Bonjour,
Ma famille et moi projetons un voyage au japon en avril 2009 de 15 jours. Je commence à peine à faire des recherches. Sur plusieurs forums, j'ai remarqué que les personnes ayant déjà visité le pays, conseillent de prendre le train (existence d'un pass de 7 jours intéressant apparemment) pour se déplacer dans et à l'extérieur de Tokyo. Pourquoi la location de voitures n'est-elle pas préférée (surtout lorsqu'on est 4 comme nous) ? Ma question est peut-être bête et vous y avez sûrement déjà répondu mais je n'ai pas trouvé de réponse.
Conduire au Japon suppose de connaître un peu le pays, et c'est souvent très long - et très lent.
Le train est très confortable, bien au-delà en matière de confort des critères européens.
je n'y suis pas encore allée, mais le Japon est le pays du monde dont les habitants font le plus grand kilométrage annuel en train. Une ex collègue qui a travaillé quelques années au Japon m'avait dit que le service était de bonne qualité (rapidité, ponctualité, fréquence des trains, confort). Je n'ai pas idée du coût d'une location de voiture, mais ce site
http://www.clickjapan.org
donne les tarifs des Japan Rail Pass
Bonjour,
Je prepare un voyage en famille (4 personnes) pour aout 2009.
Au niveau des tarifs on peut trouver a louer aux alentours de 10000 JPY (il y a un site de location en Anglais que je trouve pas mal : TooCoo). Mais il faut y ajouter le prix des peages, apparemment assez chers et bien sur l'essence. La plupart des sites deconseillent fortement la voiture dans les grandes villes. Et les durees des voyages sont assez importantes.
En ce qui concerne le train, il y a des tarifs sympathiques pour les etrangers avec les Pass (amortis assez rapidement en quelque trajet), cfr. rubriques ci-dessous.
Ma conclusion personelle, j'utiliserai le train entre les grandes villes avec un pass JR East (+/- 600 euros pour nous quatre) et je louerai une voiture pour les trajets sur place pour pouvoir sortir des chemins battus.
Cela reviendrait un peu moins cher de louer une voiture directement sur Narita, mais cela m'obligerait a faire plusieurs heures de trajet (fatigant a l'arrivee avec le decallage horaire) au lieu de somnoler dans un train confortable.
Apparemment, les voitures japonaises sont souvent equipees de GPS qui fonctionnent sur base d un numero de telephone (plus facile a introduire), bon si vous partez en avril 2010, recontactez-moi apres mon voyage, je pourrai partager mon experience ...
nous avons ete deux fois au japon en famille (5) et à chaque fois nous avons loue une vehicule mais conduire une voiture au japon n'est pas comme chez nous
* cela n'a aucun interet pour les villes (tokyo osaka nara kyoto)
* si l'on veut aller visiter les campagnes c'est super
* ils conduisent à gauche, les panneaux ne sont pas toujours en romanji il vaut mieux avoir un bon sens de l'orientation !!!
* le permis international n'est pas reconnu il faut faire traduire son permis avant
http://www.ambafrance-jp.org/article.php3?id_article=781 rien d'insurmontable mais il faut s'en preoccuper avant de partir
* les tarifs ici http://www2.tocoo.jp/?file=rentcar_inbound/main seul louer avec in site en anglais (pas contre à kyoto à la gare centrale quand nous avons recuperé la voiture personne ne parlait anglais ) pour voir à quoi ressemble les modeles j'ai consulté
http://www.tradecarview.com/used_car/japan_car/all/all/
* le moyenne horaire est tres tres faible 40km/h (trafic, agglomeration, route super etroite ) à comparer avec les plus de 250 km/h du Shinkansen
nous avons loue à chaque fois une vannette nissan (voiture commerciale tres basique :pas de gps, pas de clim, pas de ceinture à l'AR) à 5 le calcul est vite fait
39690 yens pour 7 jours de location (300 euros ) à comparer avec les 127350 yens (4 adultes de plus de 12 ans et un enfant) soit 969 euros
je le redis encore une fois la voiture n'a aucun interet pour le parcours classique tokyo kyoto nara hiroshima
Je vous remercie tous de votre réponse. Me voici un peu plus éclairée. Je viens d'acheter quelques guides pour commencer à construire un semblant de circuit et je vais continuer à consulter les forums tels que celui-ci pour profiter de votre expérience. C'est ainsi que je fais à chaque fois que nous partons en voyage et c'est toujours super réussi et sans mauvaise surprise. Merci encore et merci d'avance pour les futures questions que je pourrai éventuellement poser dans les prochaines semaines.
