Visa is best but if she's just visiting, I highly recommend bringing mostly cash (TCs and you can exchange them easily at any bank). Non-Japan issued cards can be a pain at times there.
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@Callandra wrote:Visa is best but if she's just visiting, I highly recommend bringing mostly cash (TCs and you can exchange them easily at any bank). Non-Japan issued cards can be a pain at times there.
Hmm. My next trip I think will be to China, but Japan is on the list. I take it non-japanese cards would be ok when staying in chain hotels?
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@red259 wrote:
@Callandra wrote:Visa is best but if she's just visiting, I highly recommend bringing mostly cash (TCs and you can exchange them easily at any bank). Non-Japan issued cards can be a pain at times there.
Hmm. My next trip I think will be to China, but Japan is on the list. I take it non-japanese cards would be ok when staying in chain hotels?
Big/chain hotels should be fine (but if your daughter is going to a ryokan or a hostel, probably not). Big department stores/electronic stores will also be okay as they're more "international." Smaller stores that accept CCs might have problems with non-Japan issued cards; happened to my one friend all the time when we used to go shopping.
EDIT: Not sure on Amex acceptance to be honest, I never really paid that much attention (I had a Japan Visa anyway) but I still think Visa is the way to go. Discover might be an issue (I've been informed that in order for JCB accepting merchants to also use Discover they have to apply for it so you might get places that haven't applied, or you might get some stubborn Japanese clerk who will refuse to try the card.
Its not really japan related , but more far east related. When i went to thailand in september. If they accept CC at its usually MC first, then visa. Cash was most important because an lot of places didn't take CC. Also something that was kind of weird was when i wanted to buy an ticket from Bangkok to ChiangMai they wouldn't accept my CSP. They wouldn't allow foreign credit cards. At the fancier restuarants and when i got my haircut they did take CSP with no problem.
@mongstradamus wrote:Its not really japan related , but more far east related. When i went to thailand in september. If they accept CC at its usually MC first, then visa. Cash was most important because an lot of places didn't take CC. Also something that was kind of weird was when i wanted to buy an ticket from Bangkok to ChiangMai they wouldn't accept my CSP. They wouldn't allow foreign credit cards. At the fancier restuarants and when i got my haircut they did take CSP with no problem.
Haven't been in Thailand for like 15 years, but when I was there I did everything in cash. Of course, the exchange rate was soo good I lived like a king on peanuts. Heh.
@red259 wrote:
@mongstradamus wrote:Its not really japan related , but more far east related. When i went to thailand in september. If they accept CC at its usually MC first, then visa. Cash was most important because an lot of places didn't take CC. Also something that was kind of weird was when i wanted to buy an ticket from Bangkok to ChiangMai they wouldn't accept my CSP. They wouldn't allow foreign credit cards. At the fancier restuarants and when i got my haircut they did take CSP with no problem.
Haven't been in Thailand for like 15 years, but when I was there I did everything in cash. Of course, the exchange rate was soo good I lived like a king on peanuts. Heh.
its still very cheap depending on where you go. I would goto noodle stands for lunch almost every day, so was only few bucks for lunch. And the food was very good. I can't eat thai food in the US now its tastes so bad :-(
@mongstradamus wrote:
@red259 wrote:
@mongstradamus wrote:Its not really japan related , but more far east related. When i went to thailand in september. If they accept CC at its usually MC first, then visa. Cash was most important because an lot of places didn't take CC. Also something that was kind of weird was when i wanted to buy an ticket from Bangkok to ChiangMai they wouldn't accept my CSP. They wouldn't allow foreign credit cards. At the fancier restuarants and when i got my haircut they did take CSP with no problem.
Haven't been in Thailand for like 15 years, but when I was there I did everything in cash. Of course, the exchange rate was soo good I lived like a king on peanuts. Heh.
its still very cheap depending on where you go. I would goto noodle stands for lunch almost every day, so was only few bucks for lunch. And the food was very good. I can't eat thai food in the US now its tastes so bad :-(
I remember staying at a 5 star marriott resort for like $75 a night. It was insane. Think the exchange was 40 baht to a dollar at the time.
@red259 wrote:
@mongstradamus wrote:
@red259 wrote:
@mongstradamus wrote:Its not really japan related , but more far east related. When i went to thailand in september. If they accept CC at its usually MC first, then visa. Cash was most important because an lot of places didn't take CC. Also something that was kind of weird was when i wanted to buy an ticket from Bangkok to ChiangMai they wouldn't accept my CSP. They wouldn't allow foreign credit cards. At the fancier restuarants and when i got my haircut they did take CSP with no problem.
Haven't been in Thailand for like 15 years, but when I was there I did everything in cash. Of course, the exchange rate was soo good I lived like a king on peanuts. Heh.
its still very cheap depending on where you go. I would goto noodle stands for lunch almost every day, so was only few bucks for lunch. And the food was very good. I can't eat thai food in the US now its tastes so bad :-(
I remember staying at a 5 star marriott resort for like $75 a night. It was insane. Think the exchange was 40 baht to a dollar at the time.
its around 32 now when i was there i have family there so i have never stayed at hotel before. Hotels aren't that cheap now though. They are relatively normal prices of high end resort. 250+ , but its not crazy like here in the states where its like 1000+