Rail/JR passes vs. Individual tickets

[WCR91]

Here comes another question.

When I visit Japan, let's say that I want to do a few things involving the train:
-I want to ride from Tokyo to Kyoto, and then back at a later date.
-I want to ride the subway while I am in Tokyo (and also Kyoto if Kyoto has a subway system--as I am rather uneducated on Kyoto, I don't know--)
-I might like to ride the train to some surrounding places if they're worth my time.

Now, I've read a lot about using the JR 7 and 14 day passes, but I've also heard of using individual tickets for the "nozomi" trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen.

However, do the 7 and 14 day JR passes also work for the local subways?

My question is, will it be more practical in the long run for me to buy tickets for the nozomi train and for the local subways or to buy the JR pass and buy everything else separately?

[Belton]

I'm pondering the economics of the railpass myself at the moment.

Have a look at this site for prices and timetables (not just JR)
http://www.hyperdia.com/
click on the English button on the left.

(Hikari )Tokyo to Kyoto 13200 yen 1 way. (returns are 20% less than 2 singles I think)
so between 26200 and 21120 yen

Nagoya to Takayama is about 6000 1 way I think. Prices seem to have a direct relationship to distance. You pay per kilometre. Nozomi isn't covered by the rail pass but I don't think the 30 min difference is a big deal to holiday makers.

28300 --7 day pass.
45100 --14 day pass.

Do the math. To get full value from a 14 day pass you'd probably need to go down to Kyushu.
The other possibility, and I have no idea how feasible it would be, is to fly into Kansai but fly out of Narita (or vice versa). As long as this costs no more than flying in and out of a single airport, you would then probably have a cheaper time of it using rail as you'd only have a single shinkansen journey to make. Or you could do most of your train journeys on a 7 day pass in the middle of a 2 week trip.

I think however the temptation of a pass is to wring the most out of it. I had a fleeting idea of going from top to tip of Japan on the rail pass! 3000 km? Probably no time to stop anywhere! I might do it some day, but it'd have to be in style using the green pass!!

So the pass can be good value, especially if you go a bit further than Kyoto and Tokyo.
side trips to Nara, Osaka, Himeji, Kobe from Kyoto for instance. or kamakura and nikko from Tokyo not to mention the train between Narita and Tokyo. (I still think Kansai and Centair airports are worth investigating, as a more pleasant experience especially if you'll be using a rail pass and visiting Kyoto or Nagoya as well as Tokyo)
The other thing to bear in mind is that it cuts down on interaction with ticket offices if you are unsure of your Japanese. It can be a wave at the barrier experience rather than try to explain where you want to go, and have them try to explain the complexities of Japanese railway ticketing and transfers. Also if you are adventurous you don't have to plan it so much, you can get on and off trains on a whim.

I don't know Tokyo, but in Kyoto the main subway wasn't run by JR so therefore wasn't on the pass (nor my 2 day ticket, which was about 2000 I think for unlimited bus and subway) Buses are the best way to get about Kyoto I'd say. (Also just to mention in passing kintetsu seems to cover more of Kansai/Kinki than JR, so when I travelled in Kansai a JR pass wasn't economical for what I wanted to do)


You might want to read this guide. It's been revised recently so should be fairly up to date.
http://www.amazon.com/Japan-Rail-Ramsey ... 873756976/
I've used the first edition and it seemed good.

[WCR91]

"I think however the temptation of a pass is to wring the most out of it. I had a fleeting idea of going from top to tip of Japan on the rail pass! 3000 km? Probably no time to stop anywhere! I might do it some day, but it'd have to be in style using the green pass!!"

I have a friend who resides in Shizuoka, which is something like 600 km from tokyo. With the fast Shinkansen, he can get there in something like 2 and a half hours.

So depending on what sort of train you use, you'll have time to stop! I'm just not sure which trains and where, unfortunately.

[JonB]

I have a friend who resides in Shizuoka, which is something like 600 km from tokyo. With the fast Shinkansen, he can get there in something like 2 and a half hours.

Is actually 180 km and will take about an hour... Is your friend somewhere else?

A good site for train travel including time and cost is Jorudan

Gerneral rule of thumb that I use is that if a visitor is going to Kyoto and back within a week and using JR to get around Tokyo plus maybe Nikko & Kamakura then get the pass (seems to be quite a common itinery..)

[WCR91]

Oh, dear. I must have miserably blown my numbers out of proportion. All I know is that he can get quite a far distance over a very short amount of time. Sorry for that gross exaggeration.

