Train Tickets and Recommendations
 

I'm traveling to Japan with several friends for the last 3 weeks of March. We plan to spend the 1st and 3rd week in Tokyo. For the first half of the second week, we plan to stay in Tokyo and for the remainder of week, we were thinking about Osaka. The general idea is to take in the atmosphere (find some local drinking establishments) and not rush around trying to see everything but still catching a few of the key sites. The group is made up of early 30's males with some traveling at different times.

Is it worth it to get the one week Rail Pass? I don't think it would cover travel from Tokyo to Kyoto, Kyoto to Osaka and Osaka to Tokyo because the first or final trip would be outside the 7 day window. Based on my interpretation of the Japan Rail prices, it looks like we would have more choices and probably lower cost by each ticket separately.

Should we travel somewhere other than Osaka? We have 3 nights still open.

Are there any day trips you would recommend, especially around Tokyo. With 2 weeks there, I think we could fit in at least a couple.

For Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, what are your recommendations for must see sites. If you recommend somewhere other than Osaka, what are the must see sites.

Thanks for any help

hello,
if you go from tokyo - kyoto - osaka - tokyo, it will cost you 29,730 YEN and if you buy the railpass it's 28,300. you are saving like $13 US bucks. i've done this trip before. i went to kyoto for 3 days and osaka 3 days. depends on what you want to accomplish but it is possible.
but if you're thinking about staying longer in osaka, go without the pass. you rather just buy the fare separately. it will save you more if you take off to osaka/kyoto the day you arrive because from narita to tokyo on express is $35 US bucks.

if you want to take other sightseeing trips that are closer than osaka/kyoto, you might want to visit hakone if you want to get away for a few days. it's only 2 hrs away, u get a nice view of mt. fuji while you're relaxing in the hot springs/onsen.
http://www.odakyu.jp/english/freepass/hakone_01.html

If you're traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto/Osaka and returning outside the 7 day window, I would just pay a regular ticket and go. You're not saving THAT much money on a 7 day JR pass for this route.

Alternately you can utilize overnight highway buses if you're wanting to save more money.

As for what to see in the Osaka/Tokyo areas as day trip, I defer to the search function.

Ya...I think you should just buy the tickets separately.

7-day rail pass is 28,300, which is about two Shinkansen tickets for Tokyo - Kyoto/Osaka (You don't really need Shikansen for Kyoto-Osaka).

Buying them separately...you can take Nozomi...which is faster (less stops) and runs more frequently.

Also JR is not so useful in Osaka...not to mention Kyoto...

Thanks for the input on the train tickets. I knew it was a close call either way but I think the flexibility of choosing any train will make the trip a little smoother.

I will search the forum for more input on must see sites at these locations.

Once you pick out some of the things that interest you feel free to post an initial itinerary.

People here are happy to help you get the most out of your trip. However, making one up from scratch for you, knowing nothing about your tastes or interests, isn't so fun for us or useful for you.

If I may piggyback here for a moment... I will be hitting Tokyo for the first time in April and have been pondering a similar question. I am bunking down in Tokyo the entire 8 days but am planning on taking the train to Kyoto for two day trips during my stay. I don't quite understand how the JR pass works for local travel but my feeling is that I should buy the 7 day pass as I think I can use that for local subway/metro service in Tokyo. I am also considering running down to Osaka for a day.

Given all of this... do those of you with experience with the JR pass and getting around in Japan think the 7 day pass would be a wise investment?

Thanks!!

If you plan to use a 7 day JR pass for a roundtrip from Tokyo to Kyoto (again returning within the 7 day validity) it pays itself off normally.

However there are other plans out there where you don't need a JR pass, for example sunrise tours:
http://www.japanican.com/sunrisetours
Offers Shinkansen roundtrip tickets PLUS hotel for a great deal

The JR Pass is only valid on JR trains (Japan Railways) and is not valid on subways/metros inside the cities. They are valid however on JR trains that operate within the city. A city like tokyo has subways(metros), JR trains, and other private rail.

Instead of doing two "day trips" from Tokyo, I would stay two days in Kyoto at least, the sunrise tour packages is actually cheaper then a JR pass, plus it includes accommodation, so something worth looking into.

For two return trips to Kyoto, the JR pass will save you money. (The cost of one return trip to Kyoto is roughly the same as the cost of the 7-day pass).

But make sure that you will do all of the travel within 7-days.

You cannot use the JR pass on the Tokyo subway system.

However, you can use the JR pass on JR lines within Tokyo. (including the Yamanote line which circles central Tokyo and the Chuo/Sobu lines which disect Tokyo from the East to West).

It is highly likely that you will want to make a few journeys on the excellent subway lines, which are not covered by the JR pass. But these journeys are generally just a couple of hundred yen each. No big deal.

If you arrive at Narita, I would suggest the following plan:

DAY 1 = Arrival at Narita

Ask the JR travel desk to activate your 7-day pass from DAY 2. You will not use the JR pass on DAY1.

If you want to make seat reservations for your trips to Kyoto on DAYS 2-8, you can do so at Narita Airport station.

Buy a Narita EXpress (N'EX) & SUICA combination package

Cost = 3,500 yen. The package comprises:
(1) A a one ticket from Narita Airport to Tokyo by Narita Express - worth about 3,000 yen
(2) A prepaid SUICA card with 1,500 yen worth of subway fare loaded on it (and 500 Yen refundable deposit).

The SUICA card will let you make subway trips in Tokyo and Kyoto and Osaka. You might need to charge it up with more credit as you use up the stored credit during the week.


