Pickles

It seems that particular offer has expired. However, other offers will pop up regularly. To buy such tickets, any JR View Plaza at JR stations should be able to sell you one.

MegatopLover

Thanks, Pickles. I have one more, hopefully my last, question.

I looked on the JR Central price charts for Nozomi tickets from Tokyo to Kyoto. One-way unreserved in the standard car, they were coming in around 13,000 yen (a bit more for reserved), if I understood the chart correctly, which is consistent with what has been stated above in this thread. That would make the standard round-trip cost 26,000 yen per pax. As far as I could tell, those are walk-up fares at the station and pretty much sold only at the stations, as Pickles indicated. Perhaps I can buy it a few days in advance, but I think I read on a JR website that ticket sales only start 30 days prior to the train's departure.

I called our local office of JTB, Japan Travel Bureau, to inquire about purchasing Shinkansen tix in advance. The guy who answered tried to sell me a 7-day JR Rail Pass. I know those are no good on a Nozomi and I only need one day, since we're going down and back the same day, so I was highly skeptical that he was just trying to sell me what he could sell me. The agent said that walk-up fares for Shinkansens get pricier as you get closer to the departure date just like airline tickets do, and that if I wait 'til I get there it should be about $700 for a roundtrip Tokyo-Kyoto, at which price I might as well fly. I told him I was getting roundtrip for about 26,000 yen on JR Central charts, though perhaps I misunderstood the charts. He didn't dispute that but told me to "jump on it" and take a fare that low while I can get it. (Of course he knows full well I can't buy that in advance online, so he's just trying to get me to buy the 7-day JR pass from him.)

This sounds like absolute hogwash to me. What gives?

jib71

Looks like several questions - but who's countin?

(1) Prices
A "normal" ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto via "Nozomi" train is 13,520yen.
(Hikari prices are 200 yen cheaper)

(2) Advance purchase

How about using the Eki-net website, which is provided by JR-East:
http://www.world.eki-net.com/

I should warn you that this website is really "clunky" - For example, there's no "real time" availability information. You must submit a request form and wait for an email response which confirms a reservation - or tells you that your request cannot be met. (This is totally useless if, like me, you are seeking seats at a peak travel time when many of the requested trains have no available non-smoking seats).

Also - You should note that the service is offered by JR-East, so you have to go to a JR-East office to pick up your tickets. Heaven forbid that you should walk into a JR-Central or JR-West office and expect them to be able to issue tickets for the reservation you made on JR-East's website...

The website requires you to register a credit card prior to making any reservations - and if you don't show up at a JR-East office to collect your ticket, they will simply charge it to your card.

I believe you can make reservations more than one month in advance. Not sure about that though....

Go on - ask another question. You know you want to.....

abmj-jr

It IS hogwash. Shinkansen ticket prices are set. Just go to a "green window" or JR View Plaza and buy your tickets. If you can get to any station a few days in advance, you can assure your seat reservations, but same-day will do in most cases. If you know when you are going, it is probably easiest to just buy the tickets at the airport station on arrival and not worry about it later.

JR

jib71

This agent is either lamentably misinformed ... or deliberately trying to pull a fast one on you. In either case, you should complain to JTB, which is a reputable company with good integrity. I am quite sure that JTB will take the appropriate steps to ensure that their office provides better information to the next passenger in your position.

NOTE - There is a good reason to buy your tickets early. The reason is because trains can get booked up at peak travel times.

As Pickles pointed out, it is worth looking out for specially discounted packages which are offered from time to time. But rest assured that the "regular" price ticket will not change as you get closer to the departure date. JR will charge the same amount one week in advance as they do five minutes in advance.

JR will not charge you $700 for a roundtrip to Kyoto. PERIOD.

Please complain to JTB.

Pickles

As abmj-jr points out, you came across somebody with a pretty fertile imagination. Was this person Japanese? I would find it odd that somebody Japanese would have both the imagination and lack of mooring to spin such a yarn. I have bought those 13,000 yen one way tickets 10 minutes before departure. If I bought it a week before, it would still be the same 13,000 yen.

railroadtycoon

I agree biggest baloney I've heard, ticket prices are set and fixed, regular tickets will cost the same amount if purchased 1month before or 5minutes before departure.

MegatopLover

THANK YOU, everyone! You've all been most reassuring. Getting out the right information and helping members steer clear of a bad deal is what FT is all about, you know? I don't know if this guy had tragically bad information or was being deceptive just to sell me what he could sell me, but either way he was putting out bad info. I'm glad I wasn't taken, thanks to FT.

I'll try that Eki-net website to try to book tickets. I'll post here again to report if I've been successful.

BTW: The fellow I spoke with at the Atlanta office of JTB did not seem to be Japanese. He sounded like a white boy with a country Southern drawl--not a bad one, but certainly noticeable. If I can figure out an appropriate place to report him to JTB, I will.

MegatopLover

The Eki-net site looks like it will work, but only from 30 days out. I'll book it in November. Thanks again to everyone for the help and advice.

Q Shoe Guy

Actually we should all complain about JTB........they are one of the main reasons why we see such horrendous prices for travel to and from Japan !

Pickles

Just curious, why do you say that? Are you talking about airfares? I wasn't aware JTB had any say on airfares, but maybe there's something I don't know?

Q Shoe Guy

Pickles I could go on at nauseum about JTB , but suffice it say they are a bull in a china shop! They are what is wrong with the travel market in Japan. If they really want to de-regulate they should start by dismantling this behemoth . IMHO.....

jib71

Can't give you an email, but a fax to the number below should get your message to the right place eventually:

JTB Bldg.2-3-11,
Higashishinagawa,
Shinagawa-ku,Tokyo,
Japan 140-8604
TEL : +81-3-5796-5400
FAX : +81-3-5495-0688

I would suggest addressing the fax to the "Inbound Travel Division / North American Agency Sales Dept."

QShoe may know things that I don't about the issues with the travel market in Japan. But my experiences with JTB have all been positive.

I've had dealings with JTB for the past four years and I find them to be a top-class, customer focused organization.