Oct 6, 2016, 11:40 pm
Last edit by: muji
About Japan Rail Pass
JAPAN RAIL PASS, a joint offering of the six companies comprising the Japan Railways Group (JR Group).
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Eligibility
(1) You are a foreign tourist visiting Japan from abroad for sight-seeing, under the entry status of "temporary visitor" or
(2) You are a Japanese national living outside of Japan who has both their Japanese passport and written proof—obtained from the embassy or legation of Japan in the foreign country where they live—that they have been living legally in the country for 10 consecutive years or more.
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Validity Period
The validity period of a JAPAN RAIL PASS is the consecutive 7, 14, or 21 days period beginning on the date the PASS is first used.
Within three months from the date the Exchange Order was issued, you must turn in your Exchange Order to obtain your JAPAN RAIL PASS
(for example, an Exchange Order issued on April 15 would have to be turned in by July 14).
more information: http://www.japanrailpass.net/en/index.html
JAPAN RAIL PASS, a joint offering of the six companies comprising the Japan Railways Group (JR Group).
__________________________________________________ _____________
Eligibility
(1) You are a foreign tourist visiting Japan from abroad for sight-seeing, under the entry status of "temporary visitor" or
(2) You are a Japanese national living outside of Japan who has both their Japanese passport and written proof—obtained from the embassy or legation of Japan in the foreign country where they live—that they have been living legally in the country for 10 consecutive years or more.
__________________________________________________ _____________
Validity Period
The validity period of a JAPAN RAIL PASS is the consecutive 7, 14, or 21 days period beginning on the date the PASS is first used.
Within three months from the date the Exchange Order was issued, you must turn in your Exchange Order to obtain your JAPAN RAIL PASS
(for example, an Exchange Order issued on April 15 would have to be turned in by July 14).
more information: http://www.japanrailpass.net/en/index.html
Japan Rail (JR) Pass questions (consolidated)
Mar 9, 2017, 9:26 am
#256
Join Date: Jul 2016
Programs: DL Diamond; SPG Platinum
Posts: 16
I was there in a beginning of April with seven day ordinary pass and did quite a few train journeys. There were two of us and I reserved seats 0-2 days in advance and only once we didn't get adjacent seats. I think that had more to do with that it was Friday morning train and passengers seemed mostly be traveling for business. In certain areas we saw lots of (mostly Chinese) tourists but not that much that thy would have filled up trains. Hotels and other accommodations were little different matter.
I've understood that cherry blossom time is not peak travel time for Japanese, as there are no public holidays then. They just enjoy it where they live and don't fill up trains as they do in New Year and Golden Week holidays and such.
If you don't need comfort and quietness of green class, I think you'll do fine with ordinary pass. Just make seat reservations day or two in advance if you want to be sure to take certain train.
I've understood that cherry blossom time is not peak travel time for Japanese, as there are no public holidays then. They just enjoy it where they live and don't fill up trains as they do in New Year and Golden Week holidays and such.
If you don't need comfort and quietness of green class, I think you'll do fine with ordinary pass. Just make seat reservations day or two in advance if you want to be sure to take certain train.
Mar 11, 2017, 2:22 am
#257
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: SIN
Posts: 84
Hi fellow FTers,
I'm planning to fly into HND and then spend 3-4 nights in Tokyo, then will travel to Kyoto and then Osaka and then Nara (the last 3 areas are not in particular order, what should be the best order from Tokyo?), do I need to purchase the 7-day JR pass?
If not, what pass should I purchase?
Thanks a bunch!
I'm planning to fly into HND and then spend 3-4 nights in Tokyo, then will travel to Kyoto and then Osaka and then Nara (the last 3 areas are not in particular order, what should be the best order from Tokyo?), do I need to purchase the 7-day JR pass?
If not, what pass should I purchase?
Thanks a bunch!
Mar 11, 2017, 6:27 am
#258
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Smyrna, GA, USA
Programs: DL FO 1MM
Posts: 1,761
Whether you need the pass or not will come down to the specific plans that you come up with. If your only train travel is Tokyo->Kansai, and Kansai<->Nara, probably not. But, you may come up with more. Figure out the trains you'll want then we can help you price them out to see whether pass makes sense.
Mar 11, 2017, 6:32 am
#259
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,632
Mar 12, 2017, 9:25 am
#260
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: NRT/HND
Programs: A3 *G, HH Gold
Posts: 74
There are other passes that are cheaper but none of them are valid for the Tokyo-Kyoto/Osaka/Nara route.
If your trip is long enough to not be able to use the pass at the start in Tokyo, you can look at Day Passes from the Tokyo Metro if you expect to be going all over Tokyo.
