Are you planning a trip to Japan this year or next and want to find out some top travel tips before you head off. In this article, we have a quick rundown of some key pointers you should know before you depart on your next big adventure. Here at Foreignxchange.com.au, we have one of the best exchange rates for the Japanese Yen in Australia. Using our unique online currency exchange service you won’t pay any fees or commission when it comes to getting your hands on foreign cash. Our service is built on convenience and taking the hassle out of exchanging your hard-earned Australian dollars for foreign currencies.
Step 1 – Plan Your Travel & Make Use of a JR Pass
Writing out a list of all the places you want to go is one thing. Making sure you know how to get there can be a whole other story.
A JR Pass or Japan Rail Pass doesn’t include subway trains, a number of buses and also the Nozomi Shinkansen (Bullet Train), but can make travelling around the whole of Japan a doddle. Make sure you are fully clued up on what lines and transport routes are covered by the JR Pass before you plan your travel routes. The good thing is that if you are planning on using the subway, your best bet is to get your hands on an IC Card such as a Suica or Pasmo card which should cover you on Japan’s many subway lines.
The JR Pass was almost built purposely for tourists to get around Japan and travel from city to city. With this pass, you are valid to travel on the six main JR Group Railway lines and bus routes throughout the whole of Japan. For more information about the JR Pass and how to buy one, check out the JTB Travel site.
2. Get Your Japanese Yen Sorted Prior To Travel
Japan is well known as a cash-rich society. It is very rare in Japan to pay by card rather than cash. A lot of shops even today, do not accept credit cards. In addition to this, many Japanese ATMs do not accept foreign debit and credit cards. So getting Japanese Yen when you’re already overseas could become a challenge.
It makes better sense to use our online foreign currency exchange service and order your Japanese Yen today. We can send out your order and have your Japanese Yen delivered to your doorstep in as little as five business days. Don’t ruin your trip but running out of cash or thinking you will be fine using ATMs. There is nothing worse than letting a small blip ruin an entire trip.
3. Use Hyperdia – The Ultimate Route Planner
Coupled with a JR Pass, this handy app can make travelling around Japan a breeze. Available in English, Japanese and Chinese, Hyperdia is a route finding the app that allows you to easily get from A to B. All you have to do is put in your departure station, arrival station, date and time of travel and voila! You have your route all planned out for you. With Japan’s complex train, bus and subway networks this app can be a real lifesaver. The app is free for 30 days so it makes good sense to download it a week before you head off so that you can get used to its functionality and how to use it.
4. Go where the wifi is weak… literally
Despite Japan being seen as one of the world leaders when it comes to high-tech gadgets and IT, free Wifi hotspots are actually hard to come by. Thankfully, there is another app that can help you source free Wifi called Town Wifi. This will help you locate any free wifi hotspots when you are out and about, especially if you need access to upload or share some holiday snaps or selfies! If you want to use the internet on the go, you could look into rent pocket wifi or getting a SIM card upon arrival – although even for the regular tourist this can be quite hard.
5. Avoid Paying Consumption Tax
Being a temporary visitor to Japan, you can be exempt from paying the 8% consumption tax in many tax-free shops. Matsumoto Kiyoshi the famous drugstore or the department store chain Don Quijote are just to name but a few shops where you can avoid paying the 8% consumption tax. Take your passport whenever you hit the shops and make sure you check to see whether the shop sets a minimum purchase price for tax exemption. Make sure you make the most of this tax break and shop to you drop in one of many of Japan’s popular shopping districts.
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