JUNE 10-13: Predeparture
Monday, October 13th, 2008Getting ready to leave raised some unexpected frustrations for me. First, I went to STA travel on Tuesday to buy a Japan Rail Pass, a special pass for foreign visitors (not foreign residents) that gives unlimited use on Japan Rail (not private rail) for 7, 14, or 21 consecutive days. My guidebook said I need to get the pass before leaving the country but it didn’t say that, unlike a Eurorail pass, the Japan Rail pass has to be ordered. The STA travel clerk said even a rush order wouldn’t arrive until Friday. I was leaving at the crack of dawn Friday morning, so that was no good. I went home and decided to call Auto Club, where I’d bought rail passes before. The travel agent said she would check and see if she could get me something by Thursday and call me back. After a couple of hours, I called back and talked to another travel agent who said they don’t even sell Japan Rail Passes! What happened to service in this world!
I started looking online, and found the Web site for Kintetsu International, listed on the JR official rail pass web site as one of the companies that sells rail passes. Although it cost me $60 more to get the pass from them ($35 for service and $25 for the FedEx), I feel they were worth every penny. They were very professional and courteous on the phone, and did everything as promised when promised. They sent it out on Wednesday, I got an email confirmation from FedEx, and it arrived safely at my house at 3:00 p.m. Thursday.
The second frustration was transportation to the airport. Originally, my flight was supposed to leave at 7 a.m., but it got changed to 6:40 a.m. That is way too early to be waiting for a trolley with luggage in West Philly. I called Lady Liberty shuttle, but they don’t start running until 5:30. Fortunately, I poked around on the internet and found that Old City Cabs has a special airport service (215-AIRPORT). I reserved a taxi for 5 a.m., and it was waiting for me 10 minutes early. Plus, it was CHEAPER than the flat airport rate of $28.50. I highly recommend it.
Finally, I didn’t know when I changed planes in San Francisco that I would have to go through security again to get to the international gates. I had spent $2.19 at the Philadelphia airport for water that I hadn’t finished. So when they tried to take it away from me in SF, I stood at security and chugged it.
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