Why should buy transport passesThe first question that people always ask me is whether to purchase transport passes for their Japan trip. I am not sure about other countries but it is normally more beneficial to buy transport passes when in Japan. - Can save money. Transport passes in Japan are normally valid for tourist only and they can really help to save quite a substantial sum if you plan to travel to many different places (especially tourist spots) within a few days. - Can avoid having to purchase single trip ticket every time you need to travel. Sometimes it is really not easy to purchase tickets in Japan (Different transport company their ticket machine may work differently). Another problem is that some ticket machines do not accept large notes. This is especially true if you are at stations in a more rural area and will be a bog problem if you do not have smaller change. - Can save time. You do not need to spend time in purchasing single trip tickets. Time saving is especially important when you need to make transfer. - Some allowed reservation on reserved seats without additional cost. There are certain trains in Japan that require you to buy a separate reserved seat ticket on top of the train ticket to board. Using passes can allow you to make reservation in advance without additional cost in some cases. Securing a seat in advance is important especially if you are travelling on a popular route (eg Tokyo to osaka or vice versa). - Some can be used for discounts at tourist attractions, shops or restaurants. Some may prefer buying preloaded cards like Suica Card or Icoca Card (Similar to Ezlink card used in Singapore). One problem of preloaded card is that you cannot top up to the desired amount that you need. Example based on calculation you will need total of 600 Yen for travelling but the minimum top up is 1000 Yen. Another benefit of using passes is flexibility. You might have plan to visit site A initially which cost 300 Yen for travelling. But you decided to visit site B instead based on suggestion by locals and the travel cost is 600 Yen. You will incur additional 300 Yen if you are not using passes. Where to buy transport passesAs mentioned before, most transport passes are targeted at tourist. So it is important to note that some passes like JR pass must be purchased before you arrived in Japan. AS for local passes like Osaka Amazing Pass or Tokyo Metro Pass, you can either purchase online before your trip, purchase at airport or purchase at their office at major train stations. Different transport passes have different purchase method so it is important to check what kind of passes is available at your destination and how to buy them accordingly. How to use transport passesFor local passes, you just need to insert your pass into the ticket slot at the gantry, walk pass the gate and collect your pass at the other side of the gantry.
If you are using passes for local bus, you just need to show the pass to the driver when you need to get off. For special passes like JR pass, you need to show the staff to enter and exit.
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KelvinYo. I am from Singapore. I love to travel. Follow me as I share my experiences and tips for budget travelling as well as my hunt for Ho Kangs around Singapore. Archives
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