How to Budget for Japan in 2024: Can You Afford it?

[@sojournchris]

If you plan on hitting up some more remote areas, looking into a rental car might be the play. While definitely more convenient than local trains and buses, you do have to contend with toll roads, expensive gas and driving on the left. Regardless of the options, enjoy your trips to the max!

[@kateb9331]

Hi Christian, thank you for your informative video. My husband and I are travelling to Japan in early Nov, our first trip there. We have booked accommodation in the Shinagawa area, a suggestion you made in an earlier video. We were lucky to obtain a JR pass at the cheaper price, we will be in Japan for 26 days so we should get our money's worth out of our 21 day pass 😀 A couple of questions, we plan on using the JR pass for the first time on the 5th Nov and need to return to Narita airport on the afternoon of the 26th Nov. Will the 21 day pass still be valid on the 26th? Does it expire at midnight or at the time it was activated the first day? Also, we have International Driving Permits and would love to hire a car while we are there. Just 2 or 3 days, we are from Australia so already drive on the left 😊 We will be Kyushu (Beppu) for 4 days, would this be a quieter area to drive? We would like to go to Mt. Aso and the Takachiho Gorge. TIA, looking forward to your next video 🍁

[@sojournchris]

No, if you are activating the pass on Nov 5th, the pass will expire end of day on the 25th so you will not be covered on the day back to the airport. LOL it helps if you are comfortable with driving on the left :) and having a car in that part of the country will be a massive advantage. I cannot speak to traffic conditions since I have not driven there myself however from general observations, only the biggest tourist hotspots will have congestion. In that part of the country you should be mostly fine. Just pay attention to toll roads which is something I don't even think about usually but its a thing in Japan. My next video may be from your neck of the woods :)... I will be passing through Sydney to the location of my next video on Oct 28th ;x!! LEAKS!

[@kateb9331]

Thank you Christian, we will have to work out which part of the journey will be the cheapest, Tokyo to Kawaguchi Ko or Nikko to Narita. We live in Tasmania, the beautiful island state of Australia. If you haven't been here before, you must visit. We don't have toll roads or passenger trains for that matter! Japan will be an experience.