Hello,

What a joy to be back on this forum that I’ve browsed for so many years :-)!

I’m heading to Japan with my partner in November 2025. This will be my second trip there and his first.

I was planning to go from Tokyo to Matsumoto, which I haven’t visited before, and from there, check out Shirahone Onsen and then hike from Magome to Tsumago. However, after reading several travel journals, I’ve realized that the village of Shirakawa-go and its surroundings look amazing. Back in 2006, I visited Takayama, which I loved, but I don’t want to stay there again.

To visit the places mentioned above (Shirahone Onsen, Shirakawa-go, Magome, and Tsumago), I’m thinking that a car might be more convenient than public transport, especially for getting from Shirakawa-go to Magome. Could you confirm if that’s the case? If so, is it easy to rent a car for a few days to do a loop starting from Matsumoto?

Thanks in advance for your valuable tips.

Have a great evening

Hello,

I’m looking for advice from seasoned travelers about a roughly one-month trip to Japan. From late October to late November 2026.

We often travel in Southeast Asia but have never been to Japan. Based on what I’ve read, I’d love to hear your thoughts on:

- Is traveling day-to-day, without booking hotels or trains in advance, possible in Japan? (I’ve read many travel journals and blogs that say everything was booked way in advance… but that’s not how we usually travel.)

- Will the Japan Rail Pass be worth it for us? (According to an old simulator, I’m looking at around 400 € for trains compared to 570 € for the JRP.)

Here’s our rough itinerary (which may change):

- Arrival Osaka: 3 nights with Nara - Hiroshima and Miyajima Island: 3 nights - Kurashiki or Naoshima: 2 nights - Himeji: 1 night - Kyoto: 4 nights - Kanazawa: 2 nights - Takayama and Shirakawa-go: 3 nights - Around Mount Fuji: 3 nights - Tokyo with Nikko: 6 nights (no theme parks) Departure from Tokyo

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! :)

Hello,

I’m reaching out for your help because I’m struggling to figure out the best train and car route for a 25-night trip in Kyushu. Here are the cities I’d like to visit, along with my current itinerary, which doesn’t feel quite right. I’m also wondering where the best places to pick up and drop off the rental car would be. International flights from Osaka + the SL Hitoyoshi train ride are part of the plan.

Current (unsatisfactory) draft itinerary I’m trying to optimize: Day 1: Arrival in Osaka Day 2-3: 2 nights in Osaka Day 4: Osaka to Izumi (Kagoshima Prefecture) via overnight train to Izumi Day 5: Full day in Izumi, overnight in Izumi Day 6: Izumi to Hitoyoshi, stopping via Kumamoto (SL Hitoyoshi train) Day 7: Hitoyoshi Day 8: Ebino + overnight in Kobayashi or Takaharu Day 9: Cape Toi + overnight Day 10: Koshima + overnight near Obi or Miyazaki? Day 11: Nichinan Coast / Obi / Udo Jingu / Aoshima Day 12: Miyazaki Day 13: Aya + overnight in Miyazaki Day 14: Hyuga + overnight in Nobeoka Day 15: Around Nobeoka + overnight in Nobeoka Day 16: Shiiba + overnight in Shiiba Day 17: Shiiba + drive to Yamaga + overnight Day 18: Yamaga Day 19: Yamaga Day 20-22: Amakusa Day 23: Kumamoto Day 24: Kumamoto + overnight in Osaka Day 25: Departure for France

Does this seem balanced? Are there any ways to optimize travel times or the logical flow of the route? Where should I pick up and drop off the rental car?

Thanks in advance if anyone can help me think this through!

I could really use your help to finalize our trip to Japan. We’re heading there for three weeks with my partner, starting November 10th. Our plan was to visit Tokyo, Kyoto, and a few stops in between (nothing too original so far…).

However, we’re more into nature and hiking, so even though we do want to explore Tokyo and Kyoto, we’d like to maximize nature stops between the two. Initially, we’d considered places like Kamikochi, but I understand it’s not accessible this late in the season.

