ksandness

There's a travel agent in Minneapolis who works out of her home (a condo) and sells the JR Pass vouchers. I made arrangements by phone, went to her condo and buzzed the intercom, and waited in the entryway until she brought the voucher down to me.

So yes, if there's a local agent who sells the vouchers, you can buy one in person. I did something similar when I lived in Portland.

abmj-jr

You can absolutely go into an authorized agency and purchase the Rail Pass directly. I'd want to call first but if it is close and you can't get through on the phone, it might be worth a visit.

I've never found the green car to be worth the extra money. The regular cars on the shinkansen are very comfortable, with plenty of leg room. Most regular cars are 2x3 seating and the green cars are mostly 2x2 if that makes a difference to you. Both will have overhead racks for small (carry-on sized) bags and other items. Larger bags will need to be stored behind the last row of seats. For the airport express trains, they will have luggage racks at the end of each car.

ksandness

I agree. Unlike some European trains, you don't get any food or drinks included in the price of the Green Car, just a bit more room.

The only time I thought the Green Car was worth it was when I was still in academia and accompanying a staff member of my school's sister university on a short trip to the restaurant where I was going to be meeting members of the administration and the faculty who taught our exchange students.

The train was one of those old-style locals with hard, high-backed seats and passengers seated knee-to-knee in groups of four. The staff member bought Green Car tickets for us, which put us in a car that had seats very similar to the second-class seats on a normal intercity train.

Otherwise, second class on a Japanese intercity train--or the Narita Express or the Keisei Skyliner-- is perfectly fine, with more legroom than any airline coach seat. I'm speaking as one who is 5'10" (177 cm) and heavier than I was in my younger days.

WilcoRoger

While ordinary cars are OK, I prefer the green cars especially during peak hours and on longer stretches.

I'd also like to give the Gran class a go sometime.

https://www.japan-rail-pass.com/japa...tips/granclass

dinanm3atl

Did ordinary and was able to pay, buy and pick up. Took ~20min and pass is now in hand.

abmj-jr

Great! Just to verify, you know that what you have is not the actual Rail Pass? What you have is the Exchange Order which must be exchanged for the Rail Pass after you arrive in Japan. Any major JR station can do the exchange, including the ones at NRT and HND.

jpdx

We should have a dedicated Green Car thread. When I was first faced with this decision years ago, I found fairly limited useful and unbiased information on FT (and online in general).

IMO, whether Green Car is worth it depends largely on your route, distance covered, and travel dates.

If you only (or even predominantly) travel on the Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen, buying a Green Car pass makes no sense, because reserved regular seats on the Sakura are 2x2, so there's practically no difference between standard and Green. If you travel extensively on Shinkansens east of Shin-Osaka, a Green Car pass may make more sense. For regular long-distance trains like the Thunderbird, Sonic, Kamome, Super Hakuto, etc etc, Green Car can be a bit more comfortable, but it is rarely really necessary. Some local express trains have Green sections, which can be a godsend if traveling during rush hour after a long day of sightseeing, but they're also very cheap if you were to buy up.

One frequently hears the argument that a Green Car pass is advisable during very busy travel seasons. I usually reserve my seats 3+ days ahead of travel, and have never had a problem getting seats, but I suppose a Green Car pass does give you more options.

One thing to consider is that most Japanese trains have very limited luggage storage. In Shinkansens and long-distance trains, luggage either needs to go above or next to your seat, and there's space for a few suitcases behind the last row of seats in each carriage. With tourism picking up in Japan (and specifically, increasing visitor numbers from certain neighboring countries whose citizens tend to travel with lots of luggage), finding space for larger pieces of luggage can be very challenging. IME, this is less of a problem in Green Car, because few tourists seem to buy the more expensive pass, and most Japanese (especially those who buy Green Car tickets) travel with no or light luggage.

Ultimately, the advice I'd give is that the Green Car vs regular pass issue is not worth agonizing over. The price difference is minimal, so if you stay at $200/nt hotels, you might as well pay the extra $90/week for the slightly better seating. OTOH, that $90 buys a week's worth of ramen-type meals, so for budget travelers, the Green Car pass would be a frivolous expense. In my case, I usually buy regional passes these days (which are only available for regular seats), but if I spent a week traveling extensively east of Shin-Osaka, the Green Car pass would be a no-brainer. For a simple Tokyo-Kyoto round trip, I'd be fine with standard seats.

dinanm3atl

Correct. I have the 'voucher'.

WilcoRoger

Agree. I do the Nagoya-Tokyo (usually Nozomi*) and Tokyo-Sendai (e.g. Hayabusa) streches a lot where the Green Car is worth it. If/when I take out the JR Pass, then Nozomi is obviously out, but still take the Green Car Pass.
OTOH if I were backpaking, I'd find a better way to spend the price difference.

