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Fukuoka

Fukuoka (福岡) is the capital of Fukuoka prefecture and the largest city on the island of Kyushu with 2.5 million citizens including its suburbs.

Understand

Historically, Fukuoka was two cities divided by the central river: the merchant town of Hakata (博多) and the samurai feudal domain of Fukuoka (福岡). According to legend, when the cities merged in 1889, a group of samurai heard that "Hakata" was probably going to win the vote for the name of the merged city, so they crashed the meeting and forced them to name it Fukuoka instead. While probably apocryphal, the important point to remember is that the city is named Fukuoka, but the main railway station and port are known as Hakata Station and Hakata Port. There are city centers in both Chūō-ku (in old Fukuoka's downtown of Tenjin) and Hakata-ku.

The surrounding cities and towns make up the prefecture of Fukuoka.

Fukuoka is a good starting point for first-time visitors to Japan. As a historic port city, Fukuoka is more welcoming of foreigners than other parts of Japan, and has significant numbers of residents and tourists from abroad, particularly from China and Korea. Being a sizable, modern city it's still not hard to get around. A subway connects most of the city's main attractions, providing transportation between Hakata, Tenjin, Fukuoka International Airport, Meinohama, and Nishijin (where you can find Fukuoka Tower and the baseball ground of the Softbank Hawks: Fukuoka Dome). The main station in Hakata marks the terminus of the Sanyo Shinkansen bullet train. The Kyushu Shinkansen line also terminates here, and links the Sanyo Shinkansen directly with Kagoshima, at the southern tip of Kyushu.

 * There are also tourist information counters in the airport and Hakata Port.
 * There are also tourist information counters in the airport and Hakata Port.
 * There are also tourist information counters in the airport and Hakata Port.
 * There are also tourist information counters in the airport and Hakata Port.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

By plane

From Tokyo, flying to Fukuoka is much faster than the Shinkansen, and not significantly more expensive. The usual one-way fare on Skymark Airlines from Tokyo Haneda is ¥19,800, compared to ¥22,320 from Tokyo Station on the Nozomi Shinkansen, and steep discounts are available if you book in advance (as low as ¥5,300 with Skymark's "SKY Bargain" discount). The flight takes 2 hr while the train takes 5 hr. If you have a JR Pass, of course, you will still want to take the train.

Getting there and away:
 * The International Terminal is on the side facing the city. It is about 5 km walk from the city center. Buses directly to the airport leave from Hakata Station. Alternatively, take the subway to the Domestic Terminal and then the free shuttle to the International Terminal.
 * The Domestic Terminal is on the opposite side of the runway and requires a 10-min bus transfer to/from the International Terminal — free, leaving about every 10 min. The subway serves the Domestic Terminal with just 2 subway stops away from the Hakata JR station.

By train
Fukuoka's main station is named not "Fukuoka Station" but rather (博多駅); remember to use this name when searching for train routes. (If you search for schedules to "Fukuoka", you will likely be given an itinerary for a station in Toyama, about 700 km away.) Hakata Station is the dividing point between the Sanyo Shinkansen (from the north) and Kyushu Shinkansen (from the south) lines. Sanyo Shinkansen services are offered from Kokura in Kitakyushu (20 min), Hiroshima (1 hr), Okayama (1¾ hr) and Osaka (2½ hr), and through via the Tokaido Shinkansen from Kyoto (2¾ hr by Nozomi), Nagoya (3½ hr by Nozomi) and Tokyo (5 hr by Nozomi).

If you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can only use the fastest Nozomi (runs between Tokyo and Hakata) and Mizuho (runs between Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chuo via Hakata) trains by paying a supplemental fee (up to ¥8,140 all the way from Tokyo), so if you are traveling from points east and don't want to pay extra you will have to take one of the two hourly Hikari trains from Tokyo and switch at Shin-Osaka (alternatives are Shin-Kobe, Okayama, and sometimes Himeji) to a Sakura (or Hikari runs between Shin-Osaka and Hakata only late in the evening) service. Travel time from Tokyo to Fukuoka using these trains is about 6 hours.

Another option from Tokyo is to take a westbound sleeper express such as the Sunrise Izumo or Sunrise Seto, leaving Tokyo around 10PM, and then connecting to the Shinkansen at Okayama (or Himeji) early in the morning, to arrive in Fukuoka just before 08:30 (or by 09:15 if you have a Rail Pass and use a Sakura service). While this takes much longer and costs more than the Shinkansen (from ¥25,000), it provides the benefit of doubling as lodging and transport.

From Kagoshima, Kyushu Shinkansen Mizuho and Sakura trains make the run to Fukuoka in 80–90 minutes at a cost of ¥10,170. As with the Nozomi service, the Mizuho service is available for an additional fee for tourists traveling with a Japan Rail Pass. Most Sakura trains do travel through Fukuoka, connecting Kagoshima to Osaka with no transfers.

With the opening of a portion of West Kyushu shinkansen from Nagasaki to Takeo-Onsen the journey from Hakata to Nagasaki now takes 1½ hours (instead of 2): Relay Kamome limited express runs at least hourly to Takeo-Onsen with a cross-platform transfer to Kamome shinkansen trains going the rest of the way, at the cost of ¥6,250.

Overnight by train with rest stop
If you hold a Japan Rail Pass, and you wish to travel overnight from Tokyo (or any other distant city), you may want to split up your journey, stopping at an intermediate destination en route in order to sleep somewhere. The Rail Pass covers your transportation, so you only have to worry about paying for a hotel. You could stay near major stations like Nagoya, Kyoto or Shin-Osaka, or pay less at a smaller transfer point such as Himeji.

As an example, you could leave Tokyo at 18:30 on a Hikari service and change in Shin-Osaka to a Kodama, arriving in Himeji at 22:11. In the morning, a Sakura service leaving around 07:00 will get you into Fukuoka just after 09:00.

By bus
Many overnight bus services run into Fukuoka from other parts of the country.

The Moonlight overnight bus runs from Osaka Umeda to Fukuoka in 9½ hr (¥10,000 one way); The Kyoto overnight bus runs from Kyoto to Fukuoka, also in 9½ hr (¥10,500 one way); and the oddly-named Dontaku runs from Nagoya to Fukuoka in 11 hr (¥10,500 one way).

Willer Express has a service from Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe from ¥4,800 with advance purchase tickets as cheap as ¥4,100. Other services are Nagoya (¥5,400), Okayama (¥4,300) and Hiroshima (¥2,500). They have an English website with online booking available. Discounts for tickets purchased 21 and 14 days in advance.

If you're really ambitious, Nishitetsu bus runs an overnight service, the Hakata, from the Shinjuku expressway bus terminal in Tokyo to Fukuoka non-stop. The ride, at just over 14 hr, is Japan's longest overnight bus service (¥8,000 for economy class ¥12,000 for high seasons, ¥15,000 for business class and ¥19,000 for 1st class, some round-trip discounts are available).

By boat

 * Busan-Fukuoka:
 * JR Kyushu Ferry, +81 92 281-2315 (Japan) or +82 51 469-0778 (Korea), operates the very comfortable, and eccentrically named, 'Queen Beetle' fast ferry that makes one return voyage daily, taking about 3.5 hr each way. Note that most shops have closed in the ferry terminal when the ferry from Busan arrives in the evening and there aren't facilities to buy or charge IC cards, so plan ahead - it's a good idea to arrive with Japanese cash for the bus if you're relying on public transport and don't have an IC card.
 * Camellia Line, +81 92 262-2323 (Japan) or +82 51 466-7799 (Korea), operates a ferry that takes about 8 hr and starts at ¥9,000; if overnight, it may stop and wait in front of Busan Port in the morning until Korean Immigration opens. (Compared to most airports, there should be relatively little security hassle on this line.)
 * An economy-class ticket on the Meimon Taiyo Ferry from Osaka to Kitakyushu costs about ¥6,000 (20% discount if booked online); tickets in other price ranges are available.

By public transport
The Fukuoka City Subway consists of 3 lines. The Hakata subway station, located under the JR Hakata Station, can take passengers straight to Fukuoka International Airport (6 min, ¥260), to Tenjin, the city's de facto downtown district, and to other major stops. An all-day subway pass (ichinichi joshaken) costs ¥620. Regular tickets cost between ¥200 and ¥370 depending on distance. The local rechargeable contactless smart card is called Hayakaken and is compatible with other smart cards like PASMO (Tokyo) and ICOCA (Kyoto and Osaka).

There is a special pass for overseas tourists which costs ¥1500 (¥750 child) for one-day unlimited rides on buses, trains and subways, with some discounts at sights.

Fukuoka is well served by Nishitetsu buses. Buses around the Tenjin and Hakata area cost ¥100. Outside that area, prices go up slightly to about ¥440 for greater distances.

On foot
Downtown is small and compact enough to potentially wander around on foot. In the Tenjin area, Tenjin Chikagai (天神地下街, Tenjin Underground Shopping Center) runs under Watanabe Street and has many shops. It also connects the Tenjin and Tenjin-Minami subways stations with most major department stores and the Nishitetsu Fukuoka station; when transferring between these stations, you can take up to 120 minutes, leaving plenty of time for shopping. There is a passenger tunnel which connects Hakata and Gion subway stations and is useful during the frequent rains in summer and the bitter cold winds in winter, the latter of which is close to some of Fukuoka's temples and shrines.

By taxi
Taxis are available; they start from about ¥550, not the cheapest way to go. Some drivers speak English, but it's best to have your destination written down in Japanese if you do not speak the language. Velotaxis are also available; they are ¥500 for the greater Tenjin area. Also, an environmentally friendly option is the human operated bicycle taxis.

By bicycle
If you can get a hold of a bicycle, it is probably the best way to get around. Parking does become a problem in some areas, but in Tenjin there are long term (06:00-23:00) underground parking areas, which are free for the first 3 hr. BIC Camera's 8th floor, which is opposite Kego shrine, has free bicycle parking from 10:00-21:00.

In addition to the free parking in Tenjin, street bicycle meters are another great spot to park a bike. Much like many shopping centers around the world, it takes about ¥100 to release the bike lock, that wraps around the front wheel to be connected back into the slot. For a safer bicycle parking, use two bike locks and chain the front and back tires to the body of the bike.

Talk
Standard Japanese is understood pretty much everywhere. However, the area is known for the local Hakata dialect (博多弁 Hakata-ben) which, like other nearby dialects in Kyushu, is well known for being somewhat incomprehensible to speakers of Standard Japanese. Just to scratch the surface, here are a few of the more widely-known differences:
 * と (to) is used as both a replacement for の (no) or か (ka) at the end of sentences, as well as a replacement for 〜ている (teiru) verb endings, leading to sentences like 知っとーと? (Shittō to?) instead of Standard 知っているの? (Shitteiru no?, "Do you know it?").
 * The particle を (o) is replaced with ば (ba). Standard 何してんの？ (Nani shiten' no?, "Whatcha doing?") becomes なんばしようとね？ (Nan' ba shiyō to ne?).
 * Instead of i-adjectives, Hakata-ben has ka-adjectives. Hakata speakers often give their okay with よか、よか (yoka, yoka) where a Tokyoite would use いいよ (ii yo), and proclaim a tasty meal with うまか (umaka).

