RTW questions - prices, immigration, customs etc

My husband and I have started looking at getting a RTW ticket on
LH/AC/JL/UA for October 2004.

A couple of questions -

LH has not published their season or pricing details for 2004 yet -
when are these usually available? We're hoping to fly out on the first
day of shoulder season, this year this was September 29 (a few hundred
dollars cheaper than peak). Our travel agent said that we could pay in
full now to secure the current RTW price (AU$1800 + AU$300 taxes), but
also said that we may be subject to price fluctuations until
ticketing, this could be a problem if the season changes to say,
October 1, because we would then have to pay peak price. I'm a little
hesitant to pay in full now for a flight that's 10 months away.
Besides that, all the flights are waitlist because the schedules don't
go that far ahead. Do flight prices for RTW change significantly from
year to year anyway?

Our itinerary is SYD-YVR-CDG(via FRA)-MUC-FCO-NRT-SYD

For CDG-MUN-FCO with Lufthansa do we have to clear immigration and
customs in MUN before transferring to the FCO flight? I'm not sure how
all this works with the EU. We are travelling on Australian passports.
Are they treated as domestic or international flights? It's a tight
transfer too, 45 minutes. Same with YVR-FRA-CDG.

Is LH ok? I've heard horror stories.

The travel agent says that rail passes etc for Eurail and Japan are
cheaper than individual train tickets. We might get a Eurail pass but
I'm not sure about Japan. We only need travel to and from Narita
airport, on the Yamanote line, and possibly to Kyoto. The JR passes
seem hideously expensive.

This is the first time we've planned a trip this big, it's
overwhelming!

"MsFi" wrote in message
om...
The travel agent says that rail passes etc for Eurail and Japan are
cheaper than individual train tickets. We might get a Eurail pass but
I'm not sure about Japan. We only need travel to and from Narita
airport, on the Yamanote line, and possibly to Kyoto. The JR passes
seem hideously expensive.

Can't help you with the Eurorail (although am told unless you are travelling
a couple hundred km a day they are not worth it). If you are going to do a
lot of travel in Japan the rail pass is good, but otherwise don't bother.
To take the Narita Express (I highly recommend this - they other options are
very confusing if you have no Japanese ability) costs about 3000 yen each
way. Travel around the Yamonote line is cheap - the most you'd pay is 190
yen. If you are travelling by subway it is the same. You can get prepaid
cards for these, and if you will be travelling a lot on either the JR
(Yamonote) lines or the subway you can buy a day pass for either for about
700 yen.
The Shinkansen (bullet train) is incredibly expensive. The rail pass does
not get you reserved seating if I remember correctly. But be prepared to be
in shock. This price is ballpark - I don't know exactly but you are looking
at US$200 each way to get to Kyoto. Taking normal trains down there is
possible but very time consuming. It takes forever to get anywhere in Japan.
There is also a bus/shinkansen option... you leave from Shinjuku station
(central Tokyo) on an overnight bus and come back via shinkansen.
Not sure when you plan on coming here, but my advice is don't come first
week of the year, first week of May or in mid-August. All of those weeks
are holiday weeks and you can't get seats on the shinkansen or other
transportation unless you book weeks in advance. Not to mention hotel
prices jump considerably during that time. Don't forget that Japanese
hotels charge per person not per room
Liz

MsFi wrote:

My husband and I have started looking at getting a RTW ticket on
LH/AC/JL/UA for October 2004.

LH, AC and UA are all members of the Star Alliance consortium, but JL is
not. I don't think you can fly on JL with a Star Alliance RTW ticket. Or
do you mean ANA (flight code NH)?

LH has not published their season or pricing details for 2004 yet -
when are these usually available? We're hoping to fly out on the first
day of shoulder season, this year this was September 29 (a few hundred
dollars cheaper than peak). Our travel agent said that we could pay in
full now to secure the current RTW price (AU$1800 + AU$300 taxes), but
also said that we may be subject to price fluctuations until
ticketing, this could be a problem if the season changes to say,
October 1, because we would then have to pay peak price. I'm a little
hesitant to pay in full now for a flight that's 10 months away.
Besides that, all the flights are waitlist because the schedules don't
go that far ahead. Do flight prices for RTW change significantly from
year to year anyway?

Mostly irrelevant, except the part about actually paying ten months in
advance. RTW tickets are valid for a year, so there is no such thing as
peak season or shoulder season price. With Star Alliance RTWs, the fare
is determined by (a) where you sit in the plane and (b) total distance
covered.

Our itinerary is SYD-YVR-CDG(via FRA)-MUC-FCO-NRT-SYD

You will enter the Schengen area at FRA and will thereafter have no
pass-control until you leave from FCO. Customs is a different story, but
if you have nothing to declare you can walk through the green or blue
channel and there is only a small chance that you will be selected for
screening.

For CDG-MUN-FCO with Lufthansa do we have to clear immigration and
customs in MUN before transferring to the FCO flight? I'm not sure how
all this works with the EU. We are travelling on Australian passports.
Are they treated as domestic or international flights? It's a tight
transfer too, 45 minutes. Same with YVR-FRA-CDG.

You mean 45 minutes at FRA? No chance of making that one, I would say.

