Originally Posted by thesilb
Thanks, will do that.
I don't think September is too busy of a period (doesn't appear in any of the guidebooks as a "must reserve your seat" period), but I agree it makes sense. I think we will reserve our Tokyo-Kyoto-Tokyo and return-to-Narita legs on arrival. The rest we will just wing it.
May I ask one other question - in searching threads I did not find an answer. The green car ticket is not that much more...is it worth paying $70 more for green car? Is it just a bigger seat, or do you get refreshments or any other perks? What do you folks recommend? This is for a party of two (I say this because it looks to me like the regular seating is 2x3 and the green car seating is 2x2 - in other words this seems to lessen the need for green car as you can reserve a set of two seats together in the regular car).
Are you talking about getting a green car JR pass?
Biggest benefit = You have a greater chance of getting a reserved seat on any train that you choose to take.
(You get two bites at the cherry so to speak - Try for a seat in the green car - if it is full, you try for a seat in the regular car). This is especially useful at peak travel times and on occasions when you reserve a seat at the last minute. Outside of peak times you can get away with the regular pass.
In terms of comfort = More room in the seat. Slightly more recline. On some bullet trains you used to get a cup of green tea and a cookie or something, but I could never work out which ones (These days I do all my train journeys in regular cars... which are quite comfortable enough really).