paperwastage

Two weeks around Thanksgiving, only had issues trying to get day-of/t+1 reservations for the Sakura train

(Hint: you should... runs westwards from shin-osaka to hakata/Kagoshima-Chuo

Reserved ordinary seating is 2x2, unreserved ordinary 2x3)

​​​​​​Almost all of the staff at the station ticket offices knew enough English(of course hyperdia made it very easy)

jtm1631

I have a question about some of the segments that are run by private companies other than JR and how that all works.

I will be traveling to Japan in May and between extended stays in Kyoto and Japan, we plan a couple nights in different areas. The first night will be near Shizuoka Station. This will be easy and we will just reserve the Shinkansen on the Tokaido line. The second stop will be a small onsen near the Izu-Okawa station. As I understand it, we will need to transfer at the Atami station. We can then take a local JR train from Atami to Ito. It is at this point that we will need to transfer to a line that does not accept the JR Pass.

My questions is how and when do we pay for the non-JR portion from Ito to Izu-Okawa? Google maps gives the impression that it does not require a change of trains. I'm confused as to how when we leave the station at Izu-Okawa, the ticket machines will know what station we started our journey and how much the fare is.

Any help is appreciated.

jib71

You should show your JR pass to the conductor on the train and tell him your destination. The conductor will sell you a ticket that will let you out at your destination. If you don't see a conductor, you will have to pay at the window by the exit gates at the station where you alight. You won't be able to put your pass into a fare-adjustment machine. The fare from the end of the JR line (ITO) to your destination (IZU-OKAWA) is 910 Yen according to Hyperdia.

AlwaysAisle

Many trains run direct from JR Ito line to IzuKyu line. It is less likely that you need to transfer train at Ito. However, if you end up transfer train at Ito then best is to buy a ticket for Ito - Izu-Ikawa which is 910 yen.

If you are on direct train then you pay to a conductor of the train after train departed from Ito. You have to buy a ticket from IzuKyu conductor, not from JR conductor.

Since Izu-Okawa is unmanned station, you will not have an option of paying at Izu-Okawa station ticket window after the arrival.

After departure from Ito, get on the last car of the train, that is where a conductor will be. Show your JR Pass and mention Izu-Okawa to a conductor will issue you a ticket.

Upon arrival at Izu-Okawa, a conductor will be out on station platform collection ticket from passengersbgetting off at Izu-Okawa since it is unmanned station. If you have exact change of 910 yen then you can pay to a conductor at a platform when you getting off at Izu-Okawa. I recommend this only if you have exact change.

jtm1631

Thank you for all the detailed information. Sounds like last car from Ito to Izu-Okawa is what we will want to do.

angra

Does anyone know of a method to purchase a JR Pass more than 3 months before use? I have a trip in August for which I intend to buy a pass, and for some accounting reasons it would be convenient (though not necessary) for me if I could purchase the pass before the end of March. My reading of the rules is that short of some sort of cancel and reissue dance, this is not possible.

jib71

I think there was a similar discussion here before - It's possible to purchase a gift voucher for the value of the pass from some travel agencies. Depending on the travel agent, the voucher may be valid for longer than 3 months and redeemable for a pass. I don't know if that would fly with your accounting.

angra

That might work! I just want to get the expense onto the books during 1Q if I can. Will check into this, thanks!

LapLap

Should it ever come up, under the "booking" tab
JR-EAST Passes | AccesRail
the two main JR EAST passes do seem to allow advance purchase of up to one year

jmj10

Hi all,
My husband and I are heading to Tokyo for 13 days, November 7-November 20th. Below is our itinerary.