Here’s our current itinerary:

1. 2-3 days in Tokyo

2. Fujigoko stop: Mount Mitsutoge - Planned hike: https://www.alltrails.com/fr/randonnee/japan/yamanashi/mount-mitsutoge-trail

3. Suwa / Matsumoto stop: Kirigamine Plateau & Lake Suwa - Planned hike: https://www.alltrails.com/fr/randonnee/japan/nagano/kirigamine-mount-kuruma-yashimagahara-wetland-loop - Matsumoto Castle

4. Nagano stop: Togakushi Sacred Forest - Hike among giant cedars: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/japan/nagano/togakushi-shrine-okusha or https://www.alltrails.com/fr/randonnee/japan/nagano/mount-togakushi-trail - Ebisu-ko fireworks

5. Kiso Valley stop - Senjojiki Cirque - Magome-Tsumago hike: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/japan/gifu/nakasendo-magome-tsumago

6. 3-4 days in Kyoto - Mount Kurama: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/japan/kyoto/kurama-trail

7. 2-3 days in Tokyo

I’m still checking if this is doable time-wise. We’d love to soak up each place, enjoy the food and onsens, and stay in a ryokan at one of the stops.

Hello Hello, We’re two couples of friends heading to this amazing country and need your help to validate our itinerary. First, I’ll share the overall plan for our trip. I can go into more detail for each day if everything looks good to you. Thanks Thanks

30/10 Arrival at HND 31/10 Tokyo: Chiyoda, Yurakucho & Shinjuku 01/11 Asakusa, Ueno, Akihabara & TeamLab Planets 02/11 Day trip to Mount Fuji (Kawaguchiko) 03/11 Yanaka, Ueno, Shibuya & Izakaya 04/11 Ghibli Museum & Kichijoji 05/11 Shopping and Odaiba at sunset 06/11 Departure for Kyoto & first discoveries 07/11 Arashiyama, bamboo grove & zen temples 08/11 Fushimi Inari, Gion 09/11 Kyoto → Himeji → Hiroshima 10/11 Hiroshima (morning) → Osaka (afternoon) 11 & 12/11 Exploring Osaka and return to France 🙂

hi there I’m planning a trip in September—here’s my rough itinerary. What do you think? Is it easy to rent a car to get around between my stops? Thanks so much!

Philippe StopNightsFull daysSeoul44Gurye (Jirisan)43Suncheon43Namhae43Gyeongju21Seoul1—

Hi there, I’m going on an organized trip to Japan in April and will have two free days in Tokyo. I’d love some tips on what to do during those two days. Thanks

Hi there, I’m planning a trip to Japan in April/May. I’ll start my journey in Tokyo for 3 to 4 days. I’d love your advice on accommodation, transportation, an itinerary, and whether a guide would be useful. I’m traveling solo and could use a little reassurance. Before I forget... how do payments work?

Thanks for your help, Petra

Hello,

We’re planning a 17-day trip to South Korea in October 2026 with my husband and our daughters, who’ll be 9 years old.

I’d love to get your thoughts on our draft itinerary.

First, some key details:

1/ Jeju Island is a must for us. I’ve personally dreamed of going there for years after reading a novel about it. 2/ Our girls are used to road-trip style travel since they were born, so this kind of trip won’t be an issue for them. 3/ We plan to travel by train, except on Jeju where we’ll rent a car (we already have an international driver’s permit).

Itinerary:

Seoul: 1 arrival day at 10 AM + 4 full days Gyeongju: 2 days Busan: 3 days Jeju: 4 days Seoul: 2 days

Thanks for your feedback! Have a great day,

Sabrina

Hi everyone, Do you know if Miyajima Island is served by ferry from Shikoku, and if there’s a ferry afterward to Kyushu with a car? Thanks for your insights!

