out of my hotel without it, and therefor I'd be stranded in Tokyo with no place to stay until I can get a pay phone and call someone back in Canada.

[jemstone]

you might wanna write these numbers down just in case you are stranded...

Canadian Embassy - Tokyo
7-3-38 Akasaka, Minato-ku
Tokyo 107-8503
Japan
Tel: 81 (3) 5412-6200
Fax: 81 (3) 5412-6247

Canadian Consulate - Nagoya
Nakato Marunouchi Building, 6F
3-17-6 Marunouchi
Naka-ku
Nagoya 460-0002
Japan
Tel: 81 (52) 972-0450
Fax: 81 (52) 972-0453

got these from http://canadaonline.about.com/od/travel/a/embjapan.htm. not sure if they will be able to help you with lost visa but i think it's a good bet they'll be able to help out.

[voel0002]

Thank you very much guys.

I plan on posting my exact plans and train routes once I have finished all the research I can do. I will have every single detail I can have collected about everything, and I will share my plans. I have around 50 landmarks so far, and I have my eyes on about 20 more once I can get enough information about it.

[JonB]

It is a legal requirement in Japan to carry some formal ID if you are a foreigner. Those of us that live here have an ID card but otherwise you are best of carrying your passport for the occaisional time you might be asked for ID.

A lot of the larger shops will allow you to shop tax free but you will need to fill in some forms and present your passport - for those thinking of coming ex-pat you can do this for up to 6 months after arriving...

50 sites in and around Tokyo - think you might want to look at the subway system... Also when I first came here I tended to walk a lot - central Tokyo really is not that big!

ジョン

[KeithH]

There are several different rail systems in Tokyo. The JR is mostly above ground and will get you to all of the major hubs via the Yamanote line, which loops around central Tokyo. You can get to places like Ueno, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akihabara all via the JR Yamanote. However, if you're not staying near a JR station, or you plan to see more of Tokyo, then you'll likely be taking the metro (subway) quite a lot.

Here's a link to the metro. It's got a nice map that shows both the metro lines and the JR lines on it. You'll notice that most of the lines are for the subway.

http://www.tokyometro.jp/e/

Once you get to the station, navigation is pretty easy. In Tokyo, all of the signage is in English, so you just need to know where you're heading and what line will take you there.