Seishun 18 (Juhachi) Kippu Ticket

Hi. This is Claudie. I will be traveling to Tokyo on 03 Sep 2013'-12 Sep. I found that seishun kippu pass can cover my travel period on Septemper,so I can save more. I have few question regarding seishun kippu pass vs JR RAIL pass.

1. can i use seishun 18 kippu ticket to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto?
A. If yes, how does it work and estimate how many hours?
B. If No, should I buy 7 days JR rail pass instead of buying single ticket to Kyoto?

2. If we only travel between Tokyo city and hakone for 10 days 9 night vocation, will you recommend us to buy single ticket or seishun kippu pass?
A. Is that convenience as I heard that this pass only cover local train and some rapid bus and etc.

B. According to above option 1 & 2 , do I still have to purchase the 7 days JR rail pass? Worth it?

Conclusion: actually I found the JR pass is very costly for me. Even expensive than my flight. So I try to find some way to save the transportation fees if it is possible. If seishun kippu pass does not cover any transport to Kyoto from Tokyo, then I might cancel it in my itinerary.

I will be traveling to Tokyo on 03 Sep 2013'-12 Sep. I found that seishun kippu pass can cover my travel period on Septemper,so I can save more.

Note the sale period which ends earlier than the use period. However, the dates for summer 2013 have not been confirmed yet. They are unlikely to be different than usual.

1. can i use seishun 18 kippu ticket to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto?

Yes.

A. If yes, how does it work and estimate how many hours?

It is explained under "By local trains":
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2363.html

This page can also give you an idea, although the given times are not up-to-date anymore:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2362_01.html

You can look up actual connections here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2362_01.html

De-select everything in the "Search Details" except "Japan Railways(JR)" and "Ordinary Train" to get the train connections that can be used by the Seishun 18 Kippu.

B. If No, should I buy 7 days JR rail pass instead of buying single ticket to Kyoto?

The Japan Rail Pass does not pay off unless you make a round trip between the two cities within 7 days or do some other major trip.

If you want to save on a trip from Tokyo to Kyoto, I recommend you use an overnight bus:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2363.html
http://willerexpress.com/

2. If we only travel between Tokyo city and hakone for 10 days 9 night vocation, will you recommend us to buy single ticket or seishun kippu pass?

Certainly not. As a rule of thumb, the ticket only pays off if you use local/rapid trains for at least 2300 yen per day. A round trip between Tokyo and Hakone by Odakyu Railways costs only 1700 yen.

If you have five people who want to use the JR Tokaido Main Line to travel between Tokyo and Odawara in a day trip, then a Seishun 18 Kippu would be a little bit cheaper than regular tickets.

Is that convenience as I heard that this pass only cover local train and some rapid bus and etc.

The Seishun 18 Kippu does not cover any rapid bus. Its biggest weakness is inconvenience, indeed.

According to above option 1 & 2 , do I still have to purchase the 7 days JR rail pass?

Certainly not. Nobody has to purchase any pass. And according to my understanding of your itinerary, regular tickets would come cheaper than a rail pass.

Again, if you want to save money on a trip from Tokyo to Kyoto, I recommend to use the overnight bus.