Je vais assez réguiièrement au Japon et je loue à chaque fois une voiture. C'est bien sûr le meilleur moyen de découvrir la campagne et la montagne de ce magnifique pays. La conduite at japon est très cool, très sympa, il n'y a vraiment pas de quoi en faire un plat. Et à quatre, c'est évidemment plus éconoque que le train.
pPour moi, le train est à réserver pour un parcours de liaison (Tokyo-Kyoto, Kyoto-Hiroshima) et même parfois, il vaut mieux prendre l'avion (Tokyo-Fukuoka, Tokyo-Sapporo par exemple) ; la voiture doit être réservée pour "l'exploration" de la campagne (à Tokyo même, la voiture est bien sûr une contrainte, comme elle peut l'être à Paris). La vitesse moyenne est effectivement basse, il ne faut donc pas compter "abattre du kilomètre" comme on le fait en France, surtout si tu prends les petites routes. L'autoroute est plus rapide (vitesse moyenne équivalente à celle connu en France) mais bien sûr moins pittoresque et surtout, les péages sont nettement plus chers qu'en France.
Bonjour !
Tu verras que le train au Japon est très confortable, très rapide, très fiable (c'est un des premiers trains à grande vitesse du monde !), bref, vraiment que des avantages, car la conduite y est très technique (les règles, panneaux etc diffèrent un peu de chez nous), et ça te coûterais plus cher. Comme tu peux le lire dans cet article sur Tokyo au Printemps (qui est une des meilleures périodes pour la découvrir), tout le réseau est un peu complexe, mais c'est car il est dense. Tu trouveras ici des infos plus techniques sur comment être efficace avec le train !
Bonne journée.
Au départ, je ne voulais pas écrire sur ce post car mon avis est forcément partial. Je suis un grand amateur de train et de trams, au japon en particulier.
S'il est vrai que pour visiter les coins les plus reculés, la voiture peut être intéressante, elle est une contrainte le reste du temps. Les trains japonais sont sans doute les meilleurs du monde. En tout cas toujours adaptés a la demande. Les trains rapides (premier réseau a grande vitesse au monde en 1964) sont réellement rapides et fréquents. Les trains de banlieue sont efficaces et encore plus fréquent. Les trains de campagne ne sont pas très rapides, mais offrent un service indispensable en hivers lorsqu'il y a un mètre de neige. Mais surtout, ils sont tous propres, à l'heure, avec un personnel serviable. Le Japon est le pays ayant le plus fort taux d'utilisation des trains dans les déplacements de tout les jours ainsi que pendant les vacances.
Mais surtout, les petites lignes sont un moyen idéal de voir du pays. Certes en voiture, on peut s'arrêter quand on veux. Mais en train, on n'a pas a se soucier de la route et on peut bien profiter du paysage.
Pour ceux qui voudraient se faire une idée des trains au japon, voir mon site www.train-tram.be/japon
If any of you have already taken the Tren Maya, could you tell me if you’ve run into any difficulties upon arrival when trying to reach your destination city by bus: Valladolid, Mérida, Campeche, or Xpuhil?
Hi everyone,
First of all, thank you for all the valuable information you share—it’s really helpful.
My husband and I are heading to South Korea from September 19 to October 6. We know the timing might not be ideal because of Chuseok, but for various reasons, we didn’t have other date options. Plus, this period coincides with some festivals we’ve been eager to check out: the Andong Mask Dance Festival, the Jinju Lantern Festival, and the Hwaseong Festival in Suwon.
