Monday, July 8, 2019

JAPAN TRIP Ticket, Airbnb & Transportation (FIRST SECTION)


First Section: Ticket, Airbnb & Transport


1.        Ticket

“Be patient” is the best tips I can give you this time. Since, be patient is the key in this first topic. You know the story behind this trip, and because I can’t be patient, I made a mistake and a little bit regret about it. Second tips is to find the best time travelling for you, so that you can enjoy the trip at most. Third tips is, if you love to shop make sure you buy a flight that already include baggage, so that you don’t have problem later in the airport.

So, after my brother asked me to join him, I immediately search the ticket that match he and his friends flight, at that time (almost 2 weeks waiting and searching) I only find two options of flight which has the best price and best time travelling for me, even though for me, the price is still too expensive and not beneficial. The options is between Cathay Pacific(must transit in Hongkong) or Filipine Airlines(must transit in Filipine), this 2 options has the most valuabe price at that time and match the time my brother and his friend flight, even though the transit time is made me stress. It offers me around 6,3 million Rupiah include for departing and returning to Indonesia. The truth is, I wants JAL / ANA Airlines so bad, so that I don’t need to transit somewhere, it’ll be more easier for me since I travel alone this time. But at that time the price for ANA / JAL is to expensive around 8 million rupiah.

At the end I decided to travel with Cathay Pacific with 6,3 million Rupiah to Hongkong and have to transit for like 10 hours in there. Why? Because I think at least I can hangout in Hongkong for a while with my friend (special thanks to my friend Dennis which still in Hongkong for Internship). But lucky for me for the returning from Japan to Indonesia, I only have to transit in Hongkong about like 2 hours only, I can not imagine if I have to transit more than that.
After I booked the ticket, like 2 weeks after, I randomly and curiously checking the ticket price for the same day I will go to Japan. And you GUESS WHAT?!?!?!? The most cheap ticket for that day is JAL airlines with only 4,5 million Rupiah (crying so deep right now). Oh my Goshhhhhhhh, I shock and feeling like how did this can happen. And back then again, I simply notice it’s all because I can not be patient for searching the ticket. In my deep deep heart I regret it so much, and krayyyyyyy…. If I can be patient, I can go to Japan without having to transit for such a long time and at least I can use the gap price of the ticket to pay the rent for Airbnb. So guys, the lesson in this time is, be patient!


2.        Airbnb
At first, the trip is including 5 people to go, which is me, my brother and his friend. So we decided to book Airbnb instead of Hotel. Together we pick the Airbnb, of course the most valuable price and the distance from and to the city, and little spacious apartment because we are a group. We think that it’ll be easier for us.

Together we decided to book the apartment in Matsudo-shi area. In the details said that nearest train station is 10 minutes to walk. TIPS!! don’t you ever think that 10 mins in the details is near/not far. Because in the reality it is so far and tiring, since we have to bring our own heavy luggage. So you need to make sure and check the distance between your place and the train station. Especially if trains is your transportation option.

We booked this apartment for 12 million Rupiah for 7 night of stay. Of course we divide it into five (around 2,4 million/person) since we are all 5 persons (at first), but suddenly one of my brother friend cancelled the trip without any clear reason, and she didn’t pay the rent we book together in the first time, so we have to pay extra for her part (3 million/person).

There are also another cheap stay options for you is Hostel (it offers you around 300-700 hundred Rupiah/night), I recommend you if you are a group not a family, because mostly hostel only have shared bathroom and shared room to sleep. And because Japan is very clean, you don’t have to worry. Even public toilet in Japan are so neat and clean. So, Hostel can be your another option in here if you’re on low budget.


3.        Transportation

In this trip, we all decided to focus & enjoy in Tokyo area, and not going to Osaka. Because we think that 7 days is too hectic and tiring for us to go here and there. Another reason is because shinkansen (fast train in Japan) is too expensive around 4million/person, the ticket price for shinkanses is same with the promo ticket for round-flight ticket to Japan. We think it’ll more easier and comfort for us to have another trip to Osaka later and focus to Osaka area like we did this time. And for the result I really love this idea, because we don’t have to tiredly move our luggage everywhere by ourself, since Japan taxi is too expensive for us.

So we only buy JR-East Nigano-Niigata and Suica (kind of easy card that you can use to buy anything in Japan). The reason why we buy JR-east Nigano-Niigata is because at first we wanted to try Shinkansen, and this JR-East offer us a shinkansen to back and forth to Ashikagara Flower Park, one of our destination. It’s also beneficial because we can use it 5 randomly days that we pick from 7 days of use for Tokyo area, it also give us free NEX Narita train ( Airport train ), and the rest 3 days that JR-East didn’t cover up, I used Suica for it.

For the transportation, it depends on our destination place, we have to be smart to combine transportation options in Japan, search it first before you go to Japan. I used only GOOGLE MAPS in here, because it already give us all the details, like the time, the name of the trains, etc.
 Here the link for which area and station that JR-East cover and do not cover.

No comments:

Post a Comment