Is LH ok? I've heard horror stories.

They're altogether average, although better than AC and UA.

The travel agent says that rail passes etc for Eurail and Japan are
cheaper than individual train tickets. We might get a Eurail pass but
I'm not sure about Japan. We only need travel to and from Narita
airport, on the Yamanote line, and possibly to Kyoto. The JR passes
seem hideously expensive.

The cost/value ratio of a Eurail pass is better, the more time you
have--and you do need to move around a fair bit to make it worthwhile.
For just a few trips, or primarily short trips, you'd probably be better
off getting individual tickets. Sorry, I've never had a rail-pass in
Japan.

This is the first time we've planned a trip this big, it's
overwhelming!

It's good that you've started early, but be prepared to be flexible. You
will almost certainly have to make (perhaps major) adjustments as flight
schedules change, etc.

Good luck.

cheers,

Henry

"MsFi" schreef in bericht
om...
My husband and I have started looking at getting a RTW ticket on
LH/AC/JL/UA for October 2004.

A couple of questions -

Our itinerary is SYD-YVR-CDG(via FRA)-MUC-FCO-NRT-SYD

For CDG-MUN-FCO with Lufthansa do we have to clear immigration and
customs in MUN before transferring to the FCO flight? I'm not sure how
all this works with the EU. We are travelling on Australian passports.
Are they treated as domestic or international flights? It's a tight
transfer too, 45 minutes. Same with YVR-FRA-CDG.

You will enter the Schengen common immigration zone when you arrive in FRA
from YVR. That is when you clear immigration. Until you leave FCO for NRT
you will not have to clear passport control at CDG, MUC or FCO.
Customs will be for hand luggage at FRA, and for checked luggage at CDG.
Most likely just a formality and no inspections.


Is LH ok? I've heard horror stories.

LH is fine.

Sjoerd

Is LH ok? I've heard horror stories.

LH is fine, I fly them every month (as a code share with BD) LHR-FRA and
have only once had a problem, a cancelled reservation, which was sorted out
in 10 mins.

"Liz" wrote in message ...
If you are going to do a lot of travel in Japan the rail pass is good,
but otherwise don't bother.

A lot of travel in a relatively short time. The Japan Rail Pass is
avaiable in 7 days validity, 14 days validity, and 21 days validity.

Suffice to say, if one are going to use a LOT of JR trains in a short
time and the cost of the train travel (using JR trains) exceeds the
cost of the pass, then getting the pass makes sense.

It should be noted that JR East, JR West, JR Kyushu, and JR Hokkaido
each have their own version of rail passes. While each company rail
passes only valid at each company's region of service, they're cheaper
than the Japan Rail Pass and have certain advantage (the JR West Sanyo
area pass allowed you to take the Nozomi train and the JR East Flexi 4
days pass allowed you to ride for free in any 4 days of your choice).

http://www.japanrailpass.net/


The Shinkansen (bullet train) is incredibly expensive.

It cost around 13.520 Yen to go from Tokyo to Kyoto using the Nozomi
train (the most expensive trains in the Tokaido Shinkansen line that
are not covered by the Japan Rail Pass) on reserved ordinary class in
regular season.

It cost around 13.220 Yen to go from Tokyo to Kyoto using the Hikari
train or the Kodama train (the trains in the Tokaido Shinkansen line
that are covered by the Japan Rail Pass)on reserved ordinary class in
regular season.

http://www.jreast.co.jp/e_charge/index.asp

It cost around 28.300 Yen for the ordinary class 7 consecutive days
Japan Rail Pass.

The rail pass does not get you reserved seating if I remember correctly.

It doesn't automatically get you any ticket at all, using the Japan
Rail Pass means you're going ticket-less, just showed the pass at JR
officer at the manned ticket gate. It does kinda a trouble if you need
a ticket as a reference (like you wanting to know the name of the
train you're traveling).

Anyway, one can reserve a seat and get a reserved ticket for free
using the Midori no Madoguchi counter or www.world.eki-net.com if
traveling from Narita airport (you still need to pick up the Japan
Rail Pass and the ticket at Narita airport's Midori no Madoguchi
counter though)if one is using the Japan Rail Pass.

http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en06.html

(MsFi) wrote in message . com...
We only need travel to and from Narita airport,
on the Yamanote line, and possibly to Kyoto.
The JR passes seem hideously expensive.

Cost to go from Narita to Tokyo using the ordinary class the Narita
Express = 2.940 Yen

http://www.jreast.co.jp/nex/fares.html

Cost to go from Tokyo to Kyoto using the ordinary class the Nozomi
train = 13.520 Yen

http://www.jreast.co.jp/e_charge/index.asp

Round trip from Narita to Kyoto using ordinary class of the Narita
Express and the Nozomi = 32.920 Yen

Cost to go the cheapest ride on the Yama no Te = 130 Yen

Cost for the ordinary class 7 consecutive days Japan Rail Pass =
28.300 Yen

Cost for the ordinary class 14 consecutive days Japan Rail Pass =
45.100 Yen

Cost for the ordinary class 21 consecutive days Japan Rail Pass =
57.700 Yen

http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en02.html