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Itinerary, 7 or 14 day pass. Green vs Regular pass

Hello and thanks in advance for any help.

I am going to Japan in march my titnerary is as follows

Arrive 18/03 at narita-Tokyo (staying at tokyo station)
19/03 Tokyo
20/03 Tokyo-Kyoto
21/03 Kyoto
22/03 Kyoto
23/03 Kyoto-Kobe-Kyoto
24/03 Kyoto-Nara-Kyoto
25/03 Kyoto-Osaka-Kyoto
26/03 Kyoto-Himeji-Kyoto
27/03 Kyoto-Tokyo
28/03 Tokyo
29/03 Tokyo-Nikko-Tokyo
30/03 Tokyo
31/03 Tokyo-Mt Fuji or Kamakura (havent decided)- Tokyo
01/04 Tokyo
02/04 Tokyo- Narita to take flight back home

I would activate the 14 day pass either on my arrival and then get a bus limousine back to Narita on my departure or i would activate it the 20Th (when i go to kyoto) and use it to get back to Narita.

Also besides the extra leg room, is there any real advantage on the Green pass vs the regular one, taking into account the trains i have to take with this itinerary?

Thanks again for your help

Comments

  • Hi,
    Well, obviously looking at your plans a 7 day pass would not work. By my calculations you are just over breaking even if you go to Nikko and the Fuji area along with everything else. For Mt Fuji you'd still need to choose either Hakone or the Fuji 5 Lakes area.
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5200.html
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6900.html
    If the former, you can take the bullet train to Odawara, and then use a Hakone Free Pass to see the sights.
    The Hakone Loop Course
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5210.html
    is a common way to see the area and takes a full day.
    If the latter, you can only go up to Otsuki by JR; after that you need to pay for the Fujikyu train the rest of the way.

    You timing at the end of your trip is good to see the start of the cherry blossoms, and current forecasts generally predict an average start this year. There are some popular places listed at
    https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011.html
    Expect the places in the big cities to be jammed with people though.

    At the start of your trip, you also might have good time to see the plum blossoms as well. They look like the cherry blossoms but are their own special treat. One of the better places is the Kairakuen Garden in Mito.
    https://goo.gl/LLwUyz
    https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6201.html

    For Himeji, aside from having Japan's best castle, don't miss the Kokoen Garden next door. To fill up the whole day, you can also go to the top of Mt Shosha for the big temple complex there,

    As far as the green pass goes, there is not much beyond the extra seating. When the train stops the green cars are usually closer to the exit, and a few other minor things. I have never heard anyone complaining about the ordinary seats though. If you want, you can see pictures of both at
    http://bit.ly/2mgKS3U

    For one of your trips to/from Narita, the cheapest way is the 1000 yen bus.
    http://accessnarita.jp/en/home/
    It costs just 1/3 of the limousine bus, but if you have a lot of bags and are staying at one of the big tourist hotels the orange limousine bus stops at, the limousine bus can be more convenient.

    You can see regular fares, routes and schedules on Hyperdia.
    http://www.hyperdia.com
    Under "More Options", be sure to uncheck the Nozomi box since you can't ride that train using the pass.

    You can see previews of some of the best places to see in Japan on:
    https://www.youtube.com/user/thejapanfaq/videos

    There are also loads of other tips on
    http://www.thejapanfaq.com/the-best-japan-travel-tips/

    Best wishes.

  • Tenjin,

    Thank you very much. I will get the 14 day pass, since even if it is a bit close in the savings it is very convenient not to have to worry about getting tickets every time.

    On your recomendations, which of the two Mt Fuji alternatives do you find better. The Hakone Free pass seems nice, since you use boat, ropecar, train and bus, but i got a bit mixed with the 5 lake option. Do you have any pros and cons on these 2 alternatives??

    Thanks again
  • Hi,
    It's all up to which appeals to you more. There are many different places and each has some variety, although the Hakone Loop Course is pretty efficient with little backtracking.
    If you have a JR Pass, it is also more convenient to just take the bullet train to Odawara and see Hakone faster.
    All up to you, really.
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