Since quite a few of us may want to go to the GPF 2017 in Nagoya, I thought I'd start this thread so we can discuss how to purchase tickets, transportation and hotels around the Nagoya area, and even which skaters you think might be going to the GPF.  We are hoping some of our Japanese members might participate in this thread and share with us their expertise. Although I've lived in Japan and still go back there several times a year, I'm not familiar at all about how to purchase skating tickets and the Nagoya area (although I've passed by quite a few times by Shinkansen, but that doesn't count ).

Ladysci, thank you so much for starting this threadStill busy with year-end auditing, will contribute more later.

 

Quick question: It looks like hotels are almost sold out on booking during GPF period so I am thinking about airbnb. Any recommendation or suggestion regarding this one? Worrying about the language barrier

Planning on going to GPF if I can't get to the Olympics, or both if I suddenly get rich. No tips on hotels and I've never been to an ice skating event before but I'd probably be willing to take the bullet train in every day if accommodation in Nagoya is a problem. 

52 minutes ago, SparkleSalad said:

Planning on going to GPF if I can't get to the Olympics, or both if I suddenly get rich. No tips on hotels and I've never been to an ice skating event before but I'd probably be willing to take the bullet train in every day if accommodation in Nagoya is a problem. 

Taking shinkansen can be problematic, depending on schedule. FS events usually finish about 20:30-21:30, sometimes 22:30.

I've been to venue of GPF for a concert few years ago. It's 5-10 minutes on feet from Kasadera station which is in 13 minutes by local train to Nagoya station - the one where you can get on shinkansen. But it took much longer after my concert, because it was so crowded.

The last shinkansen in Kyoto & Osaka direction leaves Nagoya at 22:58, but that's Nozomi type which you can't take if you use JR Pass (which is great way of saving money). The last Kodama (which is OK with JR Pass) leaves Nagoya at 22:17.

The last Kodama in Tokyo direction leaves at 22:14.

 

So my advice is - do not rely on shinkansen if possible. Last time I had to find some accommodation for my friend who wanted to spend two weekend days in Nagoya, but all hotels were booked. After some searching I found a hotel in Toyohashi - it's 50-90 minutes ride (depending which train you take, local or rapid) from Kasadera station. There is also another town near Nagoya called Gifu, which is in 40 minutes, and also has direct connection with Kasadera.

But Gifu and Toyohashi are in opposite directions, and after my concert Gifu direction was way more crowded.

8 hours ago, Dara said:

Taking shinkansen can be problematic, depending on schedule. 

 

Thank you so much for such detailed information! I've never stayed in Nagoya, just a day visit with JR Pass. I didn't realise competitions ended so late! Yikes.

 

I'll have to try and airbnb it, too, I suppose, though I'm planning to be there on a trip with the family at that time so it might depend on them. We were planning to stay in Gifu a few nights anyway and drive around to some smaller towns. 

Is it really hard to get tickets or can I start planning?

May I ask what the difference is between JR and subway? Can I use one transit pass for both? 

 

47 minutes ago, yuzuangel said:

Is it really hard to get tickets or can I start planning?

 

No experience with ticket purchasing in Japan but I heard it is sth like a lottery system and very much exclusive to Japan locals. TBH I am counting on second-hand tickets

29 minutes ago, Elaine said:

May I ask what the difference is between JR and subway? Can I use one transit pass for both? 

 

 

No experience with ticket purchasing in Japan but I heard it is sth like a lottery system and very much exclusive to Japan locals. TBH I am counting on second-hand tickets

 

The JR and non-JR lines are owned by different companies. When I went to Japan, I purchased the JR rail pass (since I was traveling between cities) and bought another card for the non-JR lines (refillable and can be used to pay for other things like vending machines). For buses its the same. You have to look and see if its a JR bus or not.

Dara, thank you for such a detailed description of the trains in the Nagoya area.  I also didn't realize that the skating would finish so late in the evening. Is the airbnb system a popular option in Japan; I thought there wasn't so many of them and the government was still trying to pass some law about them---maybe in a big city like Nagoya, there's more of them.

 

I think the hardest thing is not knowing if it's possible to get tickets. When I went to Worlds in Nagano, many years ago, I was able to get tickets because there were some tickets set aside for people from outside Japan. Some of my Japanese friends who couldn't get tickets from inside Japan asked me to buy some tickets for them. Wonder if there will be such a system for the GPF as well as wondering if they would be sold at a fair price even if there were.

 

Elaine, hope you can catch up with your work. I'm the type of person who will always find something else to occupy my mind, like posting, instead of concentrating on my work !

7 minutes ago, Ladysci said:

Is the airbnb system a popular option in Japan; I thought there wasn't so many of them and the government was still trying to pass some law about them---maybe in a big city like Nagoya, there's more of them.

 

I think the hardest thing is not knowing if it's possible to get tickets. When I went to Worlds in Nagano, many years ago, I was able to get tickets because there were some tickets set aside for people from outside Japan. Some of my Japanese friends who couldn't get tickets from inside Japan asked me to buy some tickets for them. Wonder if there will be such a system for the GPF as well as wondering if they would be sold at a fair price even if there were.

I was planning a month long trip to Japan this April until a family emergency came up and I had to cancel. There were sooooo many airbnb options for Tokyo and Kyoto. Nagoya I didn't look too much into and I think they were more out of the city centre. Hostels seem to list on airbnb, too.

 

No idea about GPF foreign tickets but I do know that last year for NHK there was an English site for foreigners to buy tickets but I'm not sure if there were dedicated tickets put aside or not.

10 hours ago, ShiroKJ said:

 

The JR and non-JR lines are owned by different companies. When I went to Japan, I purchased the JR rail pass (since I was traveling between cities) and bought another card for the non-JR lines (refillable and can be used to pay for other things like vending machines). For buses its the same. You have to look and see if its a JR bus or not.

 

Thanks ShiroKJ! So if I understand well, practically I need two metro cards for JR and non-JR lines respectively right?

51 minutes ago, Elaine said:

 

Thanks ShiroKJ! So if I understand well, practically I need two metro cards for JR and non-JR lines respectively right?

Yeah, essentially, you need two different passes. 

 

I used google maps to navigate my way around Japan's metro and it worked out really well for me. 

I used Hyperdia the last time I was in Japan to navigate the trains and subways. It also has a filter so you can search only for trains where you can use your JR pass if you don't want to buy an additional ticket for another system. 

1 minute ago, kiches said:

I used Hyperdia the last time I was in Japan to navigate the trains and subways. It also has a filter so you can search only for trains where you can use your JR pass if you don't want to buy an additional ticket for another system. 

 

Oh yeah! I forgot about that.  Yes, use hyperdia for transit and google maps for on foot instructions. 

I've been wondering how to get tickets for this. I live in Japan so you would think it's possible for me to get it. I know for WTT and FOI those tickets were sold by 7-eleven or Lawson. Other than that I have no idea.