There are plenty more idiosyncrasies, like yokarōmon instead of ii ja nai ka. Learning a bit of Hakata-ben from locals is a fun way to make friends.

Fukuoka's railway smart card, Hayakaken, has two explanations for its name, one of which is that hayaka ken is Hakata-ben for hayai kara ("Because it's quick").

Do
For a good listing of what's happening and places to eat and drink, the local monthly English-language magazine Fukuoka Now is a great start.
 * If you haven't tried karaoke yet, why not try it now? There are many karaoke places to choose from, some with costumes you can borrow (just don't try to take them home). If you just want to go for a couple of hours, most places will charge by the hour; morning and afternoon hours being the cheapest. If you want to make a night of it, from 23:00, most have free time systems which mean nomihodai (all you can drink) and all you can sing for about ¥2,500, until 05:00.
 * If you haven't tried karaoke yet, why not try it now? There are many karaoke places to choose from, some with costumes you can borrow (just don't try to take them home). If you just want to go for a couple of hours, most places will charge by the hour; morning and afternoon hours being the cheapest. If you want to make a night of it, from 23:00, most have free time systems which mean nomihodai (all you can drink) and all you can sing for about ¥2,500, until 05:00.
 * If you haven't tried karaoke yet, why not try it now? There are many karaoke places to choose from, some with costumes you can borrow (just don't try to take them home). If you just want to go for a couple of hours, most places will charge by the hour; morning and afternoon hours being the cheapest. If you want to make a night of it, from 23:00, most have free time systems which mean nomihodai (all you can drink) and all you can sing for about ¥2,500, until 05:00.
 * If you haven't tried karaoke yet, why not try it now? There are many karaoke places to choose from, some with costumes you can borrow (just don't try to take them home). If you just want to go for a couple of hours, most places will charge by the hour; morning and afternoon hours being the cheapest. If you want to make a night of it, from 23:00, most have free time systems which mean nomihodai (all you can drink) and all you can sing for about ¥2,500, until 05:00.

Events
Fukuoka is famous for two annual festivals which are some of Japan's oldest and draw huge crowds.

Other events:
 * If you are visiting in November, be sure to check out the sumo matches held at Fukuoka Convention Center. You are bound to see some of the sumo wrestlers out on the streets doing a bit of tourism as well.

Outdoors

 * Rent bikes and tour about the city. There are a handful of shops that have reasonable prices. The cities best treasures are discovered while following any of the many paths or sidewalks.
 * Get out of the city. Although Fukuoka doesn't seem like the premier beach destination city, there are quite a few beautiful beaches in and around Fukuoka city. Most are an easy train ride away. While surfing isn't very good during the summer, a few waves can be caught around Mitoma (take the subway to Kaizuka Stn, then transfer to the Nishitetsu Miyajidake line to Mitoma Stn. Takes about 20 min or so. From the station, it's a 10-minute walk to the beach. West of the city, Nijinohama and Futamigaura, are supposed to have nice waves. To get to Nijinohama, you'll need a car. Also, Shikanoshima, which has pristine beaches, is an easy 30-min ferry ride.
 * Drive to Maebaru IC, head in the Shima (志摩) direction along Kendo 12. Go straight at the intersection in front of Shima town office and turn left at Nogita intersection in front of 7-Eleven. 50 min from Tenjin. To get to Futamigaura, take a Showa bus for Tani from JR Chikuzen Maebaru (so first take a subway to Chikuzen Maebaru if you are in Tenjin or Hakata). Get off the bus at Imuta (around 30 min). About a 15 min walk to the beach.
 * Get out of the city. Although Fukuoka doesn't seem like the premier beach destination city, there are quite a few beautiful beaches in and around Fukuoka city. Most are an easy train ride away. While surfing isn't very good during the summer, a few waves can be caught around Mitoma (take the subway to Kaizuka Stn, then transfer to the Nishitetsu Miyajidake line to Mitoma Stn. Takes about 20 min or so. From the station, it's a 10-minute walk to the beach. West of the city, Nijinohama and Futamigaura, are supposed to have nice waves. To get to Nijinohama, you'll need a car. Also, Shikanoshima, which has pristine beaches, is an easy 30-min ferry ride.
 * Drive to Maebaru IC, head in the Shima (志摩) direction along Kendo 12. Go straight at the intersection in front of Shima town office and turn left at Nogita intersection in front of 7-Eleven. 50 min from Tenjin. To get to Futamigaura, take a Showa bus for Tani from JR Chikuzen Maebaru (so first take a subway to Chikuzen Maebaru if you are in Tenjin or Hakata). Get off the bus at Imuta (around 30 min). About a 15 min walk to the beach.

Tenjin

 * Kokutai Dohro: walking up this street can be a bit of a challenge at times as the sidewalk narrows and widens but the crowds don't go away. Head towards Nishidori and on the way, on your right just past the drugstore, you'll find Kego Shrine and Kego Park. Across the street is Bic Camera, for your electronic needs.

Learn
There are several schools for studying Japanese in Fukuoka.

Buy

(天神) is Fukuoka's largest shopping district. You can find here, designer stores housed in towering retail blocks such as Tenjin Core, IMS, Vivre to the east, and Solaria Plaza Vioro to the west. There are also several large department stores, Iwataya, Daimaru and Mitsukoshi (all with food available.) Also, there are boutique areas, including Tenjin Chikagai, housed in a pleasant underground area adjacent to the Tenjin subway station and under Watanabe street. Nishi-Dori and Oyafuko-Dori (actually the same street, separated by Showa-Dori) contains a multitude of stores and restaurants, both mainstream and independent.

The Shotengai or shopping arcades are also good places to shop. In Tenjin, to the west of Solaria Stage you can find a shotengai with great deals and a used kimono store. Near Nakasu, across from Eeny Meeny Miny Mo (a large mall), you can find the Nakasu-Kawabata shopping arcade. Here you can find traditional paper goods, Noren curtains and inexpensive bakeries.

Tenjin is very much about shopping, above and below ground.
 * In the on Showa-dori, head downstairs to the underground shopping arcade. All of the major shops and department stores are connected to the underground.
 * will provide you with a chance to see younger and more colorful fashion, ranging from frilly and cute to flashy and glam.
 * houses Incube, a shop with a variety of kitsch toys and gifts.
 * and, towards the end of the underground shopping, are large departments stores with more or less the same products. Both also house grocery stores and deli-style gourmet markets in their basements.

Over the past few years, the main shopping, eating and drinking area has been moving away from north Tenjin and the Oyafuko-dori street south towards Daimyo, Kego and Imaizumi. With a different feel to the commercial district of Tenjin, just to the west (past Nishi-dori) is Daimyo, an area filled with small, mostly independent shops, bars and restaurants. Plan on staying all day; for daytime shopping and eating dinner. On Sundays, this area is full of young people out shopping. For a similar feeling area, check out Kego and Imaizumi, two upcoming areas to the south.

Eat

Hakata is famous for its style of ramen, which has a very pungent smell thanks to a pork rib broth called tonkotsu (豚骨). Enjoy it with pickled ginger and lots of sesame seeds. Save the broth, because you can order a refill of noodles (kaedama) for around ¥300 at many places.

Although there are restaurants all over town serving ramen at various price levels, some of the best joints are yatai, mobile food stalls (see also the Drink section). The stalls are set up early evening and can be found on major streets; particularly in Tenjin (near the post office), Nakasu and Nagahama-Dori. Also, along the river from Canal City, an entire strip of yatai can be found. Although ramen is the norm, you can find anything from yakitori to Italian cuisine. Brush up on your Japanese or pointing skills as these guys don't speak English at all. A few tips: respect other customers' space, don't go in large groups (split up and use multiple stalls), and don't stay too long.

Another regional product Hakata is famous for is the spicy mentaiko (明太子), or pollock roe condiment, though in actuality these days it is all imported. Enjoy it plain with breakfast, inside an onigiri, or tossed with spaghetti. It's widely available for tourists in JR Hakata Station as well as major department stores, although it needs to be refrigerated.

Fukuoka is also known for having good gyoza (pork dumplings) and there are many places to try some. (They are a perfect appetizer/side dish for ramen, incidentally.)

Lunch time is probably the best value for the money. Most restaurants will do lunch sets at 1/2 or 1/3 the price of their dinner sets, but serve the same course. If you have a bit more cash to spend and want to have a nice Japanese style lunch, the Grand Hyatt at Canal City and the Excel Hotel near Nakasu are both good. Most of the larger, nicer hotels in the area will serve beautiful lunch sets. Many restaurants and cafes in the area will have lunch sets under ¥1,000.

Drink
Yatai, or street stalls, are plentiful throughout Fukuoka and present a great place to grab a bite to eat and drink while mixing with the locals. Yatai are usually a last stop on a pub crawl since they provide cheap eats that taste better after a long night, and it's easier to start a conversation with a stranger after many beers. Don't rely on one for dinner! And bring your meishi (business cards) if you have any, because they often get swapped here. Along the river in Hakata, from about 16:00, you'll see the yatai vendors setting up their booths and preparing ingredients for the evening crowds. A few of the yatai vendors speak a bit of English. Just be careful about the prices, sometimes the yatai don't have menus, so be sure to ask what they have and how much things are.

Tenjin, ¥100 by bus from Hakata Station or to the west of Fukuoka Nishitetsu Station, is one of the best places in the whole country to explore Japanese nightlife. This also includes Daimyo, a farther out area which is becoming the "new Tenjin". The most well-known place to start is (親不孝通り); the aptly-named "Disobedient Child Street" comes alive with youth activity, especially on weekend nights. It also has several ex-pat bars. It's only 400 m long but swells with young people at night. Unlike comparable areas in Tokyo, there are no scam bars in Tenjin, and the "snack bars" are not ridiculously overpriced. The area is aimed towards the locals but it is still large, new, fashionable, and full of unique experiences. This is one of the safest places imaginable to drop into a new bar, so why not give it a try?

Some of the smaller bars down the backstreets will often have a table charge of ¥200-500 per person. This usually means you get a tiny bowl of nuts, chips or pickled octopus.

For less adventurous groups, the area abounds with chain izakaya (Japanese pubs) that have picture menus which make it easy for the traveler who speaks no Japanese. Watami (和民) and Warawara (笑笑) are two such chains. Shirokiya (白木屋), another izakaya, is decent and fairly easy to find. It is on Nishi-dori, across from the Nishtetsu Grand Hotel above Kitamura Camera in the same building as Sam and Dave's, a night club popular with the hip-hop crowd.

The happy hour concept is just beginning to make its way into the bars in the area, so you can now find places that do cheap drinks. Thursday night is also a good time to avoid weekend crowds, find the local ex-pat population and get some good deals on drinks.