Mar 13, 2017, 2:34 am
#261
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: SIN
Posts: 84
Whether you need the pass or not will come down to the specific plans that you come up with. If your only train travel is Tokyo->Kansai, and Kansai<->Nara, probably not. But, you may come up with more. Figure out the trains you'll want then we can help you price them out to see whether pass makes sense.
Generally a 7-day JR pass pays for itself with a Tokyo-Osaka roundtrip. If you are going back to Tokyo then you should get the 7-day pass and set the time to coincide so that you can fit the entire roundtrip journey in it.
There are other passes that are cheaper but none of them are valid for the Tokyo-Kyoto/Osaka/Nara route.
If your trip is long enough to not be able to use the pass at the start in Tokyo, you can look at Day Passes from the Tokyo Metro if you expect to be going all over Tokyo.
There are other passes that are cheaper but none of them are valid for the Tokyo-Kyoto/Osaka/Nara route.
If your trip is long enough to not be able to use the pass at the start in Tokyo, you can look at Day Passes from the Tokyo Metro if you expect to be going all over Tokyo.
Thanks!
Mar 13, 2017, 12:20 pm
#262
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Smyrna, GA, USA
Programs: DL FO 1MM
Posts: 1,761
I am not necessarily the definitive authority on Japanese train fares, but this is what I found looking on Hyperdia (you can lookup fares here for alternate orderings if you like)
Tokyo -> Kyoto : 13,910
Kyoto - > Nara: 710
Nara -> Osaka: 800
Osaka -> Kix: ~1600
7 day pass: 29,100
Based on current plan, not a win to get the nationwide JR Pass.
Tokyo -> Kyoto : 13,910
Kyoto - > Nara: 710
Nara -> Osaka: 800
Osaka -> Kix: ~1600
7 day pass: 29,100
Based on current plan, not a win to get the nationwide JR Pass.
Mar 16, 2017, 8:05 pm
#263
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: SIN
Posts: 84
I am not necessarily the definitive authority on Japanese train fares, but this is what I found looking on Hyperdia (you can lookup fares here for alternate orderings if you like)
Tokyo -> Kyoto : 13,910
Kyoto - > Nara: 710
Nara -> Osaka: 800
Osaka -> Kix: ~1600
7 day pass: 29,100
Based on current plan, not a win to get the nationwide JR Pass.
Tokyo -> Kyoto : 13,910
Kyoto - > Nara: 710
Nara -> Osaka: 800
Osaka -> Kix: ~1600
7 day pass: 29,100
Based on current plan, not a win to get the nationwide JR Pass.
Any idea why the price is different between the 2? I researched but couldn't find anything on this. Time taken seems to be same too.
Last edited by Traflying; Mar 16, 2017 at 9:26 pm
Mar 17, 2017, 2:09 am
#264
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Between AMS and BRU
Posts: 8,852
The difference is the seat fee... the rapid service is more of a metro style train for which there is no seat fee.
In this case it's not so much a (reserved) seat fee but a supplement for riding the Express, Hyperdia simply uses one fee type.
If you have a RP it won't matter but otherwise it does.
In this case it's not so much a (reserved) seat fee but a supplement for riding the Express, Hyperdia simply uses one fee type.
If you have a RP it won't matter but otherwise it does.
Last edited by RTW1; Mar 17, 2017 at 2:14 am
Mar 17, 2017, 8:18 am
#265
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Central California
Programs: Former UA Premex, now dirt
Posts: 6,531
Japanese train types are pretty specific. "Rapid" is not really much different from a local commuter train. Anything that says "Ltd. Express" is about one step down from the shinkansen (bullet train), with nicer, reserved seats and more services. I personally avoid local or "rapid" service trains for anything over about 20 minutes if I can.
Mar 17, 2017, 11:49 am
#266
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 512
Trying to figure out if the JR pass is worth it... we are planning a 7 day trip in Tokyo, will be using the Yamanote line to get around all the districts and will spend one day in Kyoto.
What's the best way to get a JR Pass near HND? We are arriving (8pm) after the exchange in HND closes (6:30pm), is there a nearby exchange to pick up the pass with later hours?
What's the best way to get a JR Pass near HND? We are arriving (8pm) after the exchange in HND closes (6:30pm), is there a nearby exchange to pick up the pass with later hours?
Mar 17, 2017, 12:05 pm
#267
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Central California
Programs: Former UA Premex, now dirt
Posts: 6,531
Seven days in Tokyo and only one in Kyoto?? That is a pretty bad mix. I hope you are spending the night and not trying to do it as a day trip, which would hardly be worth it.
In answer to the original question, the 7-day Rail Pass would not really be worth the money if you plan no other longer rail trips beyond the round trip to/from Kyoto. You would be money ahead to just buy tickets as needed and ride the Nozomi, which would save some travel time. The cost of the round trip is less than the 7-day Rail Pass. The RP is not much use in Tokyo. Better to use a prepaid inter-modal transit card like Suica on subways and local trains.
