I'm planning on activating my rail pass on the day I arrive Japan (Tokyo) and taking the shinkansen to hakodate, will it be easy to get a seat on the day I arrive? Or would it be possible to book before I arrive in Japan?
It should be possible to get a seat on the Shinkansen the day you arrive, however it does depend on when you plan to travel and of course we can't guarantee you a seat. Some dates and times of day are busier than others.
According to the website, it is possible to book online 30days in advance for a Hokkaido shinkansen ticket, however you have to collect the reservation ticket latest one day before the departure (of the train?). The problem is, I plan to take the shinkansen on the day I arrive in Tokyo, I am not able to collect the ticket in time as I have not touched down Tokyo yet.
Hi thanks for your information about reserving spaces in JR East. Is it also possible to reserve seats when heading towards Kyoto/Himeji, and is it possible to reserve seats when the JR pass hasn't been activated yet?
Comments
It should be possible to get a seat on the Shinkansen the day you arrive, however it does depend on when you plan to travel and of course we can't guarantee you a seat. Some dates and times of day are busier than others.
It is possible to book online in advance (up to 30 days before your intended travel date) on the JR EAST website here:
https://www.eki-net.com/pc/jreast-shinkansen-reservation/English/wb/common/Menu/Menu.aspx
Hope this helps!
Japan Experience
According to the website, it is possible to book online 30days in advance for a Hokkaido shinkansen ticket, however you have to collect the reservation ticket latest one day before the departure (of the train?).
The problem is, I plan to take the shinkansen on the day I arrive in Tokyo, I am not able to collect the ticket in time as I have not touched down Tokyo yet.
Is there anything I can do?