In the summer, many of the department stores have beer gardens on their roofs, with buffet style courses and all you can drink for about 2 hours. If you have a bit of cash (around ¥3500) it's a nice way to spend a hot summer evening.

Sleep
There are several hotels around Hakata Station, and in the Gion area, Nakasu, and Tenjin. Hotel options range from capsule hotels and reasonably priced western hotel rooms to more expensive tourist hotels.

Budget

Consulates

 * 🇰🇷 South Korea
 * 🇺🇸 United States
 * Vietnam

Go next
JR train tickets (set of 2 or 4) for one day travel on Limited Express trains are cheaper than individual tickets. The Bullet Train has cheap rates to Kitakyushu on the weekend (¥3,000 return.)
 * Dazaifu — a site of pilgrimage every new year for Japanese students, this small town houses the beautiful Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine (dedicated to a Shinto deity of learning) and the National Museum (Kyushu).
 * Kurume — famous for its ramen noodles, 30 min from Tenjin by train.
 * Munakata
 * Itoshima
 * Karatsu
 * Iizuka
 * Yanagawa
 * Yoshinogari
 * Beppu — and its famous Hells (unique hot springs for viewing) is a potential day trip at 2 hr via Sonic Limited Express trains (departing via Hakata Station), or a bit longer via bus.

title: Fukuoka


text:
Fukuoka (prefecture)

Fukuoka Prefecture (福岡県 Fukuoka-ken) is the most populous prefecture of Kyushu, Japan with a population of over 5 million.

Understand
Fukuoka has a very old history and has had close contact with Japan's Asian neighbors, including the site of two Mongolian invasions in the late 13th century that were unsuccessful (due to typhoons, hence the term kamikaze). Its port has been used extensively in Japan's early history and is the entry point for the spread of Buddhism.

Tourist information site
Visit Fukuoka is the prefecture's official multilingual guide site.

Cities

 * (福岡), part of which is also known as Hakata, is the largest city in Kyushu by population (over 1.4 million). There's a lot to see here, and if you're just stopping by in Fukuoka prefecture this eponymous city is a good place to stay and see.
 * (筑紫野), a suburb of Fukuoka famous for its hot springs in Futsukaichi and several country clubs for golf.
 * (太宰府), part of the Fukuoka metropolitan area, is the former administrative capital of Kyushu and houses the popular and atmospheric Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine.
 * (福津)
 * (北九州) is the largest city in Kyushu by area (486 square km) and second in population. It is best known for its industry but there's so much more to see and enjoy.
 * (久留米) is Fukuoka's third largest city, famous for its annual flower festival of over 350 thousand azaleas, bamboo lacquerware, kurume-gasuri, or traditional indigo cotton fabric, and massive fireworks festival every summer.
 * (柳川) is a small, beautiful city with many old shrines and mansions that can be toured on its canals.
 * (八女) - A tranquil and more traditional city that is famous for its green tea, and traditional crafts like Buddhist altars, lanterns, and Japanese paper.
 * (直方)

Other destinations

 * (耶馬日田英彦山) is a "quasi-national park" containing Mt. Hiko.
 * island is a UNESCO site and Shinto sacred island. Extremely difficult to get permission to visit.

Talk
It's possible for English speakers to navigate their way around without speaking any Japanese. Signs at subway and train stations include the station names in romaji (Romanized characters). Though many studied English in school, proficiency is generally poor, and most locals would not know more than a few basic words and phrases. Some restaurants may have English menus, but it does not necessarily mean that the staff will speak much English. Reading and writing comes much better though, and many people can understand a great deal of written English without actually knowing how to speak it. That being said, staff at the main hotels and tourist attractions generally speak an acceptable level of English. While it is possible to get by with only English, it will nevertheless make your trip much smoother if you can learn some basic Japanese.

By plane
Fukuoka city's airport is the busiest on Kyushu and fields a fair number of international flights too, e.g. to South Korea, China and Taiwan. It also has connections in Japan to fifteen other major Japanese cities. Kitakyushu Airport also has international flight.

By train
Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu City are both on the shinkansen line that runs to and from Tokyo. The JR train system has several lines running across the prefecture, as well as from the Meinohama subway station in Fukuoka City to Karatsu in Saga.

By bus
Nishitetsu is a company which provides daily service all over the prefecture as well as up to and down from Tokyo. Willer also offers long distance bus service to major cities in Japan.

By ship
Fukuoka offers the Camellia Line Ferry and Beetle hydrofoil service to Busan, South Korea.

Get around
Trains and buses travel to nearly all cities and towns, with the exception of a few isolated mountain areas. Taxis are abundant also but can be expensive, even by Japanese standards. Fukuoka City also has its own subway, and Kitakyushu has its own rail and monorail system. As in many other Japanese cities, JR runs the largest system, but another private rail company, Nishitetsu, also runs a heavily used rail line between Tenjin Station in Fukuoka City to Omuta, with local, express, and limited express trains. There is no difference in fare based on the faster trains, and the limited express trains travel between Fukuoka City and Omuta in about 1 hour.

See
Fukuoka offers a lot of the city life in Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu but still offers a lot of nature hiking, natural gardens, traditional crafts, and some of the oldest temples, shrines, and festivals in Japan. Even better is that the best places are not overrun by tourists and it is still possible to enjoy a leisurely adventure.

Do
During the winter months (through February), take a ride down a scenic canal in Yanagawa in one of 150 small "kotatsu-bune" boats. In the boat, you keep your legs covered with a kotatsu quilt, while sitting at a low table equipped with a charcoal braziers. During the ride you can often enjoy cups of hot sake and mikan (mandarin orange) citrus fruits, common to this area during the winter months.

Eat
The local speciality is a version of ramen made from boiled pork bones, known as tonkotsu ramen. It is widely available from a number of street stalls called yatai on the streets of Fukuoka City and Kurume, as well as at the Ramen Stadium in the Canal City entertainment complex. Also famous is the spicy salmon cod roe called mentaiko, though nowadays all is actually imported.

Go next
Fukuoka City hosts the largest entertainment district in Western Japan (i.e., west of Osaka). Situated on the islet of Nakasu between two rivers, with downtown Tenjin on the one side and the transport hub Hakata on the other, there are literally thousands of restaurants, clubs, hostess bars and other adult venues to whet the appetite of the fearless traveller. Be warned though, you are best going with a Japanese native, if only to be able to discover the reasonably priced outlets among a sea of bunny girls and drunk salarymen.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Fukuoka (prefecture)


text:
Fukuroi

Fukuroi (袋井) is a city in Shizuoka.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site. with integrated Google Translate.

Get in
Fukuroi is located on the JR Tokaido Line between Shizuoka and Hamamatsu.

The nearest Tokaido Shinkansen stations to Fukuroi are at Kakegawa and Hamamatsu. If coming from the east (i.e. Tokyo), take a Shinkansen Kodama train to Kakegawa and change to the JR Tokaido Line (2 hours from Tokyo, ¥7650). From the west (i.e. Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka), take a Shinkansen Hikari or Kodama to Hamamatsu and change there to the JR Tokaido Line. (90 minutes from Kyoto via Hikari, 2 hours via Kodama, ¥8380).

There is no charge to use these trains with the Japan Rail Pass.

Go next

 * Kakegawa
 * Mori
 * Iwata
 * Hamamatsu
 * Arai
 * Kosai
 * Kikugawa
 * Toyohashi
 * Toyokawa

title: Fukuroi


text:
Fukushima

Fukushima (福島) is the capital city of Fukushima Prefecture in Honshu, Japan in the Fukushima Basin and its surrounding parts. Known for its fruit production, Fukushima is particularly proud of their peaches, but pears and apples and persimmons are also grown.

Fukushima was hit by high magnitude earthquake on 11 March 2011. A nuclear plant Fukushima Dai-ichi, located some 60 km to the south-east at the Pacific coast, was damaged in the quake and an evacuation zone was established. Fukushima city is well outside the evacuation zone, which occupies 2.4% (as of 2024) of the prefecture's land area. Elevated radiation levels have been detected (though still quite low), and while debate rages on about the long-term effects of these levels, a short stay in Fukushima is not likely to do you any harm.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a bilingual guide site.

By plane
It is a 40-minute bus ride from Fukushima Airport to Koriyama station (¥800), from which you will then have to travel to Fukushima station by Shinkansen (¥2920, 15 minutes) or local train (¥820, 45 minutes). It may be a bit more convenient to arrive in Tokyo and take the Shinkansen from there.

By train
Fukushima is a stop on the Tohoku Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Sendai, and is also served by the JR Tohoku and Yamagata lines. The Yamagata Shinkansen branches off here, traveling over conventional lines to Yamagata and Shinjo. The Shinkansen only calls at.

The travel time from Tokyo to Fukushima by Shinkansen is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes, with 2 to 4 departures every hour at a cost of ¥8500 each way (non-reserved seats).

By bus
JR Bus' Abukuma makes five daily round-trips to Fukushima from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo (5 hours, ¥4800). At night, JR Bus runs the Dream Fukushima from Tokyo and Yokohama stations (6 hours from Tokyo, ¥4800). Tohoku Bus' overnight bus, called the Suite, is cheaper at ¥4500 but arrives earlier in the morning.

Kintetsu Bus and Fukushima Kotsu's Galaxy bus runs overnight to Fukushima from Kyoto (11 hours, ¥12130) and Osaka (12 hours, ¥12740).

Willer Express offers bus service to Fukushima from Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, with online bookings available in English. Willer Express' prices vary by the day you are traveling and the class of bus. Willer Express offers "Standard" (similar to Sakura's offering), and "Relax" (slightly larger seats with more leg room, a blanket, and a dome looking thing to keep the light from your eyes).

Get around
Taxis are abundant around the station, though may be harder to find elsewhere.

Buses and trains are convenient for heading out of the city, including the surrounding hot spring areas.

Momorin Share Cycles are a good way to explore Fukushima City, at just \50/30 minutes, though you need to install and use a Japanese-only app on your device. 18 unmanned bicycle ports are located within the city. There is one on either side of JR Fukushima Station. Bicycles are motor-assisted and have large basket, bell, key/lock, and automatic light. They can be borrowed 24 hours everyday.

Walking is sufficient around the station, central shopping arcade, and the evening bar and restaurant area. Fukushima downtown is compact with few changes in elevation. There are also paths along rivers 15–20 minutes away which make longer walks or jogs an enjoyable activity.

Do note there are many underground pedestrian walkways in the city. Access is via stairs or escalators, and elevators, but you may have to hunt around for them. Besides the necessary and very long underground walkway beneath JR Fukushima Station, most are just optional shortcuts.