Here’s our tentative itinerary:
09/19: Arrival in Seoul
09/20: Bus to Sokcho – explore the city or short hike
09/21: Seoraksan Park
09/22: Return to Seoul
09/23–09/26: Seoul
09/27: Bus or train to Andong – explore the city
09/28: Hahoe
09/29–10/01: Gyeongju
10/01–10/03: Busan
10/03–10/04: Jinju
10/05: Bus/train to Suwon
10/06: Suwon
So here’s my question: Given that several of our trips fall during or around festivals, will it be possible to book bus/train tickets once we’re there, or is there a risk they’ll already be sold out? Specifically for Seoul-Andong, Busan-Jinju, and Jinju-Suwon.
I was thinking of booking everything on our first day in Seoul.
And if it’s better to plan ahead, how should we go about it? I can’t seem to access the Korail (letskorail) or Kobus websites.
Thanks in advance for your answers and help—and sorry for the long post! :)
I’m planning our very first trip to mainland France in January 2027. There’ll be 2 adults and 2 kids, and we’ll mostly be traveling by train.
Here’s our itinerary:
Paris
Rouen (Normandy)
Lyon
Aix-les-Bains (with day trips to Annecy and Geneva)
Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (with Chamonix and a day in Aosta)
Back to Paris
Do you think this itinerary is well-balanced? Any tips, must-see spots, or mistakes to avoid for a first-time visit?
Hi! I’d like to make stops across France, starting from Reims, and travel by train using the Intercités. I want to discover the landscapes and picturesque villages, and make some stops along the way. Could you give me some tips? Thanks!
I can’t seem to complete the payment for my trip on the IRCTC (Indian Railways) site. No matter which payment method I choose, my Visa card isn’t accepted.
Has anyone here managed to do it, and if so, could you share the method you used?
Thanks in advance!
Charlie
I’m planning a family trip in a year. Our goal: traveling to China (and maybe Hong Kong) by train.
I’m all set with the route up to eastern Turkey.
However, I’m just starting my research for the rest of the journey—namely the Caucasus (no trains as far as I know, so buses and/or ferries), then Central Asia and China.
So, I’d love to hear any info or tips (general and forward-looking at this stage) about the train route through Central Asia and China to reach the east coast.
I’m particularly interested in details on:
- How far in advance to book / any potential difficulties with reservations
- Whether there are PASS systems (or equivalent) between countries and/or if some tickets allow stopovers, meaning you can hop on and off as you please
- Day trains vs. night trains (the latter option lets you explore cities between two legs of the journey)
- A rough idea of ticket costs
...
A huge thank you to anyone who can share some info or experiences. It’s also a great opportunity to chat about adventure after (way too) many years away from this forum.
I’m planning a trip around Italy using only trains or public transport in October (hoping the weather stays nice!).
I’d obviously like to see some tourist destinations, but I also want to get off the beaten path a bit, and I’m hoping to find some help here? I don’t plan to linger too long in the cities.
Starting in the north, I’d like to visit Lake Como or Lake Orta, pass through the Cinque Terre for some hiking, spend a few days in Naples and Rome, then head down to Sicily.
Hi there,
I’ll be traveling to Japan this coming August. We’ve finalized our itinerary and booked our flight tickets. Now I’m at the stage of buying train tickets for the few segments we’ll need to cover:
Tokyo - Hakone
Hakone - Kyoto
Kyoto - Osaka
Osaka - Tokyo
Here are my questions:
a) Is it possible to buy train tickets for these segments from Canada?
b) If so, which website should I use to do this?
c) And if it is possible, will we be able to print our tickets from Canada?
d) If it’s not possible, where in Tokyo should I go to buy these tickets when I arrive?
Hi everyone, I wanted to take the Paris-Berlin overnight train with a sleeper berth, the new service operated by European Sleepers.
24/05/2026 17:45 Paris-Nord (actually 16:00 from Paris Bercy Seine) -> 25/05/2026 9:59 (actually 7:30 in Berlin)
05/06/2026 18:31 Berlin (actually 20:00) -> 06/06/2026 10:00 Paris Nord (actually 12:30)
Part of the journey was operated by bus instead of the promised overnight train.
For 2 people: 340 € round trip
A total disaster. Never again. I was really looking forward to taking the overnight train, but we faced last-minute changes and truly unpleasant travel conditions. Here are the details:
1) 2 days before departure: email announcing a change of departure station for the outbound trip—Bercy Seine bus station instead of Gare du Nord.