November 7th: Arrive HND @ 8:30 PM
November 7th-8th: Tokyo Disney Resort Area
November 9th-11th: Tokyo, with one half day trip to the Suntory Whiskey Distillery
November 12th: A night in Hakone
November 13th-14th: Kyoto, one half day trip planned outside of city
November 15th: Hiroshima with a night in Miyajima
November 16th-17th: Osaka, one half-day day trip planned outside of city (probably to Kobe)
November 18th-19th: Tokyo, open to another half day trip
November 20th: Depart NRT at 5:30 PM

I was thinking the 14 day pass would be worth our time and money. Thoughts? Is the Green Car pass worth it for this time of year and these routes? Thanks!

abmj-jr

I would just get a 7-day Rail Pass for the 13th through 18th and pay cash for the rest. The Rail Pass is of very limited use while in and around Tokyo. I'd recommend a Suica card for subways and such while there. The value of the Rail Pass is for longer distance travel - Tokyo-Kyoto/Osaka round trip and Kyoto-Hiroshima-Osaka. It will also cover Kyoto-Nara or whatever 1/2 day trip you make.

jmj10

This makes a lot of sense... Thanks! Are transfers under an hour free in Japan on the Subway station? We're from Boston, and I'm just thinking of the system we use here.

beep88

There is no concept of "transfer" in general.

Fare is based on Origin - Destination using trains run by the same company. You can transfer unlimited times within the same company. I am not sure if there is a time limit. If you exit the gate to go shopping for 5 minutes, you have to pay again to get back. Or you're going to a train run by a different company, you need to pay a different fare for that train.

ksandness

Yes, in Minneapolis, for example, you can get off a bus or train, shop or whatever for two hours, and then get on another bus or train at no cost.

Tokyo is different. Within the stations of each of the companies (Metro subway, Toei subway, JR trains, private surface trains) you will find wall charts of the fares from Point A to Point B. Each system has multiple lines. If your entire trip is within one company's system, you go to the chart on the wall, find your starting point and destination, and either buy a ticket of that price or make sure that you have enough money on your Suica card for that fare. As long as you stay within the same system, you can transfer from one line to another (in fact, you may have to) without buying an extra ticket or tapping your Suica card again. You can also get off the train to buy something at a kiosk or use the toilet (not the most pleasant experience, but there are emergencies) and then stand on the platform to wait for the next train.

If you buy a single ticket for anything, hang onto it until the end of your trip, because you will have to insert it into the turnstile in order to exit the station. If you use a Suica, you will have to tap it on the turnstile to exit.

If you have to transfer between lines, that's a new ticket or a new deduction from the Suica card, and if a station serves lines belonging to two different companies, you will at least have to pass through a turnstile to get to the other line.

The JR Pass is not useful within Tokyo, even though there are JR commuter lines that accept the pass. However, the subway is the most convenient way to get around town, so the Suica smart card, which lets you use any kind of transit that a tourist is likely to need, including both subway systems and JR, is a better deal there.

Most large intercity train stations have automated turnstiles, and residents of Japan, who are not eligible for the JR Pass, buy individual tickets for intercity travel and use these automated turnstiles. As a pass holder, you should use the turnstile farthest to the right, which is originally intended for people in wheelchairs, and is staffed. Just show your pass to the attendant, who will wave you through.

abmj-jr

An added advantage here is that the gate attendant will also answer questions. The most common might be "which platform for XXX?" type of inquiries. Either show your itinerary or just ask where you should go for your next connection. Many attendants will speak English or at least understand the destination name and point you in the direction of the correct platform. When using the Japan Rail Pass, DON'T try to put your seat reservation ticket in the turnstyle. I made that mistake my first time years ago. It won't work. Just show the Rail Pass to the gate attendant and the seat ticket plus the Rail Pass to the conductor on-board.

Note that you will not need any ticket for local trains when using the Rail Pass but should make seat reservations for the shinkansen (bullet train) for your longer travel. I usually make such reservations for onward travel at the JR Travel Center at each station when I arrive. It saves later hassles coming back to the station during my visit. If circumstances change and I can't make the reserved train, I just abandon that reservation and make a new one or queue up for the unreserved car of the train I want. Of course, if you go with the green car, all seats are reserved.