You will fall passionately in love with trains in Japan.
Japanese people didn’t invent rail travel, but they arguably perfected it. Whether you’re on the newest shinkansen (bullet train) zooming across the country at 320km/h (199mph) or an elderly regional railcar, you can count on your train being scrupulously clean, safely operated, highly reliable, famously punctual and generally a joy to ride.
You can see almost the entire country by train, and with a wide variety of rail passes — including the iconic Japan Rail Pass — you can travel across Japan for less than US$50 per day, including the shinkansen.
Signs are in English even at the smallest stations, translation apps and devices are widely used for complicated questions, and staff are genuinely happy to help travelers.
Japan has an enormous number of train lines and kinds of train, but don’t be put off by the sheer volume: it’s surprisingly easy to navigate, even on your first trip, with your phone’s maps app and a sense of adventure.
Trains run almost everywhere in Japan. The main backbone of the network, and the fastest, is the shinkansen. These bullet trains run from Hokkaido in the far north all the way to Tokyo Station, where you have to change for the shinkansen going to Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and on to Kyushu. For travelers visiting Japan’s main sights, this will be the kind of train you take the most.
The next fastest are Limited Expess trains — “limited” as in “limited stops” — that run between cities and to rural areas on pre-shinkansen conventional lines (the non-high-speed ones). Many run through beautiful parts of Japan, so don’t count them out.
Local trains are the slowest and may even be as small as one single car. “Rapid” trains are fairly rare, and are essentially local trains that skip a few of the smaller stops.
Urban rail, commuter trains and subway lines are widespread in cities. These usually work very similarly to what you might be used to in your home country, although do watch out for limited-stop semi-expresses. The big picture transit maps can look a little intimidating, but most major cities now have a system of colors and station codes in place to help you navigate, and your phone's maps app is great for a quick idea of how to get from A to B.
Confident visitors outside major cities will love Joyful Trains, which are special tourist trains operated largely on weekends and holidays in rural areas. These might be renovated steam trains, or specially themed — JR East’s Koshino Shu’Kura is all about sake, including tastings, while the JR Kyushu A Train is jazz-themed.
Japan’s train stations are destinations by themselves, with larger and newer stations offering a huge range of restaurants for every appetite and budget, and
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Flying business class can be a real treat. And with Emirates, the experience is unparalleled, featuring exceptional service, comfortable seats and top tier in-flight food and beverage. Generally considered one of the best airlines to fly overseas, Emirates offers top tier business class, comparable with (or better than) first class on countless other airlines. A winner of several travel and service awards, Emirates offers outstanding business class, from pre-boarding to de-planing. Here’s what you need to know before booking a seat.
The languid charm of the ‘dolce vita’ lifestyle has long been the envy of travelers everywhere. Now, thanks to Italy's new digital nomad visa, it's also within reach of remote workers, making working from the Amalfi Coast or the Tuscany countryside easier than ever.
When I tell people I grew up in Oregon, I can almost see the stereotypes going through their heads. Depending on how familiar with the state they are, people seem to think I grew up camping and hiking (I didn’t), that I love beer (I don’t) or that I drive way too slowly (my parents would tell you quite the opposite).
Luxury hotels are great. Some have incredible spas where you can revive your skin and spirit, while others offer rooftop infinity pools with sweeping vistas for miles and miles.
The food scene in Florida reflects the diversity of cultures that have made the sunshine state their home – an intoxicating blend of Southern recipes, Latin American flavors and old-school Floridian techniques...anyone for fried gator tail?
Back in February, British Airways announced a big change to Tier Point collection year-end dates, aligning all members to the same date starting from April 1, 2025. We're now in the transitional year of Tier Point collection, changing over to the new process.
The strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in almost 25 years shook the island of nearly 24 million people at 7:58 a.m. local time on Wednesday, causing buildings to crash, landmarks to crumble, and landslides to topple roadways and train tracks. As of press time, there are 10 reported deaths, as well as 1,099 people injured, 705 trapped, and 11 missing, according to an update from Taiwan’s Fire Agency posted Thursday morning.