Hi there, I’d like to spend the day in Yamaga starting from Kumamoto. I’m wondering how to get there using public transport. I see there’s a train and then a bus, but I can’t find any precise info on the bus schedules for the round trip. I’ve already checked Navitime. Thanks for your help

Hi there, we're planning to visit South Korea this autumn. October or November? We're traveling with backpacks. Is public transport easy to use? Thanks for your reply

Good evening,

I’m taking a short trip to South Korea—half work, half leisure—and I don’t know anything about the country, its history, or its customs.

Would you happen to have one or two references I could read? Specifically, I’d love to know how workplace relationships, negotiations, and downtime work there...

Thanks so much for your help!

Best regards,

deb75

Hi, I’m planning a Paris–Hong Kong round trip with a return from Chongqing to Paris, spanning 28 days in November 2026.

The flight is with Air China, with a few hours’ layover in Beijing each time (I plan to stay inside the airport).

I’ve reread the conditions several times, but since I’m never entirely sure, I’d love your input.

Are we all clear that visa exemptions apply?

For arrival in Hong Kong, crossing the Hong Kong–China land border (via Shenzhen), and the return flight from Chongqing?

Thanks for your insights.

I’m traveling to Japan with a young adult with autism (ASD) from July 28 to August 8, following a pretty classic route: Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Tokyo. I’m looking for a schedule of the most spectacular fireworks displays during that time. So far, the dates for the major *hanabi* events aren’t available online yet. If anyone has them, I’d really appreciate it if you could share!

Hello everyone, Like Cedric13600, I’ve booked a flight ticket for 30 days / 29 nights in September 2026, from Beijing to Shanghai. We’re a couple in our sixties who love independent road trips. I’d like to draw inspiration from the following private itinerary suggested by a travel agency:

Day 1: Arrival in Beijing Day 2 to 4: Beijing Day 5: Datong Day 6 & 7: Pingyao Day 8 to 10: Xi'an Day 11: Luoyang Day 12: Dengfeng flight Day 13 & 14: Chongqing flight Day 15 & 16: Lijiang Day 17: Dali Day 18: Kunming Day 19: Jianshui Day 20 & 21: Yuanyang Day 22: Travel via Guilin Day 23 & 24: Yangshuo Day 25: Guilin Day 26 & 27: Zhangjiajie flight Day 28 & 29: Shanghai Day 30: Departure from Shanghai

But to do this itinerary independently: 1. This schedule seems very ambitious to me—what do you think? 2. If it’s too packed, what would you remove as a priority? Thanks so much in advance for your help.

Hi there,

I’d love to get some feedback on our 30-day / 29-night itinerary in China. We’ll be there in September as a family with two kids (6 and 10 years old). Do you think I should cut a few nights between Wulingyuan (Avatar Mountain) and Yangshuo? I’ve planned 15 nights total there. We’ll be on a round-the-world trip starting May 2026 and will need to do schoolwork with the kids. Hoping to fit it in during train rides!! Ever since I started planning this China itinerary, I’ve been discovering completely mind-blowing places I’d never heard of before—30 days feels way too short for China!!!

Here’s our itinerary:

Beijing - 4 nights Forbidden City Great Wall of China Temple of Heaven

Xi’an - 3 nights Terracotta Army Muslim Quarter & Great Mosque

Chengdu - 3 nights Zoo - Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding Wenshu Yuan Temple

Wulingyuan (Avatar Mountain) - 3 nights "Avatar Mountains"

Zhangjiajie - 2 nights Tianmen Mountain

Furong Town - 2 nights

Fenghuang - 2 nights

Guilin - 2 nights Chuanshan Park Guilin Yaoshan Scenic Attraction Reed Flute Cave

Yangshuo - 4 nights Biking along the Yulong River Moon Hill Ruyi Peak Xianggong Hill

Shanghai - 4 nights Shanghai Disneyland Yu Garden / Yuyuan Garden Yuyuan Bazaar

Thanks! Cédric

Hi there,

I’ve heard about the city of Gunsan (on the Yellow Sea coast) and I’m not sure if it’s worth the trip. I’d be using public transport, and it seems like a bit of a trek from Seoul.