2) Change of schedule: 4:00 PM from Bercy instead of 5:45 PM from Gare du Nord.
3) Change of transport mode!! A bus from Paris to Brussels, then an overnight train from Brussels to Berlin. No functional toilets on the bus. No children under 4 allowed on the bus.
4) On the sleeper train at 9:30 PM: no functional toilets in our carriage, so we had to go to other carriages, even in the middle of the night, to find working ones.
5) The onboard staff, though very friendly, were as lost as we were. In particular, they didn’t know how to handle the lower berths, so people using them had less space (armrests and backrests). Berth numbers weren’t respected, so some passengers had to move. The staff also didn’t know who was supposed to join the compartment during the journey.
6) Arrival at 7:30 AM in Berlin instead of 10:00 AM. No arrival announcement. Passengers had to search for staff to get breakfast and ended up with just a coffee (breakfast = 15 €, not bad for just a coffee).
7) Return trip: drastic schedule change announced by email on 26/05/2026—departure at 7:30 PM instead of 6:30 PM, with arrival between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM in Paris instead of 10:00 AM. No change in transport mode announced.
8) Change in transport mode announced by email on the same day (05/06/2026)!! Overnight train from Brussels to Berlin, then a bus from Paris to Brussels. No functional toilets on the bus. Children under 4 banned from the bus, and families in this situation were asked to find another way—after being notified the same day.
9) The overnight train arrived at Berlin station with a 30-minute delay on top of its initial delay (scheduled for 6:31 PM, then 7:30 PM, finally arriving at 8:00 PM). The heating was blasting in the compartment with no way to turn it off. No functional toilets in the carriage. From that point on, customer service stopped responding to my messages.
10) Woken up at 5:00 AM with an announcement in all carriages about arrival in Liège.
11) Woken up again at 6:00 AM to be told we’d arrive in Brussels at 7:00 AM.
12) Arrival in Brussels at 7:00 AM and a one-hour wait for the bus to Paris. No functional toilets on the bus.
13) Arrival at Paris Nord at 12:30 PM, so 2.5 hours late compared to the originally scheduled time.
14) The overnight trains used are very old—I recognized the carriages from 20 years ago!! No functional power outlets, no Wi-Fi, no air conditioning. Five people per compartment is a bit cramped, but I consider these conditions expected (especially the air conditioning), so I’m not complaining about that. There’s already plenty to gripe about with the travel conditions.
I have little hope of getting even a partial refund. Customer service emails acknowledge the discomfort but only offer to reimburse the cost of a coffee on board if we send them the receipt... a bit weak.
I’m sharing this experience in the hope it might help others.
Hi there,
I’d like to take the Train of the Clouds from Lima to Huancayo.
I’ve heard it only runs during certain periods.
Does anyone have info on this?
Thanks!
HuancayoHuancayo
As part of my professional thesis, I’m conducting a study on the evolution of long-distance rail transport in France, particularly since it opened up to competition.
I’ve put together a very quick (about 5-minute) and completely anonymous questionnaire. Your answers will help me better understand users' expectations regarding pricing, frequency, and environmental impact.
We’re planning a 15-day trip to Uzbekistan in March—classic independent itinerary: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva. We’d like to take the train between each city, but I don’t want to lock down the whole trip before we leave.
So, my question is: is it absolutely necessary to book train tickets before departure, whether for the high-speed trains or the regional ones? Is booking really essential for the regional trains?
Hello,
We’re traveling as a family with two boys aged 10 and 12 to Cairo in February. During our trip, we’re planning to take an overnight train (with or without a sleeper) for the Cairo-Aswan route.
Do you know how I can book this remotely?
Also, I’m looking for:
- A local contact to sail the Nile by felucca for 3 days from Aswan
- A contact to guide us in Cairo
Looking forward to your tips, and thanks in advance!
Marie
Hi everyone,
I first traveled solo to Japan in 2019, exploring the Kyushu region (28 days), and I’m planning to return with my daughter (she’s an adult and it’ll be her first time in Asia) from April 25 to May 9.
I’m reaching out on this forum to ask for route ideas—this time north of Tokyo, but without heading to the Sapporo island (I’m saving that for a future trip).
I’d love to take advantage of the cherry blossom season and its festivities.