In answer to the original question, the 7-day Rail Pass would not really be worth the money if you plan no other longer rail trips beyond the round trip to/from Kyoto. You would be money ahead to just buy tickets as needed and ride the Nozomi, which would save some travel time. The cost of the round trip is less than the 7-day Rail Pass. The RP is not much use in Tokyo. Better to use a prepaid inter-modal transit card like Suica on subways and local trains.
Mar 17, 2017, 1:27 pm
#268
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 512
Seven days in Tokyo and only one in Kyoto?? That is a pretty bad mix. I hope you are spending the night and not trying to do it as a day trip, which would hardly be worth it.
In answer to the original question, the 7-day Rail Pass would not really be worth the money if you plan no other longer rail trips beyond the round trip to/from Kyoto. You would be money ahead to just buy tickets as needed and ride the Nozomi, which would save some travel time. The cost of the round trip is less than the 7-day Rail Pass. The RP is not much use in Tokyo. Better to use a prepaid inter-modal transit card like Suica on subways and local trains.
In answer to the original question, the 7-day Rail Pass would not really be worth the money if you plan no other longer rail trips beyond the round trip to/from Kyoto. You would be money ahead to just buy tickets as needed and ride the Nozomi, which would save some travel time. The cost of the round trip is less than the 7-day Rail Pass. The RP is not much use in Tokyo. Better to use a prepaid inter-modal transit card like Suica on subways and local trains.
So you wouldn't recommend a day trip?
The reason I was thinking of JR Pass was from what I could find the bullet train to Kyoto was 27,000 YEN round trip per person and a 7 day JR Pass was 29k for ordinary or 38k for green car and they I could use it for travel around different Tokyo districts, Mt. Fuji, back and forth to the airport etc..
I'm completely clueless as to how all this works so any guidance is appreciated ^
Mar 17, 2017, 3:06 pm
#269
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Central California
Programs: Former UA Premex, now dirt
Posts: 6,531
There are advantages and disadvantages to both. If you were arriving or departing at NRT instead of HND, I'd say the round-trip to Kyoto plus the airport train would make the Rail Pass pay for itself. For HND, which is in the city, that isn't necessarily the case. Likewise, if you were going to do another day trip outside of Tokyo metro region, such as Nikko or any of several other places, the Pass would pencil out. For travel in and around Tokyo, the Suica pass is much more versatile, working on virtually every transport option, where the Rail Pass is only good on JR trains.
Another consideration is that the Rail Pass is not accepted for the Nozomi shinkansen, which is the fastest and most frequent bullet train to/from Kyoto, new trains leaving every 5 to 10 minutes. The Rail Pass is good on the Hikari and Kodama trains which only leave a couple of times per hour.
You don't mention when you are going but most of us don't really recommend going "to Mount Fuji." If it is visible in the clouds, it can be viewed from any high place in Tokyo. Unless you are planning to climb the mountain, there are better uses of your time.
If you decide to do the more common visit, with a few days in Tokyo and a few in Kyoto, then I'd say the Rail Pass would be useful so you could add in a day trip to Himeji or Hiroshima. If you will only be doing a long day trip to Kyoto and spending your nights all in Tokyo, the Rail Pass would be less useful than a Suica Card and purchased tickets for the trip to Kyoto - unless you find a nice, moderately long day trip from Tokyo. The shorter trips to Kamakura and other nearby places would be payable with the Suica. Longer trips, like Nikko, would take advantage of the Rail Pass.
Another consideration is that the Rail Pass is not accepted for the Nozomi shinkansen, which is the fastest and most frequent bullet train to/from Kyoto, new trains leaving every 5 to 10 minutes. The Rail Pass is good on the Hikari and Kodama trains which only leave a couple of times per hour.
You don't mention when you are going but most of us don't really recommend going "to Mount Fuji." If it is visible in the clouds, it can be viewed from any high place in Tokyo. Unless you are planning to climb the mountain, there are better uses of your time.
If you decide to do the more common visit, with a few days in Tokyo and a few in Kyoto, then I'd say the Rail Pass would be useful so you could add in a day trip to Himeji or Hiroshima. If you will only be doing a long day trip to Kyoto and spending your nights all in Tokyo, the Rail Pass would be less useful than a Suica Card and purchased tickets for the trip to Kyoto - unless you find a nice, moderately long day trip from Tokyo. The shorter trips to Kamakura and other nearby places would be payable with the Suica. Longer trips, like Nikko, would take advantage of the Rail Pass.
Mar 21, 2017, 6:32 pm
#270
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 262
Hello everyone,
In November I will be in Japan for two weeks and I'm now in the process of closing my itinerary. I already decided what places to visit and how to split my time between them but currently I'm facing a big dilemma: buy the 7-day JR pass or the 14-day pass?
