8D Hokkaido Wondrous
Otaru / Kiroro / Tokyo / Noboribetsu / Sapporo / Chitose
More Details

JAL Select Vacations

Pre-Departure Guide

Travel Document

i. Passport: All passengers require a passport with validity of 6 months beyond the conclusion of the tour. It is necessary to bring along the re-entry permit & air ticket to country of origin if you are not holding Singapore passport. All passengers including children and infants must have their own separate machine-readable passport. It is advisable to keep a photocopy of your travel document separately.

ii. Visa Requirement: Singapore passport holders do not require a visa to visit Japan. For other passport holders, please ensure that relevant visas are applied before the tour departs. Please refer to our JAL Select Specialist for any query.

iii. Travel Insurance: We strongly recommend the purchase of a comprehensive travel insurance covering unforeseen circumstances before departure.

At The Airport

i. Check-In Procedure: Airlines require all passengers to check-in at least 2 to 3 hours before flight departure time. Please assemble at the Japan Airlines'check-in row on time.

ii. On board meals and seat arrangement: Pre check-in will be arranged at least 48 hours before departure. Group seats are pre-allocated by the airlines. We will try all possibility to seat families and friends together, subject to availability. Arrangement for special meals should be advised to our JAL Select Specialist at least 1 week before departure.

iii. Check-In and Carry-On Baggage: Please print your name, as per the passport in capital letters on your baggage tag for ease of identification. Maximum allowance for check-in baggage for all airlines is 20kg per person. Carry-on baggage should not exceed 7kg and 115cm in dimension. Please do not pack sharp objects such as pocket knife & nail file in your carry-on baggage. All containers for gel, liquid & aerosol cannot exceed 100ml & must be packed into a transparent, reseable plastic bag. The total volume of the bag must not exceed 1 litre and must be presented separately for examination at the security screening point.

During The Tour

Immigration & Customs: Immigration and customs procedures vary with countries. Sometimes, the process can be slow. Please be patient and polite to the immigration officer to ensure smooth immigration & custom clearance. Fruits, diary and meat products are prohibited.

Time Difference

Japan is 1 hour ahead of Singapore.

Climate & Clothing

Temperature

Spring:

Mar - May

Summer:

Jun - Aug

Autumn:

Sep - Nov

Winter:

Nov - Feb

Honshu

7 - 11 °C

19 - 28°C

12 - 17°C

-1 - 5°C

Hokkaido

1 - 10°C

12 - 20°C

4 - 15°C

-10 - 1°C

Kyushu

8 - 12°C

20 - 29°C

13 - 18°C

1 - 5°C

Clothing

Light jackets, light sweaters

Light clothing

Light jackets, light sweaters

Warm overcoats and woolen coats

Essential

Lip balm, moisturizer, umbrella, rain coat, sun glasses, confortable walking shoes extra pair of prescriptive spectacles, prescriptive / non-prescriptive medication. Overnight bag and swimming suit / caps are recommended, especially if your tours includes overnight stays at spa hotels / resorts

Temperatures indicated above serve as a guideline. Please check the weather forecast closer to the date of travel.

Telephone

3G mobile phones with auto-roaming service can be used in Japan. Otherwise, phone cards are available for purchase to call Singapore.

Currencies & Credit Cards

We recommend the exchange of foreign currencies in Singapore as the rates are more favourable. The legal tender for Japan is YEN.

Credit cards, especially VISA & MASTERCARD are widely accepted.

Security and Safety

Please use a body-pac to carry valuables and travel documents. Do no place wallets, valuables and travel documents in backpacks. Please be alert when approached by strangers and never leave your bags unattended. Avoid wearing jewellery while traveling.

Meals

Both local and Chinese meals are provided as indicated in the itinerary. Local meals are usually individual set meals or buffet excluding beverages at hotel. Chinese meals are usually 6 - 8 courses or buffet inclusive of Chinese tea. For meals not included in the itinerary, we recommend an average budget of 1500 yen per person per meal.

Water

Tap water is generally safe for drinking. However, we suggest that you boil it before drinking. Bottled water can be purchased easily.

Hotels

Hotels provided are of 3 - 5 star categories, equipped with attached bathrooms and heater. Please note that some Japanese hotels, Inns or Ryokans are not air-conditioned. Rooms are allocated on run-of-house basis by hotels. Requests for adjoining or connecting rooms are subject to availability.

Electric Voltage & Travel Adaptor

A transformer is required for some appliances as the voltage in Japan is 110 -115 volts or 60 hertz. A travel adaptor is required as the socket is different from Singapore.

Shopping

Stores are generally opened from 10.00am to 8.00pm on Mondays to Sundays and some closed on Sundays and Public Holidays. Overseas visitors in Japan with temporary status who spend more than 10,001 yen on any given day in one shop are entitled to a refund of 5% consumption tax. Only departmental stores and specialty shops offer the refund. No refund is granted for cosmetics, food, alcohol, cigarettes, medicine, film and batteries. Out tour manager will be able to assist with the procedures to process the refund.

For Your Comfort

Seat rotation will be implemented to ensure satisfaction of seating arrangement as well as to create opportunities to know your fellow travelers. Please do not leave your belongings in the coach overnight to prevent break-ins. Please be punctual as it is the key factor to an enjoyable tour.

Gratuities and Tips

Gratuities form a major part of income for personnel in the service industry and are expected by them for good service rendered

Tips to tour guides, bus drivers & tour managers are not included in the tour fare. A guideline is provided together with the optional tour list for your reference. Please advise the tour manager in advance if you are not happy with the services rendered by the foreign bus drivers and tour guides to prevent any misunderstanding.

Survey Form

Please help us improve on our tours and services by filling in the survey form given by our tour manager.

Checklist

Travel documents eg. passport, photocopy of passport, visas, re-entry permit, driving license (if required), etc

Foreign currencies, credit cards, travelers cheque, etc

Warm clothes, scarf, gloves, socks thermal underwear, bedroom slippers, comfortable walking shoes, etc

Lip balm, moisturizers, sun block, toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash, shampoo, etc

Hat, sun glasses, prescriptive glasses, umbrella, rain coat, etc

Battery charges of digital / video camera, mobile phones, etc

Travel adaptors, transformer, etc

Extra batteries for any electronic appliances

Non prescriptive medicine for flu, headaches, stomach irritations, pain killers, vitamins supplement, etc

Twice the required amount of prescriptive medication, packed separately

Electric travel kettle, hair dryer, etc

The information above serves as a guideline for the preparation of the tour. Please verify with the relevant authorities if you require technical information.