What do I need to learn for my trip to Japan?

Question:

Hey!

I am going to Japan next year, and I am wondering what things I need to prepare for or learn?

Answer:

As you said trip I guess you are going on a tour package or traveling independently.

1. Get a guidebook (I like Lonely Planet guidebooks, alternatively a Rough Guide) it will tell you nearly all you need to know.

2. Visit Lonely Planet's Thorntree forum http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/in… to ask general or specific questions

3. If you are not on a package tour you will probably travel by rail and want a Japan Railpass (last I heard you had to get the pass BEFORE ENTERING Japan) http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en001.h… is the official page and will tell you where you can obtain one from in your country.

4. Check the latest travel advice before you go.
This trip research dashboard http://inblighty.com/dashboard/travel-to… provides the latest official advice (from either US or UK Gov depending where you are located), plus health and vaccination info, weather, currency converter ,WIFI locator etc. I developed it based on my own needs as an independent traveler.


P.S. Delay purchase of your guidebook till a few months before you go, this will give you time to research, and increase your chances of ending up with a newly published edition. Note: Amazon sells old and new editions, and I think my local bookstore sells off old editions before ordering new.

Even "new" editions can be out of date by the time you travel e.g. countries remove or change visa requirements. In 2006 my "new" guidebook advised me to take US Dollar to Cuba - but when I went Cuba had "delinked" from the USD and this was about the worst thing I could have done - luckilly I checked the latest travel advice online.