How much does it cost to travel to Japan in 2016?

Hotel - about 30,000 yen

Meal and transportation tickets - about 30,000 yen

Air tickets - about 2,480 yuan

Visa - about 400 RMB (no deposit)

So excluding the relatively fixed air tickets, visa fees, and fluctuating shopping, all expenses in Japan only cost 60,000 yen for 9 days. According to the exchange rate at that time, it was about 3,700 yuan.

1. About visas

I chose a visa agency with the highest sales online. Since I had a free travel visa to the United States before, no deposit was required, and I only needed to fill out a simple form. The application form and a copy of the household registration book are enough, and the visa will be issued within 7 days.

It was the first time for my companion to go abroad. He needed a certificate from his employer and paid a deposit of 50,000. The visa fee was 100 yuan cheaper than mine, and the visa was issued smoothly.

2. About the Internet

When traveling on a budget, you must say no to unnecessary expenses. Throughout the whole journey, I relied on printed mini-maps and itineraries to find hotels and attractions, as well as asking people in Japanese. It turns out that my talent for finding directions is 70%, and the rest was basically solved by asking for directions.

3. About language

Japanese is very useful! English is also good! I am a novice in English and a little proficient in Japanese. I finally found it very helpful and had a lot of interesting experiences.

English: Instructions for hotels, stations and scenic spots are applicable, as well as explanations of the Kyoto Imperial Palace! I booked an explanation in English (Kyoto Imperial Palace is the former residence of the emperor, equivalent to the Forbidden City in China. It is open for free, but reservation is required. The commentator will take you around, great value!), and I can listen Understand 60, there are many interesting little details that you can’t understand if you don’t listen to the explanation.

Japanese: This is just like asking any aunt or uncle in China on the street. Most of them can’t speak English; even college students have to respond. So the most useful way to ask for directions, order food, and listen to station names is Japanese! 20 days before going there, I reviewed for half an hour every day on the subway. I memorized 50 sound pictures and some common words. It was enough for a chicken to speak with a duck! At least I know how to ask for directions, and I can understand some of the menus.

4. About booking a hotel

This time the hotel budget was limited to 450 per night, but we had a very good stay. How to book a cheap and favorite hotel is all about patience and luck.

The hotel was the first one I booked. Due to the uncertainty of air tickets and visas at that time, the first factor in booking a hotel was that there was no deposit.

1. For hotels (B&Bs) that you must stay in: Keep checking to see if there are any vacancies every day for the few days you stay. Because pure Japanese-style B&Bs generally only have three rooms, the probability of having a room available for several consecutive days is relatively low. Be sure to check it out for a few more days, and then decide on the itinerary for those days based on the B&B you have booked.

2. It is not specific. It is recommended to balance the price and transportation and choose a suitable hotel: select the travel date and the price you accept (I usually look at 7,000~14,000 yen), and then Select great deals and choose the ones you're interested in to compare. A great deal is a special price. Usually, if you book early, you will get a discount. This is very helpful for cheap hotels.

3. Choose a hotel, book and confirm. If you finally decide to check in, it is recommended to check the Japanese page to learn about nearby stations. As for whether I need to print a confirmation letter and buy insurance, in fact the hotel didn't even ask me.

5. About currency exchange (a must-have guide for economical travel)

Before going, there was a lot of feedback that some cash and UnionPay cards are enough. UnionPay cards are converted directly according to the current exchange rate, and there is no handling fee. (Visa converts it into U.S. dollars first, and then converts U.S. dollars into RMB, and there is a handling fee), which is very cost-effective. However, I have obsessive-compulsive disorder and find cash convenient, so I exchanged nearly 200,000 yuan.

Facts have proved that it is really convenient to have Japanese currency. UnionPay is very developed, but most of the affordable stores visited by Japanese people do not have UnionPay, and you know the stores targeted at tourists. We found cost-effective restaurants and drugstores, but they were unable to accept UnionPay, and discount hotels and B&Bs even stated that they only accept cash.

So it is very, very important to change the Japanese currency! Of course, if you don’t mind the price, you can skip it if you like convenience.

PS. If the store you go to accepts UnionPay cards, there is a high probability that the price will be more expensive than other stores visited by locals.

Therefore, it is recommended to bring a little more Japanese yen, and you can use cash to buy priced cosmeceuticals at affordable drugstores; use UnionPay cards to buy priced cosmeceuticals at airport duty-free shops.

6. About Transportation (Various Tickets)

1. Icocaamp; Haruka Package:

Excellent value, you can make an appointment online to save time, make an appointment at 3030 One-way tickets must be purchased with your passport, return ticket, and reservation slip. Icoca, the amount is 2000, of which there is a 500 deposit. There is a 220 handling fee for returning the card. It can be used on various means of transportation in the Kansai area (JR, Kintetsu, subway, and bus). It is very convenient and can be used to move between cities. It is convenient and can be used in convenience stores, but it cannot be used to buy one-day tickets, so I loaded up more money and ended up with a few hundred yen left. Haruka converted it to only 1,030, which can be used to go to Kyoto from Kansai Airport. It is a must-buy. .

2. Kyoto bus one-day ticket:

Excellent value, taking 3 times will be worth the ticket price. With it, you can take the bus wherever you want, no pressure, no fear of getting lost, no worries Going in the wrong direction. Buses in Kyoto are the most developed. Many places have a stop 500 meters to 1km away, which is very convenient. and Landian can sit anywhere and there is no pressure at all.