Onsens

Other onsens:

Buy

 * Fruits. Fukushima is known as a "Fruit Kingdom" because of its many seasonal fruits, and the fact that there is fruit being harvested every month of the year. While peaches are the most famous, the prefecture also produces large quantities of cherries, nashi (Japanese pears), grapes, persimmons, and apples.
 * Mamador is the prefecture's most famous confection. The baked good has a milky red bean flavor center wrapped in a buttery dough. The name means “People who drink mothers’ milk” in Spanish. It is produced by the Sanmangoku Company.
 * Sake. The Fukushima Prefecture Sake Brewers Cooperative is made up of nearly 60 sake breweries. Additionally, the Annual Japan Sake Awards has awarded the prefecture the most gold prizes of all of Japan for four years running as of 2016. Many brands are sold in gift shops and department stores. Kinsuisho (金水晶) is the only brewery located inside Fukushima City.

Eat
A lot of bars and restaurants are in the neighborhood east of the train station. There is an underpass connecting the east and west sides of the station.
 * Peaches Fukushima city is famous for the peach and produces a large amount of delicious peaches every summer, try one.
 * Peaches Fukushima city is famous for the peach and produces a large amount of delicious peaches every summer, try one.

Drink
There are lots of izakayas and beer gardens in Fukushima. Passeo Dori and the roads branching from it are where most of the best places are found. Two examples are Yatta Iwamora and Jyuhachiban (十八番).

Stay healthy
The tap water is generally safe, and hasn't been contaminated by radiation from the Dai-ichi power plant 90 km (56 miles) away.

While there is ongoing debate about long term exposure to low level radiation, risks to short-term travelers is minimal and should not be of major concern. It has been said travelers will be exposed to higher levels of radiation during the airplane ride to and from Japan then their time spent in Fukushima.

Go next

 * Aizu-Wakamatsu with the Tsuruga-jo Castle and the Fukushima prefectural museum and the nearby Mount Bandai.
 * Nihonmatsu
 * Date
 * Shiroishi
 * Yonezawa
 * Takahata
 * Shichikashuku
 * Kawamata
 * Inawashiro

title: Fukushima


text:
Fukushima (prefecture)

Fukushima Prefecture (福島県 Fukushima-ken) is in the northeastern Tohoku region of the main Japanese island Honshu.

Understand
Fukushima is the third largest prefecture in Japan (14,000 km²), and one of its least densely populated. Two mountain ranges divide the prefecture into three main regions: Aizu in the west, Naka dōri ("center lane") in the centre and Hama dōri ("coast lane") in the east. Aizu is mountainous with snowy winters, while the climate in Hama dōri is moderated by the Pacific Ocean.

Tourist Information
FUKUSHIMA TRAVEL is the prefecture's official multilingual tourist information site.

Cities

 * — The prefectural capital
 * — City located in southern part of the Hamadōri coastal region
 * — a castle city located near the middle of the prefecture
 * — the largest city in the prefecture
 * — the southernmost city in Fukushima
 * — City located in northern part of the Hamadōri coastal region
 * — famous for its Taimatsu Akashi (fire festival) and peony garden
 * — a city close to Aizu-Wakamatsu which is famous for ramen and old warehouses
 * — known for Abukuma Caves.
 * — the founding place of the Date Clan and site of Mount Ryōzen
 * - township. Don't confuse with Tomioka City, Gunma Prefecture which has a UNESCO World Heritage silk mill.

Other destinations

 * — Home to the Bandai-Asahi National Park and numerous snow and hot springs resorts
 * — stratovolcano with a ski resort on its slopes. From the top of the ski lift, a well maintained hiking trail leads to the summit in approx. 60 minutes.
 * — Japan's fourth largest lake: beach resorts, swimming, camping, boating
 * — ground zero of the 2011 nuclear accident, one of the only two incidents rated with the highest severity on the INES scale (the other being Chernobyl). The power plant itself cannot be visited, but some people find it interesting to walk through the exclusion zone with a radiation counter and discover local radiation hot spots.

By plane
Fukushima is served by Fukushima Airport, located near Sukagawa to the south of Koriyama. The airport is served by JAL and ANA, with domestic services to Osaka, Sapporo and Naha. There are also international services to Shanghai and Seoul. The surrounding prefectures have airports (Niigata Airport, Sendai Airport, and Ibaraki Airport) that may offer more convenient access to parts of Fukushima than connecting with Tokyo, should Fukushima Airport not meet your needs.

By train
High speed rail access is provided by the Tohoku Shinkansen, which serves Shirakawa, Koriyama and Fukushima stations. The Tohoku Shinkansen links Fukushima with Tokyo in the south and the rest of Tohoku to the north. The Yamagata Shinkansen runs from Fukushima to various cities in Yamagata prefecture. Local train services include the Tohoku Main Line, which generally follows the route of the Tohoku Shinkansen; and the West Ban'etsu Line, linking Koriyama with Niigata via the ski resorts of Inawashiro and Aizuwakamatsu. The local (slow, but with great scenery) Suigun line connects Koriyama station with Mito. The Jōban Line runs along the East Coast in Fukushima and was cleared for all length in 2020 after nine years of decontamination and reconstruction efforts.

By car
Several expressways serve Fukushima prefecture and provide fast connection by car:
 * Tōhoku Expressway — south-north connection, parallel to national route 4 as well as Tōhoku Shinkansen. Connects Shirakawa, Koriyama and Fukushima.
 * Ban-etsu Expressway — connects Iwaki at the Pacific coast with Koriyama and Aizu-Wakamatsu and continues north-west towards Niigata at the Japan Sea coast. The route parallels the national route 49.
 * Jōban Expressway — runs along the Pacific coast from Tokyo metropolitan area to Iwaki. In 2015 the northmost part reaching Sendai and crossing also the Fukushima exclusion zone was completed. The route is parallel to the national route 6.

By train
For those who arrive by Shinkansen, Koriyama Station has the most connections and provides transfer access to the widest range of sites in the prefecture. You can transfer at Koriyama Station to access the Ban-etsu East Line to access Iwaki and the Joban Line that runs along the coast and the Ban-est West Line, which gives access to Lake Inawashiro, Mount Bandai, Aizu-Wakamatsu and Kitakata. From Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, you can access the Tadami Line and the private Aizu Tetsudo line to visit sites including the famous Ouchi-juku.

Fukushima Station has less transfer lines and its location next to prefectural borders make it generally less useful for those looking to travel within the prefecture. The Ou Main Line only has a few stations in Fukushima before it enters Yonezawa in Yamagata, and the private Iizaka Line is entirely contained within Fukushima City. The Abukuma Express Line only gives access to Date before entering Miyagi. Every Shinkansen Station provides access to the Tohoku Main Line.

Do

 * Skiing and snowboarding: The western part of Fukushima prefecture (Aizu) offers excellent conditions for winter sports from late November to early May. It has some 24 ski resorts, for example at Mount Bandai or Mount Adatara.
 * Hot springs: Fukushima prefecture has a fine selection of hot springs and onsen accommodation. Their styles range from modern hot spring leisure facilities like Spa Resort Hawaiians in Iwaki to traditional onsen villages with public bath-houses, foot-baths and ryokans. There are Iizaka Hot Springs and Tsuchiyu Hot Springs just outside Fukushima city or Higashiyama Hot Springs and Ashinomaki Hot Springs near Aizu-Wakamatsu.
 * Cherry tree blossom time is best enjoyed in Fukushima Hanamiyama Park. East of Koriyama, a famous over 1000 years old weeping cherry tree, Miharu Takizakura, is a magnificent specimen. It can be admired also after sunset with artificial illumination. Another cherry blossoms appreciation locations include Komine Castle in Shirakawa, Tanagura Castle ruins in Tanagura, Tsuruga Castle in Aizu-Wakamatsu or banks of Natsui river in Natsui.
 * Scenic views are guaranteed when taking the mountain toll road Bandai Azuma Skyline. The panoramas are especially colourful in the autumn. The route passes directly next to the crater of Mt. Azuma. Visitors can park their cars at the visitor center and take the short walk up to the crater's rim. The road is closed in winter.
 * Fukushima Drift Ebisu Circuit is a drifting car park with several race courses. It is located in Nihonmatsu City next to the Safari Park. They occasionally have events to see, otherwise you can go in and watch practices and take pictures with cool cars in the parking lot if you are lucky. There is a drift school for those that are interested, though be aware it is a multi-day course taught in Japanese. The race tracks are sometimes used for motorcycle events as well.

Eat
With its three distinct regions, Fukushima offers a wide variety of marine and agricultural products. It is also known as a "Fruit Kingdom" because of its many seasonal fruits.

 * Anpo-gaki, dried persimmons, are produced from kaki fruits (persimmons) farmed in Date City and several other places in Fukushima Prefecture.
 * Fukushima-gyū is the regional beef brand. Fukushima cattle are carefully raised in rich nature by skillful ranchers to produce beef with an amazing marbled texture. The Japanese Black type cattle used to make Fukushima-gyū are fed, raised, and processed within the prefecture.
 * Ika-ninjin is shredded carrot and dried squid seasoned with soy sauce, cooking sake, mirin, etc. It is a local cuisine from the northern parts of Fukushima Prefecture. It is primarily made from the late autumn to winter in the household. It is popular as an appetizer or side dish.
 * Kitakata ramen is a specialty of Kitakata. It is considered one of Japan's top 3 ramen dishes, along with Sapporo and Hakata. It has a soy sauce soup base, filled with flat noodles, sliced pork, simmered bamboo shoots (menma), and spring onions. Kitakata has around 120 ramen establishments. The ramen can occasionally be found in other restaurants around the prefecture, or sold in packets as souvenirs.
 * Mamador (ままどおる Mamadōru) is the prefecture's signature sweet. The baked good has a milky red bean flavor center wrapped in a buttery dough. The name means "People who drink mothers' milk" in Spanish. It is popular as a souvenir.
 * Nishin no sanshōzuke is a pickled cuisine made of dried herring with pepper leaves, soy sauce, and cooking sake. It is popular in the Aizu region. Since Aizu is far away from the sea, it is difficult to obtain fresh fish. Therefore, leaves from peppers are used to aid preservation. it is also popular as a side dish with Japanese sake.
 * Soba buckwheat noodles are popular throughout Japan. Fukushima Prefecture has been actively cultivating native species of buckwheat since ancient times. Fukushima remains a leading producer of buckwheat thanks to its large cultivation area and high production volume.
 * Usukawa-manjū is one of the most famous sweet buns in Japan. The rich bean paste is made with adzuki red beans entirely produced in Hokkaido, then wrapped with a moist thin dough using brown sugar. Usukawa-manjū has been produced for over 150 years, and its taste is simple yet somehow familiar.
 * Wakamomo no kanroni are young candied peaches. Fukushima is the second largest peach producing prefecture by volume in Japan. Fruit thinning techniques were used to produce large delicious peaches, but it turned out the small leftover peaches were just as tasty. This is how the wakamomo no kanroni came about. They are very delicious, including the seed.

