Aug 10 (rocketnews24.com) - Rest your body and wallet as you travel half-way across the country in your sleep.
A while back, we took a look at an extremely convenient overnight bus service that allows travelers to get from Tokyo to Osaka while catching up on sleep and saving a night's worth of hotel fees. But what if, after seeing the sights of Osaka, you find yourself wanting to keep moving west and see what the island of Kyushu has in store?
One of the most economical ways to do so is ferry operator Ferry Sunflower's Dangan Ferry, or "Bullet Ferry," plan. As an overnight boat voyage, the Dangan Ferry doesn't match the maximum velocity of the Bullet Train/Shinkansen, but it does allow you to keep in constant motion while travelling half-way across the country for an extremely low price.
Travelers on the Dangan Ferry plan can choose from one of three routes. Two start in Osaka, with one heading to Oita Prefecture's Beppu (which boasts some of Japan's most popular hot springs) and the other to Shibushi in Kagoshima Prefecture. The Third Dangan Ferry route sails between Kobe and Oita City.
All routes are identically priced on the Dangan Ferry plan, and if you opt for a communal room with sleeping mats, you'll pay just 10,000 yen (US$91) for the complete round-trip (5,000 yen for children). To put that in perspective, traveling by train from Osaka to Beppu would cost over 16,000 yen one-way.