We just spent three weeks in Yunnan. I’ve started writing up a travel journal about the trip.

Hi there,

We’ll be arriving soon at Tokyo Haneda Airport (from Paris) at 6:30 PM.

Could you tell me if there’s an ATM in the arrivals hall where we can withdraw cash? If so, does the ATM charge a fee? (I’m not talking about my bank’s fee, but the ATM’s own commission.)

Thanks in advance for your reply,

Have a great day

Hi there, I’m looking for someone who could help me organize a trip to Japan for my niece and her son. I’ve seen that French-speaking guides are expensive, and the same goes for going through a tour operator. Airline, local transportation, hotels, etc. Thanks for your replies! Betsyl

Hi there,

I haven’t found what I’m looking for despite my searches!

For a 15-day trip next spring, I’d like to buy a card (preferably an eSIM, but a physical SIM is fine too) that also lets me make calls in the country (to contact a hotel, a tourist spot, etc.).

You can easily find options just for data, but I haven’t come across any that include calls, texts, or even MMS. Could you recommend something?

Thanks in advance

Hi there, we’re planning to visit part of Zhangjiajie Park in one day soon. We’re staying in Wellington the night before. My question is about which entrance ticket to get on trip.com. They offer either just the ticket or a combo with the ticket, elevator, and cable car for Tianzi Mountain—not just the entrance and elevator. I’m a bit lost. :)

We want to make the most of the day, starting right when the park opens. If you have a recommended route, that’d be great. I’ve also heard to double-check the shuttle buses inside the park. Anyway, I’m not sure whether to start with the cable car or the elevator.

Thanks for your help, and if you have a map, that’d be awesome too.

Cheers, Olivier

Hi there!

I’m heading to Hanoi next week and we’ve got a 16-hour layover in Shanghai. Is it worth leaving the airport? We’re Belgian, so no visa required.

Thanks! !

Hi everyone, any hotel recommendations near Fukuoka Airport? I’ve got an early flight to Vietnam the next morning. Thanks so much for your tips!

Hi there,

I’m planning a route through China from Hong Kong to Chengdu.

Here’s the draft:

Hong Kong + Macau (4 nights) Shenzhen (1 night) Guangzhou (2 nights) Yangshuo (3 nights) Sanjiang (1 night) Longji Rice Terraces (1 night) Guilin then head north (1 night) Zhangjiajie (3 nights) Chongqing (1 night) Chengdu (2 nights)

I’d love your thoughts. Can I cut nights from some spots and add them elsewhere?

Quick note—I’ve got a lot of travel experience and I’m pretty fast and efficient (early riser, etc.). So I usually pack in more than the average traveler...

Thanks for your help!

Hi there, I’m getting ready for a classic tourist trip to China in May 2026. The "Terres Lointaines" itinerary looks good to me, and the price is interesting. Has anyone traveled with them before? Any feedback? Is there a better option? Thanks so much for sharing your experiences on this! Michel

Hi, does anyone know if it's possible to get a SIM card in Tibet in 2025? If not, how can I use the internet there with a French phone? Thanks and have a great day. Aichatou

Hi there, I’d love to get some feedback on the itinerary I’m considering, since I’ll be using public transport. The order might not be ideal: -Fukuoka: 4 days (including 1 day in Yanagawa, and I’d also like to visit Yutoku Inari Shrine) -Nagasaki: 2 days (I’m a bit unsure about including it) -Kumamoto: 2 days (including 1 day in Yamaga) -Beppu: 2 or 3 days (1 day in Kitsuki) -Yufuin: 2 days I was also thinking about adding Ukiha and Usuki, but I’m not sure how to fit them in. Thanks for your input! Carole

Hi there,

I’m a bit unsure—right now, the 30-day visa exemption ends on December 31, 2025. If I enter China on December 23, will I still get the full 30 days even though the exemption officially ends on the 31st? Is it the entry date that counts for the 30-day period?

Thanks for your input!