Drink

 * Japanese sake – Fukushima's climate, high quality above and underground water sources, and delicious rice make it famous for sake. The Fukushima Prefecture Sake Brewers Cooperative is made up of over 60 sake breweries. Additionally, the Annual Japan Sake Awards has awarded the prefecture the most gold prizes for four years running as of 2016.

Go next
If you are unable to visit Fukushima but still want a taste while in Japan, it is highly recommended to visit MIDETTE (03-6262-3977, midette@tif.ne.jp) in Tokyo. While the capital city has nearly 60 satellite stores ("antenna shops" in Japanese), this one in Nihonbashi is one of the largest. In addition to its huge variety of fresh and processed foods, it boasts an extensive sake selection and decent sized traditional crafts corner. There is also some tourist information, though mostly in Japanese. It is recommended to try the sake sampler set at the bar, or the famous Kitakata ramen at the ramen dining area in the back of the store.

Access via a 15 minute walk from JR Tokyo Station, or a 2 minute walk from JR Shin-nihonbashi Station exit 2. Address: 4-3-16 Yanagiya Taiyo Bldg. 1F, Nihonbashi-Muromachi, Chuou-ku, Tokyo (in Japanese: 東京都中央区日本橋室町4-3-16柳屋太洋ビル1F).
 * Miyagi Prefecture
 * Yamagata Prefecture
 * Niigata Prefecture
 * Gunma Prefecture
 * Tochigi Prefecture
 * Ibaraki Prefecture

title: Fukushima (prefecture)


text:
Fukuyama

Fukuyama (福山) is a city in Hiroshima Prefecture.

Tourist information sites
The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

The city government's site has a Japanese-only tourism section with integrated machine translation.

By train
Fukuyama, an intermediate stop on the San'yo Shinkansen, is approximately 25 minutes from Hiroshima via the Hikari (¥4800), one hour from Osaka (¥7850) and 90 minutes from Fukuoka (¥11000). One-seat rides on the Nozomi depart once per hour from Kyoto (80 minutes, ¥8700), Nagoya (2 hours, ¥12200) and Tokyo (3 3/4 hours, ¥17200). Fukuyama is much closer to Okayama City or Kurashiki than it is from Hiroshima City. From Okayama, 50 minutes on the Sunliner train, (¥970), covered with your JR pass.

You cannot use the Nozomi with the Japan Rail Pass; if coming from Tokyo, Nagoya or Kyoto you will have to change trains en-route. However, there are two early-morning Hikari trains from Nagoya and Kyoto that offer a one-seat ride to Fukuyama.

By bus
From Tokyo, Odakyu Bus and Chugoku Bus operate the nightly Etoile Seto to Fukuyama from Shinjuku Station (9 1/4 hours, ¥10500 each way).

Keihan Kyoto Kotsu runs three round-trips from Kyoto station (4 hours, ¥4100), and Kintetsu Bus runs seven round-trips from Osaka's Umeda and Namba stations (3 1/2 hours from Umeda, ¥3770).

From Hiroshima, Rose Liner buses operated by Ikasa Tetsudo and Tomo Tetsudo operate 2-3 times per hour out of the Hiroshima Bus Center (1 hour 40 minutes, ¥2300).

Go next

 * Onomichi
 * Kasaoka
 * Mihara
 * Takehara
 * Fuchu
 * Ibara
 * Kurashiki
 * Okayama
 * Jinsekikogen

福山市

title: Fukuyama


text:
Fulda

Fulda is a small city about an hour away from Frankfurt by train in Central Germany. It has a nice small-town feel, and manages to have good tourist resources without feeling touristy. The more laid-back feeling here is a nice change from nearby Frankfurt.

By plane
Fulda is reachable by train from Frankfurt Airport. While there are other airports in the area (particularly in Hannover and Kassel) they have rather limited connections and you are unlikely to arrive there, especially in Kassel.

By train
Fulda has an excellent (in most cases a direct) connection with many major German cities. Hamburg, Munich, and Berlin can be reached in about 3 hours. Frankfurt and Kassel in less than 1 hour. As Fulda lies on the main north-south high speed rail line of Germany that connects Hamburg and Munich, every major city in Germany can be reached in a few hours with no more than one interchange. Even international destinations are within reach, sometimes requiring an interchange in Hamburg, Frankfurt or Berlin but often direct as well. Flixtrain serves the city.

By car
Fulda is about 1 hour's drive from Frankfurt along the A66 and just off the A7 about 1 hour north of Würzburg. Keep in mind that Fulda can get very congested during weekends all through the summer holidays. As it lies in the middle of Germany and many Germans drive to Italy and the North Sea Coast destinations of Niedersachsen and Schleswig Holstein in the summer, it is prone to heavy traffic jams in both directions. If you have to drive during those weeks, bring patience and listen for the word Stau on the Radio.

Get around
You'll arrive at Fulda's central train station. If you're on foot, you'll probably want to go downstairs from the train station, as doing so will funnel you towards the major sites, hotels, the tourist office and the downtown. If you stay upstairs and cross the street you will reach the bus terminal which is very close.

Unless you have a lot of luggage or don't care for walking, you won't need any transportation as the town is fairly compact. If you do want transportation however, you can catch some city buses at the central train station, or a taxi. Both are available on the road outside the upstairs of the train station.

Fulda also has a bus station so you can go to local villages from the city of Fulda if you are only visiting the city on a day trip. You can get tickets quickly and easily from the Fahrkarten Automat (automatic ticket machines) you will also find these at Fulda's Hauptbahnhof.

See
Fulda's architecture mostly escaped the baroquization that took over much of Europe. The lack of decoration means that the buildings give the eyes a rest from the ornateness of other cities.

Events

 * City celebration (Bahnhofs Fest) - The last weekend of May is always a party right outside the train station. The surrounding blocks are filled with food and snack stands, carnival games, souvenirs, etc. Live bands start playing around 20:00.

Buy
Fulda is a great place to go to if you want to get a look of the German high street shopping scene. In Fulda you have Galleria Kaufhof, Karstadt, and Müller which are all major German retail stores.

Eat
If you head towards the tourist office, you can turn left on either of the last two streets to find several smaller restaurants at various levels of price and formality. Most have outdoor seating weather permitting. The plaza where the tourist office is located also has several restaurants.

Budget

 * Grocery store - Upstairs in the train station is a grocery store with good prices. There is no fresh fruit, or bakery style bread, but it's open till at least 23:00. Also caries basic amenities.
 * Grocery store - Upstairs in the train station is a grocery store with good prices. There is no fresh fruit, or bakery style bread, but it's open till at least 23:00. Also caries basic amenities.

Connect

 * Internet cafe - €3.00/hour, M-F 06:00-24:00, Sa Su 00:00-24:00 internet cafe/interactive games shop is on the top level of the train station.

Go next

 * Bad Hersfeld, 45 km north (30 minutes by regional train)
 * Eisenach, with the Wartburg castle where Martin Luther translated the Bible into German (World Heritage site), 90 km northeast (55 minutes by ICE train)
 * Giessen, 90 km west (1:40 hours by regional train)
 * Kassel, with the World Heritage Baroque water garden Wilhelmshöhe, 105 km north (30 minutes by ICE train)
 * Frankfurt, European banking capital and cultural metropolis, 105 km southwest (one hour by ICE train)
 * Würzburg, old town in a picturesque wine-growing region with World Heritage Baroque palace, 110 km south (30 minutes by ICE train)

title: Fulda


text:
Fulfulde phrasebook

Fulfulde, Fula, Fulani or Fulah is a major language in Northern Cameroon, Northern Nigeria. Fulfulde is the language of the Fulbe people (also known as Peul or Fulani), who are found throughout West Africa. The Adamawa dialect is widely spoken in the Adamawa Province, North Province and Extreme North Province of Cameroon.

Basics

 * Hello. : Salaamu Aleykum (This is an Arabic phrase, used when entering houses).
 * Hello. (informal) : Sannu, Sannuko.
 * How are you? : Jam na?,
 * How is your health?: Jam bandu na?
 * Fine, thank you. : Jam koo dume.
 * Fine for the moment. : Jam ni tawon
 * What is your name? : Noy innde ma?
 * My name is ______ . :  Innde am ______.
 * Please. : Useni.
 * Thank you. : Useko.
 * You're welcome. : Koydum (it's easy)
 * Yes. : Ohoo/Ee.
 * No. : Kay/Aa'a.
 * See you later : Sey yeeso.
 * See you tomorrow: Sey jaango.
 * I can't speak/understand Fulfulde [well]. : Mi nanata Fulfulde.
 * Do you speak English? : A don wolwa Anglais na?
 * Look out! : Hakkil! (Careful!)
 * Did you sleep well? (good morning): A waali jam na?
 * Good night (to sleep) : Jam waala.
 * I don't understand. : Mi faamay.
 * Where is the toilet? : Haa toy baawo saare?
 * I want water. : Mi yidi ndiyam.
 * White person. : Nasaaraajo
 * White person with pointy beard. : Nasaaraajo mo Wakkude

Problems

 * Leave me alone. : Achu (fairly rude...)
 * Thief! : Guujo!
 * I'm sick. : Bandu am don nawa. (my body hurts.)
 * I need a doctor. : Mi yiddi dofta.
 * Are you courting her? : o don sartina mako?

Numbers

 * 1 : Go'o (if used for a single object, use "gotel")
 * 2 : Didi
 * 3 : Tati
 * 4 : Nay
 * 5 : Jowi
 * 6 : Jowego
 * 7 : Joywe didi
 * 8 : Joywe tati
 * 9 : Joywe nye
 * 10 : Sappo
 * 11 : Sappo e go'o
 * 12 : Sappo e didi
 * 13 : Sappo e tati
 * 14 : Sappo e nye
 * 15 : Sappo e jowye
 * 16 : Sappo e jowyego
 * 17 : Sappo e jowye didi
 * 18 : Sappo e jowye tati
 * 19 : Sappo e jowye nye
 * 20 : Nogas
 * 21 : Nogas e go'o
 * 22 :Nogas e didi
 * 23 : Nogas e nye
 * 30 : Ceppan tati
 * 40 : Ceppan nye
 * 50 : Ceppan jowye
 * 60 : Ceppan jowyego
 * 70 : Ceppan jowye didi
 * 80 : Ceppan jowye tati
 * 90 : Ceppan jowye nye
 * 100 : Temeri
 * 200 : Temeri didi
 * 300 : Temeri tati
 * half : Raita
 * less : Looti

Time

 * now : Jonta
 * morning : Fajira/ bimmbi
 * evening : Kikide/asira

Clock time

 * one o'clock : Jamndi go'o
 * two o'clock : Jamndi didi
 * noon : jura

Days

 * today : Hande
 * yesterday : Hanki
 * tomorrow : Jango

Colors

 * black : Balajum
 * white : Danajum
 * gray : Purum purum/Oldum
 * yellow : Ndiyam Goro/ Nardum
 * green : Haako Haako/ Keccum

Taxi

 * I'm going to _____.: Mi don dilla________.
 * How much does it cost? : Dala noy?
 * Let's go. : en dillan / min dukkan
 * Go : dillu
 * Let's go home: war en dilla sarè

Money
Money up to 250 Francs CFA is counted by five.

