GetSetJetSet

Landing from Saigon on Jan., 2 and need to get from NRT to Tokyo and onward to Nagano ASAP. Do trains really fill up to the point that if I don't reserve in advance it will likely be sold out during this period? Also, would like a train in a 2-3 hour window on Jan. 5 from Nagano to Kyoto, so same Q re that. IF I do need to reserve in advance, is there any sane way to do advance purchase without paying some TA a huge rip off fee? Thx!

AlwaysAisle

New Year is the biggest holiday in Japan so will be very busy travel period. Jan,. 2 (Thur.) should be less of a problem, as most will want to be at the destination before New Year, Jan. 1. but prepared to have to let go a train or two because trains were sold out.

As for Jan, 5 (Sun.) will be very busy travel period. The way the week is set Jan. 4 falls on Saturday this coming 2020, where Jan. 4 is typically the first work day of the year, but because Jan. 4 is on Saturday on 2020 Mon., Jan. 6 will be the first work day of the year on 2020. Which means every mother load of people in Japan will try to get home on Sunday, Jan. 5. Where it will feel like more than half of entire population in Japan will be heading toward Tokyo.

Getting tickets on Jan. 5 can be difficult. First, there is not a great way to reserve a JR ticket outside of Tokyo. Second, JR tickets go on sales one month in advance, which means tickets will go no sales on Dec. 5 for Jan. 5. On busy travel time like New Years train ticket can sell out on the day of the sales. Even if you use fee based service to get JR ticket for you, during busy travel season like New Years there is no guarantee that such service will able to secure a ticket for you.

GetSetJetSet

Seems crazy to me that an advanced, tech country like Japan doesn't have an online portal for anyone to buy train tickets in advance. I won't be heading to/from Tokyo on the 5th, will be going from Nagano to Kyoto, still a big problem? On the 2nd will need NRT Express tickets to Tokyo station then onwards to Nagano, will be evening. Any ideas? Thx.

Mizunara

They do, but the main portals (EkiNet and SmartEX) are geared towards Japanese residents with Japanese credit cards. As AlwaysAisle said, you should be fine getting tickets on the 2nd, since not as many people will be traveling then. Take a look at Smart EX for Shinkansen tickets, since they have an English version for tourists now. https://smart-ex.jp/en/

Gradfly

Isn't SmartEX limited to only the Tokaido and Sanyo lines?

Mizunara

That’s an oversight on my part, thanks. As you said, SmartEX is only for those two lines, while EkiNet covers the others along with the NEX and a few other limited express trains. For the Nagano->Kyoto leg, OP may be out of luck and not able to buy those until they get to Japan proper.

AlwaysAisle

Unfortunately, likelihood of facing "New Years Mass Migration" on 5th is likely rather than unlikely. On the 5th people are heading back to the major cities, three largest cities in Japan are Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. Heading toward any of those three cities on 5th you are with the flow of "Mass Migration."

Your options on Nagano - Kyoto trip on 5th by trains are:

Option 1:
Limited Express "Shinano"
Nagano-Nagoya

Shinkansen (Bullet Train)
Nagoya-Kyoto

You are heading to Nagoya form Nagano, which on the 5th heading to Nagoya will be way busier than opposite direction. Also, Nagoya-Kyoto portion of Shinkansen is heading toward Osaka. Usually both direction of Tokyo - Shin Osaka portion of Shinkansen on New Year will be busty. There use to be one trip a day "Shinano" which will extend the trip from Nagoya to Kyoto then to Osaka, yes, used to be able to make a trip from Nagano to Kyoto without transfer but Nagoya - Osaka extension portion of 'Shinano" was terminated few years ago. Now all Limited Express "Shinano" is Nagano-Nagoya only.

Option 2:
Shinkansen (Bullet Train)
Nagano-Tokyo

Shinkansen (Bullet Train)
Tokyo-Kyoto

Yes this will involve heading to Tokyo and on 5th trains to Tokyo will be packed. Again, usually Tokyo - Shin Osaka portion of Shinkansen is busy both direction.

Option 3:
Shinkansen (Bullet Train)
Nagano-Kanazawa

Limited Express "Thunderbird"
Kanazawa-Kyoto

This option is more of going around to avoid the flow of "Mass Migration." Nagano-Kanazawa portion is going against the flow so may have easier time. However, Kanazawa-Kyoto portion is heading toward Osaka. Final destination of Limited Express "Thunderbird" is Osaka which you are going with the flow of "Mass Migration."

Unfortunately, on the 5th it will be difficult for you to avoid facing the 'Mass Migration." You will not arrive to Japan till 2nd, and try to find available seats on 5th with three hours windows will be likely difficult. Every year usually very early train such as 6 a.m. and very late train such as train after 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. will show some availability during this "Mass Migration." Good luck.

paperwastage

Slightly off topic question

If a train (shinkansen/limited express/...) have unreserved seating cars, do they still 'sell out' for capacity reasons? How many tickets does JR sell?

As long as you have a valid ticket for the day (to get thru the gates), can't OP try to get on earlier cars for unreserved seating? Or is it not kosher to do this?