DAY 2 to 8
DAY 2 is the day that your JR pass will become active.
You can use the JR pass for all JR journeys.

The JR pass is valid on Hikari trains to Kyoto and Osaka.
Seat reservations cost nothing if you show the pass at a JR ticket counter.
It is not valid on Nozomi trains. (the fastest and most frequent ones)

Hikari is good enough.

DAY 8
Use your JR pass for the Narita Express back to Narita.
Seat reservations cost nothing if you show the pass at a JR ticket counter.
(Yep - Its a JR train, you can ride for free with the pass).

Why would you do two return day trips to Kyoto rather than one overnight trip? Unless your goal is to ride trains as much as possible (in which case you definitely want a JR pass), this seems to make little sense -- the hotel cost for that night needn't be that high.

So to summarize, no, the JR pass makes no sense if all you're doing is travelling around Tokyo and doing one side trip to Kyoto.

My Recent Experience
 

Actually, I priced this out for green car travel. The 7 day JR green car pass cost Y37,800. A green car round trip ticket from Yurakucho Station (one stop south of Tokyo terminal on the Yamanote line) to Kyoto was priced by one of the ticket selling machines in mid-January at Y36,200. As you pointed out, a one-way trip on the Narita Express goes for around Y3,000. A daily pass bought at a JR station allowing one to ride around their network in inner metropolitan Tokyo goes for Y730.

We were in Japan for 9 days. The first day, we bought one-way point to point tickets on the Keisei Skyliner from Narita Terminal 1 to Ueno Station for Y1,920 each, and then on the Tokyo Metro from Ueno to Ginza (7 stops down the line) for Y160 each. The second day, we bought the JR Tokyo pass described below (I think it is called the "Tozunai Pass"). The third day, we validated our JR passes at Tokyo Station and used them on days 3-9.

I used my JR pass every day I had it, and made side trips to Niigata and Nikko with it--in addition to the sheer convenience of the pass, we got more than our money's worth of train rides.

In Tokyo, you can buy a one-day unlimited ride pass on all 18 subway lines (14 run by Tokyo Metro, 4 run by Toei) for Y1,000. When we toured around Tokyo on our last day there, we bought those, and got our money's worth as we used the subway 8 different times. An unlimited ride pass on the Tokyo Metro only goes for Y710. One way tickets start at Y160, and increase based on distance traveled.

If the OP is spending much time in the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area, there is a "KANSAI PASS" that you can buy out of ticket selling machines for Y1,700 per day, with discounts if you buy for multiple days. This pass is good on all JR surface trains, private railway operators (there are at least 6 of these), the separate subway systems in Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe.

Most ticket selling machines have a button you can press to get directions in English.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for all of the advice.

We have an assortment of people going and no set itinerary. We have the usual guidebooks but are placing an emphasis on a relaxing trip. I foresee late nights mixed with some light touring during the days. All of us are computer geeks, males and single. This will be the longest trip most of us have had since we graduated college. Everyone is laid back and will have fun just people watching. Given this background, do you have any recommendations for nightlife and are there any must see sites in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Guidebooks always list a top-ten but are there some hidden gems where we could stop and just take in the culture?

As for train travel, it sounds like the N'Ex/Suica combo pass would be a good way to start our ride in from NAR to Asakusa. We can just reload the passes from there as we travel. It sounds like the Suica pass will work in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka?

I'm still reviewing the wiki pages so I'm sure I will be back with more questions.

I imagine that it does sound strange. My hotel in Tokyo is booked via an award the entire time I am there. I will probably not schedule back-to-back days in Kyoto as I want two shoot (photog) both morning and late evening.

I think that I will follow jib71's excellent advise. The JR pass will allow me shoot out to places not too distant from Tokyo during the week as well.

Thanks for everyone's input. I am greatly looking forward to spending a week in Japan with just me and my camera. First vacation in 5 years and very much needed. :D

Between Tokyo and Kyoto over the last 3 months of March, the likelihood is quite good that you will catch the sakura (cherry blossom) season.
If what you want is to take it easy and people watch, sounds to me that spending at least a day amongst the blossom viewing parties might be ideal for you.

I still have no real handle on you or your interests (we don't even know where you're from). You would be helping us help you by actually stating which attractions/sights in guidebooks and in this forum have so far appealed to you. I don't know whether you want us to recommend coffee shops with glass frontages over busy areas, or sporting events, or shopping districts, or areas where young people go to hang out, either on dates or to show off their clothes. Do you want to go to commercial neighbourhoods where people present a formal professional image of themselves, or mix with locals buying their groceries in residential areas. What do you do in other cities when you go 'people watching'?

Everyone seems to come to Japan with their own expectations, and no matter how odd those expectations might appear to be, most people seem to satisfy and fulfill them.

Top ten lists are top ten because of their universal appeal (apart from Tokyo Tower - which I'd suggest you avoid unless you area connoisseur of kitsch). 'Hidden gems' are often overlooked for good reason - they don't appeal to everyone. So I can offer you this thread
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=728752 (and point out the Osaka Onsen Ikkyu http://www.onsen19.com/ as an interesting place to kick back, relax and people watch)
Some more off the beat recommendations here
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=477341 (about gardens)
And if you really want to people watch then go to a festival (like this one not too far from Osaka)
and yet I'll have no idea as to whether any of those will be suitable or attractive to you.

I'll just recommend the Quirky Japan website which has lots of good suggestions and leave it at that for now.
Tokyo - http://www.quirkyjapan.or.tv/Cool.html
Osaka - http://www.quirkyjapan.or.tv/kansai.htm