 * 25 Francs CFA: Dala jowye
 * 50 Francs CFA: Dala sappo
 * 75 Francs CFA: Dala sappo e jowye
 * 100 Francs CFA: Dala Nogas
 * 1000 Francs CFA: Booro
 * 2000 Francs CFA: Booro didi
 * 3000 Francs CFA: Booro tati
 * 3000 Francs CFA; Boori tati be raita

Eating

 * I'd like to eat. : Mi yiddi nyamugo
 * What do you have to eat? : A be dume jey nyamugo?
 * I'd like to look at the menu : Mi yiddi laarugo carte.
 * I'd like to look at the kitchen : Mi yoddi laarugo kissin.
 * I don't eat meat, fish or chicken. : Mi nyamata kussel, liddi e gertegol.
 * I don't eat beef. : Mi nyamata kussel.
 * I don't want a lot of oil. : Mi yidda n
 * I want _____. : Mi yiddi ______
 * chicken : Gertogol
 * beef : Kussel
 * goat: Mbewa
 * fish : Liddi
 * eggs, omelette : Dane
 * bread : Uppa
 * rice : Maroori
 * beans : Nyebbe
 * cous-cous : Nyiri
 * sauce : Caacam
 * sweet potato : Dankali
 * peanuts : Biriji
 * roasted peanuts : Mandawa
 * beignets : Makala
 * milk: Kossam

 * yogurt : Kindrimou
 * Butter : Lebbam
 * dates: Debbinoje
 * guava : Goyave
 * mango: Mongoro
 * hot sauce, hot peppers : Chita
 * tea, coffee : Sihye
 * juice, soda : Jus
 * water : Ndiyam
 * water : water (...)
 * beer, wine, alcohol : mbal
 * millet beer : bili bili
 * I'm full. : Mi haari
 * I'm finished. : Mi timini.
 * good tasting : Welli
 * I want the check : Mi yiddi facteur.

Shopping

 * How much is this? : Noi ah sorata ?
 * That's too expensive. : Kai, naawi.
 * Would you take _____? : A hoosi _____?
 * What is the real price? : Noy gonga man?
 * What is the last price? : Noy gaskiya man?
 * Not possible : Watataako
 * I don't accept that : Albarka
 * I won't accept that : Mi jabbata
 * expensive : Naawi
 * cheap : cheap Naawye
 * I don't have the money. : Mi walla dala
 * I don't want it. : Mi yidda
 * OK, I'll take it. : To, mi hoosi.
 * I want a bag. : Mi yiddi leyda
 * I need... : Mi yiddi
 * ...medicine.: lekki
 * ...cold medicine. : ...lekki damba
 * ...a pen. : ...bindirgol
 * ...English-language books. : ...deftere Anglais.

title: Fulfulde phrasebook


text:
Fullerton

Fullerton is an inland city in north Orange County in Southern California. Situated just north of Anaheim and its far better-known tourist attractions, Fullerton has a few surprises up her sleeve.

Understand
Fullerton has undergone several transformations from its 1887 founding as a rural stop on the Santa Fe Railroad. A longtime agricultural powerhouse in fruit and nut trees and ranching, Fullerton's economy exploded in the early 1900s with the development of the petroleum industry, with many fine homes and civic buildings constructed with oil money into the 1920s. After World War II, manufacturing displaced oil drilling, dominated by companies like Hughes Aircraft and Val-Vita Foods (later Hunt-Wesson, of Hunt's Ketchup and Wesson Oil). By the 1960s, Fullerton was also a bedroom community for booming Los Angeles.

In the 21st century, Fullerton's economy has shifted again, this time to education (driven by California State University, Fullerton and Fullerton College) and healthcare (driven by St. Jude's Medical Center). Its historic downtown has been revitalized into a regional shopping and entertainment district. Fullerton has a thriving arts culture, home to several theatre companies as well as a vibrant music scene that has its roots with famous guitarmaker Leo Fender. Fender was the first company to mass-produce solid-body electric guitars in 1950 (nowadays that model is known as the Fender Telecaster), hence Fullerton has been considered the birthplace of the electric guitar.

Fullerton has a large ethnic Korean community, drawn to its excellent schools. Unlike Westminster's Little Saigon or Garden Grove's Little Seoul, however, is no single Koreatown. Instead, you will find Korean restaurants, bakeries, churches, and shops scattered in pockets throughout the city.

By car
The usual way to get into and around Fullerton is by car. The city is close to Interstate 5, connecting it to Los Angeles and Santa Ana, and State Highways 91 and 57 run along its southern and eastern borders. Downtown Fullerton is a 15-minute drive north of Disneyland straight up Harbor Boulevard.

By plane
The closest commercial airports are John Wayne Airport to the south and Long Beach Airport  to the west. The principal international airport serving the region is Los Angeles International Airport. If you happen to have a pilot's license, you could fly right in to, Orange County's last strictly general aviation field, boasting a 3,121-foot (951 m) runway.

By train
Amtrak has a station at the Fullerton Transportation Center at 120 E. Santa Fe Avenue. It is served by the frequent Pacific Surfliner train between San Diego and Los Angeles and the daily long-distance Southwest Chief which runs between Los Angeles and Chicago through the Southwest. The regional Metrolink commuter rail service also serves the station with two different lines: the Orange County Line between Union Station in Downtown L.A. and Oceanside in San Diego County, and the 91 Line which runs between L.A. Union Station and Riverside.

By bus
The nearest intercity bus/coach service are Greyhound, Megabus and Tres Estrellas de Oro in the nearby Anaheim.

Get around
Fullerton, like most of Southern California, is overall a very car-centric city, but there are respites. The city's street address grid is centered at the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Commonwealth Avenue, in Fullerton's walkable downtown. Just down the street is the Fullerton Transportation Center, a major transfer point for OCTA buses.

Beyond downtown, Fullerton is criss-crossed with about 28 miles of public recreational trails for mountain bike, equestrian, or hiking use. It is possible to walk all the way across the city from Ralph B. Clark Regional Park in the west to Craig Regional Park in the east on these trails.

Do

Bars
Downtown Fullerton is one of the biggest and most popular bar areas in Orange County. Offering over 20 bars and dozens of restaurants of all shapes and sizes. Most bars begin getting crowded by 9-10PM and go until 1:30-2AM. Parking is easily available and taxis are abundant at night.

title: Fullerton


text:
Fulong

Fulong (福隆) is a village in New Taipei City. It has an excellent beach and is a popular place to surf.

Get in
By train: The train station is within easy walking distance to the beach. It takes about an hour to get to Fulong from Taipei. You want to catch the express as it only takes 70 minutes. The local is much longer. The express train doesn't leave so often though and you may have to wait for it.

By bus: Buses from points north and south ply the route along Provincial Highway 2.

Get around
Rent a bike for NT$100 for the day at the Giant bike shop right next to the train station (this was November, might cost more in the summer) or other bike shops, with older more local looking bikes, rent for about half the price.

See

Do

 * Enjoy a day at the beach. The sand can be ultra hot. It costs less than NT$100 to enter the paid area of the beach; if you need a beach umbrella, you can rent one. Farther to the southeast, near the temple, is an excellent free area of beach. There are no waves and the water is warm but it is a nice place to relax as the water is clean.
 * Attend the three day Hohaiyan Rock Festival (貢寮國際海洋音樂祭) held here every July.

Walk or bike through the Old Caoling Railway Tunnel. Take a right on the street immediately in front of the railway station. About a 10 minute bike ride will get you to the tunnel entrance on the right just after crossing the railroad tracks. The ride through the tunnel (about 10-15 minutes) takes you to the east coast and a nice view of Turtle island. The tunnel is lit, but get a bike with lights so others can see you coming.

Eat

 * Fulong is famous for its tasty box lunches (便當 - biandang). Many copycat stores sell Fulong biandang, but the original restaurant is the second on the left when you walk out of the train station, with a picture of a steam locomotive on the shop sign (宜隆福隆便當). They cost NT$50.

Sleep
The Longmen Campground is about ten minutes' walk north of downtown along the east side of the highway. It's rather pricey for a campground - NT$800 per site and an additional NT$70 per person - but if you get a group together you can save. The facilities are excellent. Bring your own tents.

Go next
The train station is at the end of a short side street that meets the highway at the traffic light.

Across the side street next to the 7-Eleven, at the corner of the rest area parking lot, is a small shelter where you can wait for northbound buses.

title: Fulong


text:
Fulton (Texas)

Fulton is a small town in Texas, just north of Rockport and about 45 minutes north of Corpus Christi, along the Gulf of Mexico. It is along the coast of the Aransas Bay, with the Gulf of Mexico about 5 miles out across the bay. To the west and north is Copano Bay. A public fishing pier extends across the bay for several miles. It's more a regular small town than a resort town.

Get in
Fulton is reachable primarily from San Antonio via Interstate 10 to Corpus Christi, then 40 miles north on Highway 35.

There is also a very nice, from all appearances as viewed by a non-aviator, airport in Fulton.

Get around.
Transit around Fulton, Texas is primarily done by automobile. However, golf carts have become more popular since they are now legal to drive around town. This unique mode of transportation allows for a more leisurely and enjoyable way to explore the town's beautiful neighborhood. Although sidewalks are mainly available at the waterfront area, walking or biking is also an excellent method to get around.

See

 * Fulton Fishing Pier 1500-ft wooden fishing pier on Aransas Bay. Pier is open 24 hours a day 365 days a year. It is free to go onto the pier but costs $5 per pole (max 4 poles per person) The pier has an attendant shack which sells frozen bait and snacks. Has a fish cleaning station and green LED fish attracting lighting.
 * Fulton Fishing Pier 1500-ft wooden fishing pier on Aransas Bay. Pier is open 24 hours a day 365 days a year. It is free to go onto the pier but costs $5 per pole (max 4 poles per person) The pier has an attendant shack which sells frozen bait and snacks. Has a fish cleaning station and green LED fish attracting lighting.

Sleep
There are a number of places to stay right along the coast, many with piers extending out into the bay. Some of them even look like they'd support a person walking along them or fishing from them. Some are in pretty questionable shape.

Go next

 * Port Lavaca
 * Rockport

title: Fulton (Texas)


text:
Fumaça

Fumaça is a small village in Brazil, on the outskirts of Resende, a city in Rio de Janeiro state, about 190km from downtown Rio de Janeiro (city) and 32km from Resende itself. Its main attraction is the waterfall that gives the village its name.

If you enjoy adventures and are travelling to Rio de Janeiro, it is worth paying a visit to Fumuça--not only because of Fumuça itself, but because you can also visit Penedo with its lovely atmosphere, panoramic view of the Itatiaia park and waterfalls where you'll be able to enjoy the cool waters.