*when not on RailPass

dinanm3atl

Is there a way to book your trips online? IE we know when we should be landing at NRT. We know when we will be going from Tokyo to Kyoto. Etc. Or do we make reservations once on the ground at a station?

abmj-jr

Yup. You can make your first trip reservations (N'Ex or whatever) at the same time you exchange the order. If you have an onward trip the same night or early the next day, they will do that as well but don't plan on doing much more at the airport as there will be a line and the agents will be busy.

I like to make reservations for each onward trip at the time I arrive at a new destination. I am already at the station and it only takes a few minutes, saving a special trip back to the station later. If you have tight connections, you can make several legs at the same time but there is rarely a need.

dinanm3atl

Gotcha. Thanks. Assume easy to exchange and then look to get onto the next NRT-Tokyo train.

kcKOB

So, heading to Japan for the first time in November and looking at the 7-day Japan Rail pass for USD 279. I'm looking for general feedback to make sure that the train stations I have researched are appropriate for the hotels that we have booked. Research comes from Hyperdia with FX conversion as of yesterday. Any input from you seasoned Tokyo/Osaka train passengers would be greatly appreciated.

For now, I've identified the following....

Arriving Tokyo Haneda on 7Nov:
-Keikya Airport Express from "Haneda Airport International Terminal" to "Shinagawa" - USD 4.00
-Stay at Tokyo Marriott Hotel (4-7-36, kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku).
QUESTION 1: Is Shinagawa the best rail station for making our way to the Tokyo Marriott hotel?

Tokyo to Osaka on 10Nov:
-Hikari 463 from "Shinagawa" to "Shin-Osaka" - USD 134 (includes seat fee)
-Stay at Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel (1-1-43 Abeno-suji, Abeno-ku).
QUESTION 2: Is Shin-Osaka the best rail station for making our way to the Osaka Marriott Miyako hotel?

Osaka to Kyoto and return on 11Nov:
-"Shin-Osaka" to "Kyoto" looks like around USD 27 each way.. so USD 54 round trip...
QUESTION 3: Is Kyoto rail station where we need to be in order to see the normal sites around Kyoto? This will be a day trip...

Osaka to Tokyo 12Nov:
-Hikari 528 from "Shin-Osaka", change to JR Yamanote Line for "ShinjukuJR" - USD 136 (includes seat fee)
-Stay at Hilton Tokyo (160-0023, Shinjuku-ku, 6-2 Nishi-Shinjuku 6-Chome)
QUESTION 4: Is ShinjukuJR the best rail station for making out way to the Hilton Tokyo hotel?

Depart Haneda on 13Nov:
-Yamanote Line to Keikya Airport Express - USD 6
-From Hilton Tokyo
QUESTION 5: Assume catching the train from ShinjukuJR is still the best bet?

Total cost of train fares appear to be USD 334, so looks like the rail pass would save around USD 55 (minus a few more bucks for shipping)... plus afford even more flexibility to use the train for random hops / day trips as needed. Any pitfalls I'm not thinking of here?

Thank you FT!
KOB

joejones

Basically "yes" to all of your questions.

The Osaka Marriott is on the other side of town from the Shinkansen station. If you want to use the rail pass for the local portion, you'll have to make two transfers: a short hop on the Kyoto Line to Osaka Station, then change to the Osaka Loop Line for Tennoji. Alternatively, you can take the subway (red line) direct from Shin-Osaka to Tennoji, but you'll have to pay $3 out of pocket.

There is a shuttle bus between Shinjuku and the Hilton. It's a bit far to walk if you have a lot of luggage, but doable with a light load.

lobsterdog

I don't think you'll save much money, if any, with a JR Pass. For example, traveling from your Osaka hotel to central Kyoto (Kawaramachi station) costs only Y680 via the subway and Hankyu train line; there's certainly no need to take the Shinkansen for USD 54. Most of the sites you'll want to see aren't anywhere near JR Kyoto station, so you don't need to go there.

Also, if you don't have a JR Pass you'll have a lot more flexibility. For example, you can take the faster Nozomi Shinkansen trains, which run more frequently, but which aren't covered by a JR Pass. And you won't be tempted to take convoluted routes in order to get the most from your pass.

As for finding the best routes to your hotels, you should use Google Maps, not Hyperdia, as it will suggest door-to-door routes rather than station-to-station. For example, traveling from Osaka Marriott Miyako to Hilton Tokyo, it will suggest that once you get to Tokyo you take the subway to Nishi-Shinjuku station, which is much closer to the Hilton than JR Shinjuku station would be.

From the Hilton to Haneda Airport, Google Maps suggests either taking the Oedo line and then the monorail, the Oedo line and then the Asakusa line, or the airport limousine bus. It may vary by time of day, so you should check for yourself and plug in the time you need to arrive. The bus is certainly easiest if the schedule is convenient.