On almost all of the 6-week, twice-yearly trips to Japan that my husband, Clyde, and I have been making for the last eight years, and on annual visits beginning in November 1999, we have found the Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) to be a no-brainer money saver.
A new-model shin kansen (bullet train), the N700S, began operating on the Tokaido Line, between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, on July 1. The line is on the Japan Rail system, so a JR Pass can be used.
The train’s engine creates less noise and vibration than previous models, and cabins have softer lighting. Each seat has a power plug to recharge electronics plus the ability to fully recline. The N700S also has battery backup, so it can continue to operate, at lower speeds, in case power is lost due to an event such as an earthquake.
Many travelers recommend purchasing a Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) when traveling to Japan. A good deal, the JR Pass allows unlimited travel on JR trains, any shinkansen (bullet train) and some JR bus lines, but if your trip does not involve much long-distance traveling by bullet train or you will be staying in particular regions, the JR pass may not be the best option. My wife and I have found a cheaper and more convenient way of traveling in Japanese cities and towns.
On a trip to Japan, my daughter Stacy and I stayed in a virtual ghost town when we lodged at Ryokan Sakaya - Nozawa Onsen (9329 Toyosato, Nozawa onsen, Nagano 389-2502, Japan; ryokan-sakaya.com), April 17-19, 2019. We arrived at the end of the ski season and all of the ski hotels in the resort were practically empty. The week before, the hotels were full!
We had found the ryokan online and called ahead. We asked for a traditional room with tatami mats on the floor as opposed to Western-style beds. Our room cost $253 per night.
In Dorset, England, visitors can stay in a restored Victorian train car, the High Cross Camping Coach (Whitecross, Netherbury, Bridport, Dorset; phone +44 1308 488701, campingcoach.co.uk), located in the garden of High Cross Cottage.
An Italian high-speed train traveling from Milan to Salerno derailed on Feb. 6 near the city of Lodi, killing two people, both drivers. Two people were seriously injured. According to investigators, the train ended up on the wrong track due to a maintenance error and struck a freight carriage, then hit a building and completely left the track, becoming separated from the rest of the train in the process.
An Australian passenger train traveling from Sydney to Melbourne with 153 passengers derailed on Feb. 20, killing two people, both drivers, and injuring four others. The cause of the accident was being investigated at press time, with all train services suspended on that line until the investigation is completed.
The “Jing-Zhang” high-speed rail system, with trains reaching speeds of up to 217 mph, began operation in northeastern China on Dec. 30. Traveling 108 miles between Beijing and Zhangjiakou (two cities that will be hosting Winter Olympics events in 2022), the train makes 10 stops, with a total travel time of 47 minutes.