I’m looking to create a route that’s a little off the beaten path while staying within 5-6 hours by train from Tokyo to avoid spending too much time on transfers.
Thanks in advance for sharing your suggestions and experiences!
Michael
I'm heading to MEXICO IN NOVEMBER 2025. Since private guides and drivers are really expensive—over 300 € per day—I'm thinking of exploring the Yucatán by train. CAN YOU SHARE ANY INFO ON THIS? Thanks
Hi there!
We’re planning to visit Serbia (1 week) and then Montenegro (2nd week) with our kids from April 18 to May 4. We’d prefer to travel by train (overnight if possible), but we’re not sure which platform to book on or when to do it (is it too early?). If anyone has any tips, I’m all ears!!
I wanted to know if it’s possible to go from Tashkent to Almaty by train without passing through Kyrgyzstan. I’ve heard the border is often closed 😕 between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Thanks in advance!
Olivier
Hi there!
We’re planning to head back to Istanbul next year—obviously by plane—and then take the train from Istanbul to Antalya. Has anyone here already made this trip by train with TCDD?
I’d love any tips or info that could be useful for us!
I'd like to go to Montserrat on my own from Barcelona. Share your suggestions with me.
Which train should I take, where to get off, what to see once I arrive, etc.
I need to take a sleeper train from Bangkok to Vientiane in January.
I found some ticket options on 12Go Asia, but booking doesn’t seem possible at the moment. I’ve tried simulations for several dates, but no luck.
I’m wondering if it’s already fully booked, if they’ve stopped selling tickets… yet 12Go still features it every day 😕
Has anyone else run into this issue?
Can I find tickets on another site? (I tried Baolau, but no sleepers left for January 8th.)
Hi there,
I’m a bit late to be worrying about this, but hopefully someone can help me before I leave.
Tomorrow afternoon, I arrive at Lyon Part-Dieu on the TGV at 5:50 PM and take the TER to Mâcon at 6:16 PM. Is a 26-minute transfer doable? Are the TGV and TER on the same departure board? And are they on the same platforms too?
I’ve been to Lyon before but never had to make a connection after arriving.
Thanks
Starting November 15th, I’ll be arriving in Thailand, and during my stay, I plan to visit the north, around the Chiang Mai area, then head south to the Krabi region.
After Krabi, I’m planning to take an overnight train to Bangkok. I was wondering if there’s a train that leaves from Krabi or Trang, or if I absolutely have to go to Surat Thani?
Also, which official website can I use to book my ticket?
Next, since I’ll be arriving at dawn in Bangkok, I’ve planned to spend 2 days in Kanchanaburi. What’s the most convenient way to get there—bus or train? And if you know any companies or websites, that’d be great.
Hi there,
Does anyone know if there’s a bus from Luang Namtha to Boten to catch the train coming from China to Vientiane? If so, what’s the name of the company? Also, how long does the bus take to cover that distance? What’s the condition of the road like?
Thanks for your help!
Tom
I just realized there’s only one payment method accepted for booking the Mombasa-Nairobi express train ticket online: M-Pesa, a mobile money transfer service used in Africa. Would it be impossible to book as a European?
I’d love to know if any of you have recently eaten on the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
We’ve always ordered food on the train, and it was really good (and super convenient).
But in 2022, we ended up feeling like total idiots (with our 4-year-old daughter...) when we boarded the train only to find out that this service was no longer available... (It was the first time we’d traveled right after COVID.)
That’s also when we saw once again how kind Thai people are—they all offered to share their food with us, even though we were mortified. In the end, we managed to buy some instant noodles, which was better than nothing. Anyway, that’s the little story behind it.
In the following years, we’ve always brought our own meals.
I’ve read online that meal trays are back in service (could you confirm this, please?), but that the quality is really poor. I’ve also seen multiple reports that, even though you can eat well everywhere in Thailand, the train meal was the worst food travelers had during their trip...
Could you give me a recent opinion on this?
We’ll be departing from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station—do you know if there’s anywhere to buy a meal there before boarding the train?
Thanks so much for your help,
and have a great Sunday!
We’re heading to Thailand in February 2026 and we’d like to take the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Can we book two first-class tickets? I’m only seeing second-class options.