Here's my rough itinerary:
Day 1: Tokyo->Hiroshima
Day 2: Miyajima
Day 3: Hiroshima -> Himeji -> Kyoto
Day 4-5: Kyoto
Day 6: Osaka day-trip
Day 7: Nara day-trip -> Tokyo
Day 8-11: Tokyo
Day 12: Nikko day-trip
Day 13: day-trip (to one of: fuji five lakes, Hakone, Kamakura)
Day 14: Tokyo and fly home at night
My ideas and thoughts about this: I'm trying to move as little as possible because it is a pain in the a** to move every couple of days with luggage and to plan the days around check in/check out times without losing more than half a day. Because of this I left out places that take too long to reach, like Takayama or Matsumoto. Also, I will be there in the end of Koyo so I inverted the itinerary to follow Koyo because by the end of the trip (beginning of December) Miyajima will be out of season already.
Now the dilemmas.
- 7-Day pass: With the above itinerary I can use a 7-day JR pass but I also know that Kyoto needs more days. But adding more days to Kyoto will make one of the trips outside of the 7-day period. So I tried adding one more day to Kyoto, take advantage of ANAs or JLs internal flights, fly from Tokyo to Hiroshima (~10800 yen) and start using the JR pass on day 3. Cost wise it would be something like JR Pass 7-days (29110 yen) + Flight (10800 yen) + Tobu Nikko Pass (2670 yen) + trains/bus to airports (hiroshima: 1300 yen; narita: 2820 yen). The same as the 14-day JR pass.
If I keep the itinerary the cost will be JR Pass 7-days + Tobu Nikko Pass + train to Narita (total ~34600 yen).
Note that I did not add the second day-trip from Tokyo in both cases. I tried looking into the Tokyo Wide Pass for both trips but I don't think it justifies the cost for just two day trips because it also doesn't include inside Tokyo travel.
- 14-Day pass: It's expensive! However it allows a bit more flexibility with the itinerary. Like adding a day/night in Mount Koyasan or go from Kyoto to Lake Kawaguchi, stay the night and then head to Tokyo.
In conclusion, I know the writing is on the wall and to do this properly I should buy the 14-day pass. But what is your opinion? In what ways would you change the itinerary? What other recommendations can you give?
Thank you!
In November I will be in Japan for two weeks and I'm now in the process of closing my itinerary. I already decided what places to visit and how to split my time between them but currently I'm facing a big dilemma: buy the 7-day JR pass or the 14-day pass?
Here's my rough itinerary:
Day 1: Tokyo->Hiroshima
Day 2: Miyajima
Day 3: Hiroshima -> Himeji -> Kyoto
Day 4-5: Kyoto
Day 6: Osaka day-trip
Day 7: Nara day-trip -> Tokyo
Day 8-11: Tokyo
Day 12: Nikko day-trip
Day 13: day-trip (to one of: fuji five lakes, Hakone, Kamakura)
Day 14: Tokyo and fly home at night
My ideas and thoughts about this: I'm trying to move as little as possible because it is a pain in the a** to move every couple of days with luggage and to plan the days around check in/check out times without losing more than half a day. Because of this I left out places that take too long to reach, like Takayama or Matsumoto. Also, I will be there in the end of Koyo so I inverted the itinerary to follow Koyo because by the end of the trip (beginning of December) Miyajima will be out of season already.
Now the dilemmas.
- 7-Day pass: With the above itinerary I can use a 7-day JR pass but I also know that Kyoto needs more days. But adding more days to Kyoto will make one of the trips outside of the 7-day period. So I tried adding one more day to Kyoto, take advantage of ANAs or JLs internal flights, fly from Tokyo to Hiroshima (~10800 yen) and start using the JR pass on day 3. Cost wise it would be something like JR Pass 7-days (29110 yen) + Flight (10800 yen) + Tobu Nikko Pass (2670 yen) + trains/bus to airports (hiroshima: 1300 yen; narita: 2820 yen). The same as the 14-day JR pass.
If I keep the itinerary the cost will be JR Pass 7-days + Tobu Nikko Pass + train to Narita (total ~34600 yen).
Note that I did not add the second day-trip from Tokyo in both cases. I tried looking into the Tokyo Wide Pass for both trips but I don't think it justifies the cost for just two day trips because it also doesn't include inside Tokyo travel.
- 14-Day pass: It's expensive! However it allows a bit more flexibility with the itinerary. Like adding a day/night in Mount Koyasan or go from Kyoto to Lake Kawaguchi, stay the night and then head to Tokyo.
In conclusion, I know the writing is on the wall and to do this properly I should buy the 14-day pass. But what is your opinion? In what ways would you change the itinerary? What other recommendations can you give?
Thank you!