Get in
If you are going from Rio de Janeiro, you should take Avenida Brasil and then Via Dutra (going towards São Paulo). You will drive for about 160km until you reach Resende. You must get off the interstate at AMAN (a Military Base) and take the road to Fumaça.

Once you have taken the road toward Fumaça, you will drive for about 12km on tarmac. After that, you will drive for another 20km offroad. Along the way, you will see some other waterfalls and the breathtaking railway track that also crosses above the Fumaça Waterfall (see pictures below).

Since there are no road signs, you should pay careful attention so you do not get lost and run out of gas. There are no gas stations in that area, and the nearest place would be Resende.

Get around
The city is located in the middle of a rain forest and, by the time you reach Fumaça Waterfall, it is unlikely you will see any locals around. Given that many people are farmers, you should not be surprised to find cows and other animals when driving to the main waterfall. The road is pretty bad with only 12km of tarmac from Resende. The last 20km is really tortuous with a top speed of 15km/h unless you are driving an offroad. This means a long trip of at least 1h 30min before you reach the Fumaça Waterfall.

If you plan to visit the top part of the waterfall, you should be extra careful, given the lack of safeguards there. You should also go accompanied in case something goes wrong with your car or with you since you will not easily find people around that area.

See
The whole point of going to Fumaça is to visit the waterfall from which this city (it is more like a village) takes its name.

Getting there is pretty much an adventure, but the view and the place is simply breathtaking. Not only because of the waterfall, its main "attraction" but also because of the nature around. The place is virtually unspoiled and maintains its full natural beauty and will be worth every single shot you take with your camera.

Once you reach the top of the hill at the side of the waterfall, there is a narrow passage which takes you to the top part of the falls. Here, there is no barrier between you and the waterfall, and you should be extremely careful if you want to reach the top part! If the rocks are wet, DO NOT try to go to the top part of the falls as the rocks are EXTREMELY slippery!

Rainy days should also be avoided because of the bad condition of the road leading to the waterfall. If it has been raining heavily, the waterfall is prone to flash floods, and, as a result, even if the previous night has not experienced heavy rains, you should avoid the top part of the falls in case of flash floods.

Do
At the Fumaça Waterfall itself, you cannot bathe (at the top of the fall you can, but it is very risky); but at the bottom of the fall, where the water slows down, it forms a natural "beach" with sandy banks. Here, you can bathe yourself without much risk except being taken down river and having to swim back to the banks. If you're not a good swimmer, however, it is not advisable that you swim too far from the sand bank.

Eat
You will only find a restaurant in Resende; but if you wish to venture, you may stop at the village and try a snack at a local bar. Otherwise, you may wish to take your own stuff and enjoy a picnic, but '''DO NOT LEAVE YOUR TRASH BEHIND! DO NOT SPOIL THE PLACE!'''

Drink
You can drink mineral water from the waterfall itself. There are many natural fountains from where you can drink. The water is perfectly safe, but drinking too much may cause a mild diarrhea due to its mineral content.

Sleep
There are no places to sleep at the falls, so plan either to camp or to drive back to Resende to spend the night.

If you decide to camp, make sure you have insect repellent for the mosquitoes and other insects you will certainly come across.

Stay safe
Go with another person, preferably in two separate cars. Given the road conditions, if your car breaks down you may be in serious trouble getting out.

Go next
There are no signs guiding you in or out, so make sure you have a map that shows you how to get in and out. If you cannot find a map, you will need basic Portuguese to get by with locals and find your way around.

Don't forget to visit Penedo.

title: Fumaça


text:
Funabashi

Funabashi (船橋) is a city in Chiba, Japan.

Tourist information sites

 * Funabashi Style is the city's official multilingual guide site.

 * The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site.

By train
From Tokyo station, Funabashi can be reached by the JR Sobu Line. From Tokyo Narita Airport, take Keisei Line.

Do
Incredibly, the city has two racecourses: Nakayama allows betting on weekends and Funabashi on weekdays.

Go next

 * Ichikawa
 * Urayasu
 * Narashino
 * Kamagaya
 * Yachiyo
 * Shiroi
 * Sakura
 * Inzai
 * Yatsukaido

title: Funabashi


text:
Funafuti

Funafuti is the main island and capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It consists of a very thin strip of land, in a roughly oval shape, with the relatively massive Te Namo Lagoon in the center.

With 6,300 people it had 60% of the population of the country in 2017.

Get in
A valid passport and onward ticket is required for entry to Tuvalu.

Get around
There is one main road in Funafuti in addition to the runway, which is used for recreational purposes when landings are not scheduled. A motorbike is the only way to independently explore the island. Renting a bike costs about $10 per day.

The other islands are only accessible by boat.

See
The Funafuti Conservation Area on the western side of the Funafuti atoll has some of the best natural sights, and includes reefs, the gorgeous lagoon, channel, parts of the ocean and islands habitats. Its diversity in marine life makes it an excellent place for scuba diving or snorkelling.

Traditional local culture remains very much alive, making the people of Tuvalu one of the nation's best assets. Traditional dancing is performed on special occasions, and the local "maneapa" (the town hall) is your best chances of experiencing one.

The massive stationing of US troops in the Second World War left the island nation with a number of war time remains, including airstrips, bunkers and plane wrecks along the main island of Fongafale and near the village of Nanumea. The tiny island of Motulalo in Nukufetau has an airstrip too, as well as some plane wrecks. If you have any interest in postal stamps, the Philatelic Bureau on Funafuti is a must-see. The Tuvalu Women's Handicraft Centre at the airport is a good place to see and buy local crafts. If you have time however, try catching a boat to one of the outer islands and admire the local people's skills in making ornaments, fans, mats, baskets or woodcarvings.

Do
The national game is te ano (the ball). Two teams line up facing each other hitting a ball. The objective is to keep the ball in the air as long as possible. This is similar to volleyball.

Funafuti is host to the Tuvalu Games, an annual multi-sports event. It is open to all of the islands of Tuvalu to participate.

Buy
There is a handicraft centre at the airport terminal selling local handicrafts.

The Tuvalu Co-operative Society has 2 stores on Funafuti that sell a limited range of groceries.

Eat
There are many lodges that have restaurants that serve food and beverages. They serve many types of ethnic cuisines such as Chinese, Italian and Indian. Fish is abundant given the location.

Drink
Bars serve soft drinks and alcohol during meal times.

Sleep

 * Vaiaku Lagi Hotel is the only hotel in Funafuti and is operated by the Tuvalu government. The hotel is located 50 metres from the airport terminal, facing the lagoon.  The hotel has 16 rooms of a basic standard, together with a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch & dinner. All rooms have air-conditioning and a telephone, although no hot water - only cold showers.
 * Guest houses. There are a number of privately run guesthouses of a very basic standard.

Go next

 * The other islands of Tuvalu can be reached by ship.

title: Funafuti


text:
Funchal

Funchal is the capital and main city of the autonomous region of Madeira, on the island of Madeira, in its south between Santa Cruz and Câmara de Lobos. In 2021, it was home 106,000 people.

Understand
The name Funchal (foon-SHAHL, /fũ.ˈʃaɫ/) comes from the abundance of fennel (funcho) found on the island. It was an important shipping centre during the 15th–17th centuries. It is one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal.
 * Visit Funchal website

By plane

There are several daily flights from most major cities in Portugal (Lisbon, Porto). Flight time from Lisbon is 1½ hours.

Also, there are good connections from London (mostly Gatwick, but also Heathrow) with TAP/Air Portugal and British Airways; its flying time is estimated at 3½ hours.

By car
Funchal is served by highway ER101 which runs along the coast. An easy way to get to the city centre by car is to take exit 11 and head downhill towards Funchal. Continue on this road (ER103) until you pass under an overpass. Immediately on your right is a large parking garage (closed on Sundays). From here it is only a few minutes walk to Mercado Dos Lavradores / Sé Cathedral.

Get around
The city centre is small enough to explore on foot. Orange city buses can take you around and up to Monte (lines 20, 21). Giro cards can be bought from the office for €2.20, which are pre-loaded with two journeys, and can be topped up with additional journeys for €1.50 each. A single ride costs €1.90 when bought from the bus driver. Most city buses start from the waterfront area. If you are lucky, you can acquire a bus timetable for the local and regional buses starting in Funchal at the tourist information office. Timetables and a map are also available.

By motorcycle and moped
Madeira as a small island is very convenient for exploring by riding motorcycles. Funchal is well connected with the rest of the island and there are a lot of hidden gems that could be discovered along the coast roads. Using a moped is a common practice around the island as it’s a lot more convenient. Finding a place to rent a scooter or motorcycle is not difficult and there are several companies, most of them are located within the town centre.

See

Do

 * Visit the fair/market, old port and gardens.
 * Football: Funchal has two pro soccer teams:
 * Football: Funchal has two pro soccer teams:
 * Football: Funchal has two pro soccer teams:
 * Football: Funchal has two pro soccer teams:

Buy
Flowers & fruit (check with the airline/ship if they can be brought abroad).

The island is world-famous for its wines. Several stores offer varying selections.

Eat
Funchal has an abundance of good, if not necessarily cheap, eating places. Most places serve traditional Madeiran and Portuguese food, which is well-prepared and tasty, but not terribly exciting. One of the most typical dishes and served almost everywhere, is espada com banana (scabbard fish with banana). It is usually served with fresh salad and potatoes. A bit more expensive is bacalhau (dried, salted codfish), which is also served in many restaurants. One of the more common and best varieties is "bacalhau com natas" (codfish in cream sauce).

Drink
Not the party capital of the world: most bars are very quiet, except during a football match.

Budget
During low season (winter) prices may drop significantly, e.g., from €50 to 35. Time around Christmas is high-season.

Connect

 * Internet Access - There exist various free public Wi-Fi hotspots sponsored by the Madeiran government. One can find such locations by looking for blue and white boards with the Wi-Fi logo on them. A lot of bars and cafes offer Wi-Fi which is usually sponsored by an ISP called "Zon". These are usually password restricted but the owners are usually very friendly in providing them. One of the larger public squares called "Praca do Municipio", for instance, has free Wi-Fi. Other locations include Avenida Arriaga (2 x around the Golden Gate Café and the Cathedrale) and Praca de Colombo.
 * Post Office - Stamps are rarely available at vendors selling postcards. There is a post office (CTT Correios) near the cathedral in the Avenida Zarco and the Rua Calouste Gulbekian, near the Casino. Postcards to EU countries are €0.72 (June 2015).

Go next

 * Porto Santo — A wonderful quiet beach community, Porto Santo is a small island on the North-East of Madeira can be reached by either boat or plane. It is well worth a visit for it's nice small restaurants, it's long beach, and the Christopher Columbus house.
 * Anywhere else on the island of Madeira — Numerous guided day-tours around the island offer pick-up from Funchal hotels. In addition, Rodoeste buses connect Funchal to points westward, and S.A.M. buses connect to points eastward.

title: Funchal


text:
Funen

Funen (Danish: Fyn) is Denmark's second largest island, between the Jutland peninsula, and the capital island of Zealand.