4. Arashiyama train tickets:

It is recommended to buy them in advance. We originally wanted to take the earliest train on Saturday, but we could only buy the tickets in the afternoon. You can buy station tickets at any time if you go on the same day, and you need to wait for the 5th section of the glass roof (one hour);

5. One-day Osaka subway ticket:

Osaka's underground The railway is very developed, covering the entire central area, and usually one station is 1~2km away. It is very close and very convenient. We bought a holiday ticket (previously we used the travel card mentioned later), 600 yen (800 on weekdays) yen), it’s very cost-effective to take the subway 4 times.

6. Osaka Amazing Pass 2-day ticket:

Excellent value! ! ! ! A must-have for sightseeing in Osaka! Osaka is very fun, 2 days of sightseeing and 2 days of shopping are just right! What can you do with 3030 yen

95 yen? In Osaka, use the travel card:

Take the subway as you like with the one-day ticket, visit the Shitennoji Museum of Art and Zoo, Tsutenkaku Osaka Prefecture High-altitude Observation Deck to enjoy the scenery, take the Tempozan Ferris Wheel and the Osaka Port Cruise, and end with a hot spring bath;

Or you can take the subway as you like with a one-day ticket, visit the Ukiyo-e Museum Sky Garden above the west courtyard of the Osaka Museum of History’s Keep, take the Dotonbori Cruise Umeda Ferris Wheel, and end it with a hot spring bath.

1~2 historical sites, 1~2 museums, 1 high-altitude viewing, 1 cruise ship, 1 Ferris wheel, 1 hot spring bath, including all transportation tickets, RMB 95! ! !

About the use of all one-day tickets:

Bus, Randen, plug into the machine when you get off the bus for the first time (Japanese buses use the rear door to get on the bus, and you have to pay when you get off) , the driver acts as a ticket collector), print the time, and show it to the driver every time you get off the bus;

In the subway, just put it into the rolling mill when entering and exiting the station. It is the same as the Chinese subway. Remember to get your return ticket when you leave the station.

7. About how to choose attractions

In Kyoto:

Must-see:

1. Kiyomizu Temple is indeed unique. It is worth visiting, and there are many scenic spots inside, which are worth slowly experiencing. In addition, walking all the way through Gion is still very impressive;

2. Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine: The colors and expressions of the Chitorii Gate are beautiful , it is recommended to go on the day you arrive in Kyoto, because there are no scenic spots nearby, and there are generally fewer people in the afternoon, so taking photos will be very interesting;

3. Kyoto Imperial Palace: Remember to make an appointment to see where the emperor lived, and Free tour guide, a must-have when traveling on a budget;

4. Kyoto Station: Waterfall Elevator, you have to visit it at night, it is a good leisure place to experience modern Kyoto;

5. Nishiki Market . Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine: Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine is small but very distinctive. The Love Guards have hellokitty models. The drugstores in Nishiki Market are very cheap, generally cheaper than those in Osaka. It is recommended to buy some of them.

In Nara:

Nara is very small and has major attractions. If you don’t transform into a kimono, one day is more than enough (walking around in kimono and clogs is probably a bit tiring). We went out at 9 o'clock and walked around until 17 o'clock, covering the scenic spots and old streets. Of course, you need to have good physical strength. I walked more than ten kilometers that day, but Nara is really worth walking.

In Osaka:

A two-day trip around Osaka is enough for fun, there is no suspense. When doing the guide, I found that the Japanese are actually very careful. There are several attractions in each area, so the game will go smoothly. The two-day trip covered a lot of places, but it didn't feel rushed.

In addition, Universal Studios is also recommended in Osaka. Since I went to Hollywood last year, it is not in the plan, but Universal Studios should be very fun.

8. About packing luggage

Try to bring as little stuff as possible when going to Japan, because I want to buy everything. I can tell you that I even want to buy paper towels!

Necessary: ??

1) Transformer and socket. Camera batteries use up too quickly. If there are two people, there will be more electronic products. Generally, B&Bs only have one socket;

2) Umbrellas are very practical to keep out the sun and rain; towels and toothbrushes are also necessary if you stay in a B&B (shampoo and the like will still be provided);

3) Oversized travel bag, one box is not enough for shopping Use it. I put it in the suitcase when I go out as a large travel bag, and when I come back, I can pack the results. It’s very practical.

It is not recommended to bring:

1) Garbage bags, paper towels, and wet wipes. In Japan, everything is given in bags. In the end, more than 20 plastic bags were thrown away; as for paper towels, they are handed out on the road. Yes, it comes with meals, which is definitely enough (one more thing, Japanese toilet paper is water-soluble, and you need to throw it directly into the toilet after using the bathroom. If there is a small trash can next to it, it is only for women, you know);

2) Slippers will be provided by the hotel, and the B&B is for bare feet.

9. About food

In Japan, you can’t waste it, so you have to finish it every time you order it; but for vegetarian food, Japanese people eat too much! It is impossible to finish an ordinary set meal. If two people order one, they are afraid of being laughed at. If they cannot finish it, they are afraid of being looked down upon. So trying to hold on every time is a huge burden, both physically and mentally.

But to be fair, appetite aside, I was quite happy eating. Generally speaking, I tried these categories:

1. National chain store type. No surprises, no surprises, overall good, worth a try as a tourist;

2. The so-called old and famous stores are unique in style, generally have low cost performance, and are surrounded by Chinese and Koreans. Japanese! So, you know. But there are also surprises.

3. Ask Japanese passers-by what they recommend, and stand on the street to watch which stores Japanese people go to and follow them: they are generally of high quality and low price, taste very good, and are highly recommended! Must try.

4. Stores that have won any awards in the market: generally they are good. Kobe beef is also tasted there, so it should be considered authentic.

5. Convenience stores, roadside food stalls: try something new, just for fun, the taste depends on your preference.

Summary: If there are no Japanese people, don’t go to a store that is full of Chinese people.

The best xiaolongbao in Shanghai will definitely not be in the Chenghuang Temple, for a reason.