[WCR91]

using JR to get around Tokyo

Hmm. JonB-san, is the JR used on the subway, as well?
That's my main question.

[Belton]

Is Pass used on subway.

Apparently not according to the guides I've read. There is a circle line run by JR, The Yamamote Line, that goes a lot of places but most of the network isn't JR.
I'd expect a day pass to be 1000 or 1500

there's information here
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2017.html

to digress
I also put in the distant points into Hyperdia.
Kagoshima to Tokyo 1500km 12 hours
Tokyo to Wakkanai 1600km 15 hours
In theory it might be done in a day. Wouldn't be too comfortable even in the Green car.
Even a week as a tour it'd be a fairly tiring journey I think.

[JonB]

Is Pass used on subway.

Apparently not according to the guides I've read. There is a circle line run by JR, The Yamamote Line, that goes a lot of places but most of the network isn't JR.
I'd expect a day pass to be 1000 or 1500

You can get around to a lot of the major sites in Tokyo on the JR if you want to using a combination of Yamanote (green), Chuo (orange) and Sobu (yellow) lines. Between the likes of Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Ebisu, Akiharbara and Ueno there are much better connections by JR. So a JR pass is not wasted in Tokyo but you should use in combination with at least one long distance shinkansen journey to make it pay...

Daily metro tickets are 700yen I believe.

The new Pasmo system covers most buses, JR and subway lines and there are discuounts involved - just not figured it all out yet as it is only 5 days old...

JonB

[Liz21]

My friend in Japan gave me this website:

http://www.jtbusa.com/jphome/jrpass.asp

She said I should buy my pass in the U.S. before going to Japan. But, I don't know where to buy this pass?

Any comments on this? Thanks!

[Belton]

Liz-san,
Did you follow the link at the end of that page?
There are 2 JTB offices in Chicago where you should be able to buy the Rail Pass Exchange Order.

[annie]

You have to buy your pass before you leave, it can't be bought here in Japan.

My mom bought hers over the internet I think.
She spent 2 weeks here, but only got the 1 week pass.

We did Tokyo-Nara-Kyoto-Tokyo with the pass, which still saved money over buying the individual tickets. (I'm not eligible for a pass, which is irritating. Had I had a pass as well we probably would have gone to Hiroshima for a day too since it's a quick shinkansen ride from Kyoto.) And then did Tokyo, Nikko, and Fuji-san when the pass wasn't valid. (You can get to Nikko and Fuji with JR trains but it takes ages longer than other methods.)

[Liz21]

Thanks for these tips!! Belton san, haha, I never looked at the bottom of the page! Anyway, the "Chicago" offices picture looks like downtown Chicago, which is easily accessible, but both the offices are distantly located in faraway suburbs!! I don't mind taking a littl trip to get the pass, though1 Thanks, again!

[Outkast]

OH!! OH!! Question!

If I was going to be in Kyushu for a year, traveling both within a local city and around the island (and occasionally off the island,) what would be the best options? Is there a rail pass for this? Would a year be too long to make a rail pass worthwhile?

[Bueller_007]

OH!! OH!! Question!

If I was going to be in Kyushu for a year, traveling both within a local city and around the island (and occasionally off the island,) what would be the best options? Is there a rail pass for this? Would a year be too long to make a rail pass worthwhile?

You can't get a rail pass that lasts that long. Just buy regular tickets, or the discount ones that sometimes come up throughout the year.

[Belton]

OH!! OH!! Question!

If I was going to be in Kyushu for a year, traveling both within a local city and around the island (and occasionally off the island,) what would be the best options? Is there a rail pass for this? Would a year be too long to make a rail pass worthwhile?

I doubt it'd be worthwhile.

Firstly you can only get a JR Pass if you have a temporary visitor visa, which is a 90 day visa. (I suppose you could visit Pusan every 90 days)
Next, the exchange order can only be purchased outside Japan and is only valid for 3 months. (Again you might be able to restock in Pusan)

To get value I think you'd need to do a lot of travelling. It would be worth it for a return trip to Kyoto say.

You sound as if you'd be living in a city like Nagasaki or Fukuoka.
I'm sure they have weekly or monthly commuter tickets that'd be much more appropriate than a JR pass.

Also Kyushu JR has it's own 3, 5 and 7 day passes. Again they need a temporary visitor visa but they can be bought in Japan. the 5 day one is 16,000. (compared to 28,300 for the 7 day full JR pass) easily less than most return fares.

And for some short breaks you might have other options especially as you probably wouldn't feel pressed for time. Highway bus for instance. or the Seishun 18 Kippu or even normal train fares if you don't take a limited express.