The capital of the island is Odense, birthplace of famous author H.C. Andersen. Funen is a picturesque area with sandy beaches and lush vegetation, traditionally known as the agricultural heartland of Denmark. As a term of endearment, Funen is known as Danmarks grønne ø ("Denmark's green island"). Funen is a convenient destination for travellers from mainland Europe, as both a major European highway as well as all transnational trains in Denmark cross the island and its capital.

Cities

 * — The regional capital and Denmark's third largest city.
 * — A coastal town
 * — A coastal town
 * — On the north eastern coast of the Great Belt.
 * — A coastal town by the Lillebælt bridge to Jutland
 * — A coastal town by the Storebælt bridge to Zealand.
 * — A port town with a bridge to and  and a ferry to
 * — A port town with a bridge to and  and a ferry to
 * — A port town with a bridge to and  and a ferry to
 * — A port town with a bridge to and  and a ferry to

Understand
Very much the "island in the middle" between Zealand and Jutland, it is mockingly said that Funen only exists to carry the highway between Copenhagen and Aarhus. The good-humoured locals, on the other hand, claim to harbour the best traits of both Jutland and Copenhagen. Easy-going Funen is a place for the good life, where you can find great food at reasonable prices. And the island does have one unrivalled claim to fame: Odense, the main city, is the birthplace of writer Hans Christian Andersen.

Talk
Danish is of course spoken by all inhabitants. Swedish and Norwegian are both somewhat understood, but English is more widely spoken amongst all inhabitants, except for very young children and the elderly over 70. German is taught in schools, but generally only spoken to a lesser degree. French is taught in some public schools, but few speakers can be found, those existing will be found mostly in Odense. In Odense, quite a few immigrants with some knowledge of either Arabic, Turkish or Persian can be found.

By car
Funen is crossed by the major European highway E20, and is thereby connected to Zealand with the Great Belt bridge (tolled) and to Jutland with the Little Belt bridge (free).

By train
The central rail station in Odense is a transit point for all trains from the European mainland towards Copenhagen, therefore it can be reached from anywhere in the country.

By plane
The small Odense Airport is located around 17 km from the city centre, but except for holiday routes to Southern Europe, it is only served by private charter flights, which are of course comparatively expensive.

Some major international airports nearby are Copenhagen Airport, Billund, and Hamburg.

By car
A good road and motorway system connects all coastal towns with each other as well as Odense. A highway connects the capital Odense with Svendborg. Even rural roads are of high quality, as in the rest of Denmark.

By bike
Funen is very bike friendly, with only the centre of the island being hilly. Most roads in and from Odense have dedicated bike paths. Be aware of no cycling signs, though.

By train
On Funen, there is service from Odense Central Station to Ringe and Svendborg, as well as the train line crossing the island, which also serves the cities of Middelfart and Nyborg. Other towns are served by bus.

By bus
All towns and small communities are served with high daily frequency. In Odense an extensive bus network serves all parts of the city as well as its suburbs. Fynbus includes regional bus schedules and a route planner.

By taxi
Taxis are aplenty in towns at fixed rates, including a service charge. There are cab stands in some places, as cabs cannot usually be hailed on the street. Phoning a taxi company is advised instead, in Odense the cab will usually arrive in less than fifteen minutes. Pirate cabs are non-existent.

See
The island is home to the author H.C. Andersen, whose former residence located in the city centre of Odense has been converted to a museum. Just south of Odense, the village of Nørre Lyndelse includes the birthplace of composer Carl Nielsen; a museum tells the story of his life and work.

Svendborg and Kerteminde are both picturesque maritime towns with colourful houses and cobblestoned streets, though Kerteminde has a somewhat more untouched character, and is home to Fjord- og Bæltcentret, an interactive museum about ocean life, with mammals as the main focus. Both cities were traditionally fishing towns, and therefore quality fish restaurants are ubiquitous.

Odense is home to Den Fynske Landsby, a re-creation of the island's rural past, including only original houses moved from all parts of the island and carefully reconstructed to portray life as it was in the 18th and 19th centuries. Activities are spread across the year, and include milking, traditional harvests and manufacture of old-fashioned handicrafts and foods, where the visitors can participate.

In general, all of Funen has the potential for beautiful natural experiences, and almost all of its forests are open to the public for hiking and biking paths in the scenic surrounds. In the north, lush Langesøskoven forest includes a picturesque lake and wildlife.

Do
Odense has a vibrant nightlife, and music can be experienced both at outdoor events and in clubs, especially Magasinet and Jazzhus Dexter, respectively venues for alternative rock and jazz.

Fishing in streams, rivers, lakes and the ocean is a popular activity for locals and tourists alike, and Odense River has a large and well-supported population of rainbow trout. All fishing requires a permit, obtainable at post offices and most fishing equipment shops. If in doubt, contact a tourist office, which will refer you to the nearest permit vendor. Hunting is also possible, but requires proof of hunting capability and a permit from the governmental wildlife agency.

Buy
Odense has a comparatively large shopping street as well as a few well-assorted malls, the largest of which, Rosengårdcentret, is located in the southeastern suburbs. Shops fabricating traditional handicrafts as well as modern applied arts items can be found in many of the island's cities. Beware of the difference between tourist shops and genuine artisans.

Eat
Odense has many restaurants, ranging from the usual American fast food chains, to traditional Danish restaurants like Carlslund or Boulevardkroen, and haute cuisine restaurantd. Especially worthy of mention is Restaurant Kvægtorvet. International cuisine is also prevalent, Italian, Greek, Chinese, American, Indian, Arabic and Vietnamese restaurants can be found. The former four types are mainly found in central Odense, whilst the latter three cuisines are represented at Bazar Fyn, located in the eastern suburbs of Odense, home to a number of ethnic minorities. There, the food is comparatively cheap and generally of good quality.

In general, food is expensive in Denmark, both from supermarkets and in restaurants, but low-budget travellers will appreciate the discount stores ubiquitous in all towns.

For traditional Funish fare, which is mainly fish (fisk) and other seafood (skaldyr), a trip to Kerteminde, Svendborg or Bogense is highly recommended. In Kerteminde, a somewhat expensive but worthwhile seafood restaurant, Rudolf Mathis, serves high-quality fish fare. If in doubt, ask a local; they will probably be able to point you towards a hidden gem with lovely, hearty dishes of local cuisine.

Some regional dishes:
 * Æggekage — Danish omelettes, most often topped with bacon, tomatoes and chives.
 * Jødetorsk — cod, sprinkled with curry powder and salt, simmered over a low heat in butter and onions.
 * Fynsk rygeost — cheese smoked over freshly-harvested oat or wheat straw.

Drink
Beer is the cornerstone of Danish beverages, and the local brewery Albani, located in Odense, produces lovely lagers and darker varieties. For even better microbrewery beer, look for the brands "Vestfyen" (brewed in Assens), "Refsvindinge" (brewed in the town of that name) and "Midtfyns Bryghus" (brewed in Brobyværk) on menus and supermarket shelves. The bar Christian Firtal in Odense serves these and other local products as well as English cask and bottled ales, and Belgian and German beers.

High quality spirits are also available, and aquavit is traditionally a part of Danish lunches in general. Only a few brands are locally produced, though, and these are not widely available. Most are imported from the rest of Denmark.

Stay safe
In general Funen is very safe, and no violent crimes are commonly committed against tourists or locals. In general, although Denmark is comparatively lax on drugs, do not attempt to purchase any, as this will often involves interacting with gangs, which have engaged in a covert vendetta against each other. Police are visible in all cities, and Odense, Middelfart and Svendborg have hospitals, of which Odense and Svendborg hospitals have emergency rooms. Police, fire services and ambulances can be contacted by phoning 112, while non-emergency calls to the police should be placed on 114. English is spoken by emergency central operators.

Go next

 * Sydfynske Øhav is the archipelago south of Funen.
 * Tåsinge: An island just across the strait
 * Langeland: An oblong island to the east of Southern Funen, can be reached by bridge from Svendborg (Tåsinge), has connections to Spodsbjerg on Lolland.
 * Ærø: A beautiful island in the Southern Funen Archipelago. Can be reached by ferry from Svendborg. The main towns are Marstal and Ærøskøbing

Funen

title: Funen


text:
Funter Bay

Funter Bay is on the northwest side of Admiralty Island in Southeast Alaska, approximately 12 air miles from Juneau, or 25 miles from Auke Bay by boat. It is a protected anchorage and affords two state-maintained floats for boat tie-up.

title: Funter Bay


text:
Fuqing

Fuqing (福清; Hók-chiăng in Mindong, Fúqīng in Mandarin) is an industrial city within the administrative area of Fuzhou. It has a population of around half a million.

By bus
There are many buses from nearby Fuzhou to central Fuqing. The trip takes a bit over half an hour.

A few buses coming to Fuzhou from towns further south — Putian, Quanzhou or Xiamen — stop in Fuqing, but most just drop off passengers at a nearby highway exit where it is easy to grab a cab for the two km ride into town.

By train
It takes about 15 to 30 minutes to reach Fuqing by train from Fuzhou.

There are two railway stations in Fuqing:

Talk
The local Fuqing dialect, also commonly known in Southeast Asia as Hokchia, is part of the Mindong family like the Fuzhou dialect, but is nevertheless still distinct only partially mutually intelligible. However, most locals are bilingual in their local tongue and Mandarin.

title: Fuqing


text:
Fuquay-Varina

Fuquay-Varina is a city of about 33,000 people (as of 2020) in North Carolina. Originally the two separate communities of Fuquay Springs and Varina, which merged upon incorporation in 1909. The town is often referred to simply as "Fuquay", pronounced ['fyu-kwei] (FYOO-kway).

By car
The main road running through Fuquay-Varina is US-401, from Raleigh and Garner in the north to Lillington and Fayetteville in the south. NC-42 — linking Fuquay to the outskirts of Cary and Durham in the north, and Angier and Kinston in the east — and NC-55 — which runs through Sanford in the southwest to Wilson in the northwest — also run through town.

By bus
The Triangle Transit FRX line offers very limited commuter service from Raleigh.

See

 * Historic downtown Fuquay (S Main Street from Ennis to E Spring) and downtown Varina (Broad Street and Stewart Street). Historic local landmarks, shopping and eateries.
 * The National Register Historic Districts of Fuquay Springs, five blocks of residential homes around S Main Street and Spring Street, and Varina, a block and a half of commercial buildings around Broad Street.
 * The original Fuquay Mineral Springs for which the town was named, on S Main Street.

Drink

 * Aviator Brewing Company

Go next

 * Raleigh, about 25 minutes north on US-401, offers world-class music concerts at Alltel Pavilion and the Carolina Hurricanes professional hockey team.
 * Asheboro, about 2 hours west on NC-55 / US-64, is home to the North Carolina Zoo.

title: Fuquay-Varina