Making the Most of your JR East Pass
For those who have been, or even planned to visit Japan I’m sure you’ve heard of the Japan Rail Pass. For those of you who are thinking of visiting Japan but haven’t yet heard of this cost-effective, money-saving travel tool, this post is for you. We’ve just returned from Japan, and wanted to share our experience […]
Surviving the Overnight Hard Seat: Xi’an to Pingyao
Xi’an to Pingyao Vowing to never again settle for a “hard seat” on an overnight train (especially the lowest grade, like the one we experienced), we arrived in Pingyao from Xi’an. We had said to ourselves, “How bad could it be?” The reality was pretty terrible. We had seat numbers, which was a good start, […]
Shinkansen to Nagasaki
The first Shinkansen voyage of the trip was a long haul. We left from Odawara Station, south of Yokohama. It was the first day the Japan Rail Pass was valid, and we were excited to start getting our money’s worth. The pass is only for visitors, and must be purchased before you arrive in Japan. […]
Are we there yet???
The third day on the Ghan, we stopped at 9 am in Katherine, famous for the Katherine Gorge, the Katherine River and being the first permanent water source heading north from Alice Springs! This time we opted to just take a shuttle to town and have a look around. It was another HOT day, […]
All Aboard!
Our 54-hour train ride on the Ghan was an experience to remember. Billed as one of the world’s “Great Train Journeys,” the Ghan cuts right through the center of the country, connecting Adelaide in the south with Darwin in the north. It was named for the Afghani cameleers who in earlier days had made […]