Japan is both advanced and not advanced. They still use fax machines and lots of paperwork to do stuff. Many legal documents required your hanko stamp, can't do e-sign

GetSetJetSet

An early train would work for me on the 5th, I will be skiing in Hakuba, and I would like to get to Nagano and on my way to Kyoto in time to drop my bags at or before lunchtime and have a full day seeing the sights. So, to be clear...

- If we are arriving around 3-4pm on 1/2 it shouldn't be too much of a problem to get from NRT to TYO Station to Nagano same day? At that point we won't be to Hakuba in time to do anything but sleep anyway, so being slightly delayed is no real concern.

- When we get to the station on 1/2 we can buy our tickets for 1/5 and hope for the best?

- There's no decent option to buy 1/5 tickets outside of Japan? If I found a friend of a friend IN Japan, could they buy 1/5 tickets for me on 12/5 and FedEx them to me or something? Thx.

- Do you think this is the sort of thing my hotel could take care of? Either the Hakuba hotel, or if I contacted the RC in Kyoto and asked them to purchase tickets and fwd them on to me? Thx

Thanks!

PS
Has anyone ever taken the direct bus from Narita to Hakuba? Miserable?

AlwaysAisle

Typical scene during New Year and Golden Week is that people who could not get a reserved seat will line up at a station for non-reserved seating. Typical at Tokyo station is that line extend beyond platform for non-reserved seating, after standing room only and a train car fill up like rush hour Yamanote Line trains then there just cannot be more passengers on board. People in line for non-reserved seating usually have to let go three to four trains before they can get on. That is at Tokyo station which is an origin station for Shinkansen, if you try to get on non-reserve seats at Shinagawa or Shin Yokohama..., good luck. People in Osaka area heading to Tokyo, some will back track and try to catch Shinkansen from Shin Kobe because at Shin Osaka there will be long line and trains will be packed.

AlwaysAisle

- If we are arriving around 3-4pm on 1/2 it shouldn't be too much of a problem to get from NRT to TYO Station to Nagano same day? At that point we won't be to Hakuba in time to do anything but sleep anyway, so being slightly delayed is no real concern.
I think you should be fine for 2nd heading from NRT to Nagano. Again, expect some trains will be sold out. May have extra transit at Tokyo station because nest Shinkansen to Nagano was sold out and you have to wait till next one. I am not that concerned with your trip to Nagano on 2nd.

- When we get to the station on 1/2 we can buy our tickets for 1/5 and hope for the best?
Yes, you can. But just give time at Narita Airport Station. Late afternoon at Narita Airport station there can be long line of non-Japanese visitors trying to exchange and activate JR Pass. It can take longer to wait in line, and once you get to an agent may take time searching for available seats for 5th. Again, 5th will be busy travel date, expect many trains seats will be sold out by 2nd and can take time to search for availability.

- There's no decent option to buy 1/5 tickets outside of Japan? If I found a friend of a friend IN Japan, could they buy 1/5 tickets for me on 12/5 and FedEx them to me or something? Thx.
Sure, technically your friend of friend in Japan can do that. I think it boils down to how much effort your friend of friend is willing to put in to secure a ticket on 5th. Again, during busy travel season of New Year and Golden Week some trains can sell out right after tickets go on sale a month before. It may be not like your friend of friend will go buy a ticket and that is it. Your friend of friend may have to search for availability, look for which train still has open seats. Before days of internet, for travel during New Year and Golden Week people used to line up outside of station ticket office on the day when ticket go on sale (one month before the travel) to secure the ticket. Even with that some will not able to get a ticket because it sold out.

- Do you think this is the sort of thing my hotel could take care of? Either the Hakuba hotel, or if I contacted the RC in Kyoto and asked them to purchase tickets and fwd them on to me? Thx
Again, it is all dependent on how much effort the hotel is willing to put on you. Obviously, you will not be the only hotel guest during New Year and it may not be easy to secure the ticket you want. Will the hotel put that much effort just on one guest, to you? I guess you can always ask, and worse it will happen is that they could not secure the ticket.

Has anyone ever taken the direct bus from Narita to Hakuba? Miserable?
I have not taken the direct bus from Narita Airport to Hakuba. However, Alpico Group which operates this bus service indicates on their website that Narita Airport - Hakuba service does not operate between Dec. 28 and Jan. 3.

beep88

Of course they do. Multiple websites for booking train tickets. Please do google search in Japanese. Foreign credit cards are accepted on most (if not all) sites.

Some routes can be booked on English sites.

GetSetJetSet

seems contrary to the other posts in here

BeachRat

One key distinction between much of this discussion and your original (general) question is that the base discussion has focused on people purchasing a JR pass and redeeming for tickets.

The JR Pass is only available for foreigners, and must be redeemed after you land in Japan, after which you can select specific rides.

Your question/statement (and beep's response) was more general (not specific to JR passholders), and purchase of single JR tickets is available in advance, online, for most anyone. There is a potential cost tradeoff, depending on your itinerary, however travel right around the New Year may just warrant taking this approach, and purchasing exactly one month out.

GetSetJetSet

For sure not planning to buy a JR Pass, just individual tickets. The Kyoto concierge wrote me saying:

1. It is correct that single journey tickets also can only be purchased in Japan, 1-month out

and

2. From Hakuba to Kyoto they think the bus is an easier option as the train requires several transfers

Thoughts? Thx!