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Everything we write ourselves: time-bound notices worth acting on now, and guides worth keeping.
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Featured guides
See allPreparation, transfers, sample itineraries and shopping. Written once and kept current.
GuideTokyo
Narita and Haneda Airports to Central Tokyo: How to Choose Skyliner, N'EX, Keikyu, or the Airport Limousine Bus
From Narita to Tokyo: take Keisei Skyliner to Ueno in 36–41 minutes for ¥2,580; for Shinjuku or Tokyo Station, JR N'EX reaches Tokyo in as little as 53 minutes for ¥3,140; choose the TYO-NRT bus for ¥1,500 when budget comes first. From Haneda, Keikyu reaches Shinagawa in 11–14 minutes for ¥330. Includes fares and times for Access Express, Airport Limousine and Tokyo Monorail, plus a stay-area route guide; checked on official sites in 9/2026.
- Transport
- Budget
GuideTokyo
How to Choose Tokyo Transit Passes: Are Suica, Welcome Suica, the Tokyo Subway Ticket, and the JR Pass Worth It?
On a first Tokyo trip, start with an IC card and pay per ride (Welcome Suica has no deposit and is valid for 28 days). If you take four or more subway rides in a day, add a 72-hour Tokyo Subway Ticket for 2,000 yen; a JR Pass is never worthwhile if you stay in Tokyo and do not go to Kansai. See what TOURIST PASMO, Suica on iPhone, and the Tokyo Metro day pass do and do not cover, with a decision chart. Prices verified in September 2026.
- Transport
- Budget
GuideOsaka & Kyoto
Kansai Airport to Osaka and Kyoto: Choosing HARUKA, Rapi:t, Kansai Airport Rapid, or Limousine Bus
There are five ways to reach the city from Kansai Airport: JR Limited Express HARUKA, Kansai Airport Rapid, Nankai Rapi:t or Airport Express, limousine bus, and taxi. Using fares and travel times verified in 2026/9, this guide explains which route to take for Namba, Umeda, Shin-Osaka, or Kyoto, where to buy tickets, and when the last services depart.
- Transport
- Budget
GuideSeoul
Incheon Airport to Central Seoul: AREX Express and All-Stop Trains, Airport Buses, and Late-Night Arrivals
AREX Express reaches Seoul Station from Incheon Airport in 43 minutes from T1 or 51 from T2 (13,000 won). For Hongdae, the All-Stop Train costs 4,650 won from T1 with T-money. Buses 6001/6015/6002 cost 17,000 won to Myeongdong, Seoul Station, or Hongdae. Compare four options, N6000 night buses, taxis, neighbourhood choices, and Seoul Station City Airport Terminal; official sites checked 2026/9.
- Transport
- Budget
GuideSeoul
Seoul Subway and T-money Complete Guide: Where to Buy, How to Top Up, and Whether the Climate Card Is Worth It
Seoul subway adult base fare is 1,550 won; transfers within 30 minutes are discounted. Count separately charged trips when comparing Climate Card short-term passes, and add 3,000 won for a new physical card. You cannot board at Incheon Airport with the pass, but a covered AREX all-stop trip from Seoul can end at T1 or T2. How to buy, top up, and refund T-money; covered routes and pass choices. Verified with official sources in 2026/9.
- Transport
- Budget
GuideTokyo
Where to Stay in Tokyo: Comparing Shinjuku, Ueno, Tokyo Station, Shibuya, Asakusa, Ikebukuro, and Ginza, Plus Airport Access, Accommodation Tax, and Luggage Delivery
Where should you stay in Tokyo? Compare Shinjuku, Ueno, Tokyo Station, Shibuya, Asakusa, Ikebukuro, and Ginza by the same criteria: access from Narita and Haneda, transit routes, nearby attractions, neighborhood character, and who each area suits. Includes a comparison table, a Yamanote Line diagram, Tokyo’s accommodation tax as verified in 2026/9 (changing to 3% in 2027/4), and Airport TA-Q-BIN luggage shipping rules.
- Budget
- Hotels
Latest intel
See allFare deals, transport changes, entry rules and seasonal events. Only what still applies is listed here.
Intel
Taiwan winter events 2026-27: Christmasland, Taipei 101 New Year fireworks, Lunar New Year 2027, lantern festivals and cherry blossoms
Which Taiwan winter dates are confirmed for 2026-27 and which are still TBA: New Taipei's Christmasland, the Taipei New Year's Eve party and its MRT plan, the 4 to 10 February 2027 Lunar New Year break, the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Miaoli, the Pingxi, Taipei and Kaohsiung lantern festivals, Yangmingshan, Wuling and Alishan blossoms, and the weather to pack for. Checked on official sites, 13 September 2026.
- Seasonal
- Culture
Intel
Entering Taiwan in 2026: the online arrival card (TWAC), visa-free stays, e-Gate and the customs rules with real fines
Checked in September 2026 against the National Immigration Agency, BOCA, Taipei Customs and the animal quarantine agency: who files the free Taiwan Arrival Card and when, which passports get 90, 30 or 14 visa-free days, who may use e-Gate, the cash you must declare, duty-free limits, and the NT$200,000 meat fine that gets visitors turned back at the border.
- Entry rules
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