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jr pass or not / shinkasen train

Hi!

i'm planning to go in japan in april 2016

my itinerary looks like 5 days in kyoto and 8 or 9 days in tokyo.
in tokyo i was expecting more the subway.

JR PASS
so i'll use the train for:
-one way kyoto-tokyo
-transportation in kyoto( how much is it the local train in regular ticket ? is there's a pass i can buy on place like 2 days or...)

SHINKASEN
-does everybody got a seat on the train?
-is there's places for the luggages ?
-do nozomi,hikari and kodoma are in the same station ?

thanks

Comments

  • edited June 2015
    If you are only going one way Kyoto to Tokyo, then a 7 day JR Rail pass
    would not pay off for you. You'd need to add a lot more itinerary, such as several long distance side trips. It also is of limited use to see Kyoto. You can use it to go to Arashiyama, or the Fushimi Inari Shrine, which is rated as one of Kyoto's best.

    There is a 500 yen Kyoto bus pass you could buy, however. You could fly on a low cost carrier like Jet Star or Peach to go from Osaka to Tokyo. Since about 3 days in Tokyo is enough, you could take some trips to nearby places. There is a Kanto Area Pass that might save you some money.
    Good luck.
  • Hi

    I am traveling to Nagatuke near Nagoya in a fortnight for 2 weeks with my two teenage kids. I am planning on traveling to Nagoya , (subway system??), Inuyama (JR system?) and prob Tokyo for a day or two (Shinkansen?)
    Does the JR pass cover all rail services inc subway? Not sure if it is worth buying if I haven't got a full travel itinerary?? or if I only will be traveling locally on subway system?

    Any help or suggestions appreciated!!


    Thanks

    Nick
  • Hi Nick,

    The JR Pass is valid on all the JR lines all over Japan (except the Nozomi and the Mizuho Shinkansen). It is also valid on the Tokyo Monorail, and the JR Miyajima ferry.

    The JR Pass is not valid on the subway/metro/private (non-JR) railway lines such as: Hakone-Tozan, Nankai Koya, Fujikyu, Kitakinki-Tango. Some JR trains do travel over non-JR tracks and JR Pass holders are required to pay a supplement for this part of the journey (either on board or at the station).

    If you will mostly be travelling locally it may not be worth it, but if you plan on using the shinkansen quite a lot for long distance journeys, the JR Pass is very cost effective. Once you have your itinerary, it'll be easier for you to make a decision.

    Kind regards,

    Japan Experience
  • Hi

    Iam travelling to Japan in Nov with my son.

    Arriving Tokyo 9 Nov
    9/11 TYO - Nikko
    12/11 Nikko - Kanazawa
    15/11 Kanzawa - Hakone
    17/11 Hakone - Yokohama
    20/11 Yokohama - TYO

    How best should I travel? JR? Should I buy 21 days flexible pass?

    Thanks.
    Daisy
  • Hi Daisy,

    There is no 21 day flexible JR Pass. All national JR passes are only valid for consecutive days. As you are travelling quite a lot it may still be worth purchasing it. Having the JR Pass will then also give you the flexibility to travel and visit more places should you wish to do so.

    Kind regards,

    Japan Experience
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