Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #470667 in Books
• Published on: 2001-12-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Book Information
The most affordable and efficient way to travel around Japan is by train with a rail pass. Japan is steeped in legend and myth, perhaps the greatest of which is the popular misconception that the country is simply too expensive to visit. The truth is that flights to Japan are cheaper than they've ever been, accommodation can be great value, while the warm hospitality which awaits every visitor costs nothing at all. The real secret to travelling around the country on a budget, however, is the Japan Rail Pass. With this pass you can travel on some of the fastest trains in the world as often as you like for as long as you please--and all for one bargain price. Use this comprehensive guide in conjunction with a rail pass to get the most out of your trip to Japan.

Practical information--planning your trip; what to take; getting to Japan from Europe, North America and Australasia City guides and maps--where to stay (all budgets), where to eat, what to see in 29 towns and cities; historical and cultural background; kilometre-by-kilometre route guides--covering train journeys from the coast into the mountains, from temple retreat to sprawling metropolis and from sulphurous volcano to windswept desert; 34 route maps Railway timetables--Bullet trains and all routes in this guidebook Plus--Customs, etiquette, Japanese phrases and 28 colour photos

Customer Reviews

Japan for all
After travelling extensively in Japan, I soon found that the only way of really efficiently getting from A to B (or from Osaka to Kyoto as the case may be) was to use Mr. Zarifeh's book on the rail system in that country. Really, from every perspective it certainly takes one's breath away that a rail system (certainly compared to ours at home!) can simply operate seemingly without any hitches whatsoever. To close, I simply have to recommend to all who travel to japan using Mr. Zarifeh's book, that they make a point of visiting a Mr. Akira Sirai at the Ooigawa Railway Company, a steam railway set in the hilly region of Kanaya nr. Shizuoka. Mr. Sirai will enlighten his guests for hours on the ways of rail travel as it used to be! A rare treat to see old Japanese locomotives getting up a bit of steam!!

Japan by Rail
Very practical advice on the best way to travel in Japan. The rail network is so punctual in Japan, you can almost set you watch by it. This book covers all the main cities and more, and even tells you which side of the train to sit while travelling to get the best views.
Japan is a very safe place to travel and this book reflects that openess and helps you get off the beaten track to explore.
Make sure you read the cultural tips before setting off, although foreigners are often not expected to know -it is only polite to try, so here are some useful hints.
Even if you are an armchair traveller, it is quite insightful to read this book.
sayonara,
M.Batty.