Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka Transportation

Hi,

Apologies if this topic have been discussed before, but after researching online i am still a bit confused on Japan's shinkansen and transportation system, specifically for Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka.

1. I was advised to purchase a SUICA IC card for my Tokyo transport, and ICOCA IC card+ Kyoto 1 day/ 2 day bus pass for my trip to Kyoto-Osaka. Is this ok? or is there a better and more cost-efficient method?

2. Can the ICOCA card be used for Kyoto-Osaka-Kyoto trains and Kyoto-Arashiyama-Kyoto trains/bus?

3. I will be arriving in Narita on 4 April 2015 @ 9 AM, and plan to go to Kyoto on the 12 pm-ish Shinkansen train;

a. would this be feasible?

b. Should i buy an advance shinkansen ticket or JR Pass? or is it possible for me just to buy the ticket upon arrival?

c. In regards to JR Pass, does the price differ greatly compared to if we just buy shinkansen tickets on the day of travel?

d. Does the Narita Express need to be booked in advance as well? or can i just buy upon arrival?


Thanks again,

Mela

If you go directly from the Narita airport to Kyoto, no need to pay for a Suica imo. You can purchase the ICOCA card and then use it in Tokyo. (If you go back to Tokyo...)

Icoca can be used for the trains, not yet for buses (I think it's planned for spring 2015?).

You don't live in Japan, you can't book train tickets in advance (The JR East Shinkansen Reservation office is the only one with an English version that allows online booking I think). In most cases it's totally okay to buy tickets/reserve seats just a few minutes before departure (keep public holidays in mind!)

If a JR pass is worth it or not or if you should buy individual tickets depends on your itinerary.

A Tokyo-Kyoto roundtrip makes the cost break even, add a few daytrips, you totally got your money's worth.

The Narita express is an all reserved train, you have to buy tickets or in case you have a JR pass, get seat reservations for free. No advance overseas booking available.

I mean, JR pass for 7 days = Tokyo-Kyoto roundtrip = cost roughly the same as the individual tickers

Post your complete itinerary then we can tell you if the JR pass is worthwhile to you.

Correction: You can reserve seat tickets in advance for Narita express.

Reservations can be made from one month before your departure date

I would be travelling back to Tokyo;

Here's a rough itinerary:

4 April 2015: Arrive in Narita (9am), take a 12pm shinkansen to Kyoto)

5 April: Kyoto (City and Arashiyama)

6 April: one day trip Kyoto-Osaka-Kyoto or Kyoto-Kobe-Kyoto

7 April: Catch the earliest shinkansen to Tokyo; imperial Palace, Shinjuku-Shibuya, Tokyo Tower, Ueno Park

8 April: Lake Kawaguchiko, Mount Fuji (is this considered a one day trip or just a half day trip?) or Yokohama

9 April: Akasuka, Akihabara, Odaiba

10 April: Disney Sea

11 April: Depart Tokyo

- based on this, do you think i should buy a JR Pass?

- So in Tokyo i could just use ICOCA card and no need to purchase a SUICA card? because i read that ICOCA card only can be used for JR trains in Tokyo.

So in Tokyo i could just use ICOCA card and no need to purchase a SUICA card? because i read that ICOCA card only can be used for JR trains in Tokyo.

Yes, you can use the ICOCA card in Tokyo just as you would use it in the Kansai area. I've carried an ICOCA around for the past couple of years and used it as far north as Sapporo, and as far south as Fukuoka, and pretty much everywhere in between.

More information here:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html

As far as I know, IC cards such as the ICOCA became compatible with each other so you can use it for Tokyo JR trains and Tokyo Metro/Toei subway.

I did use my Pasmo IC card with no problem in Osaka/Kyoto so I say, the opposite (using Icoca in Tokyo) should function as well.

I mean you could also buy a Suica card, use it in the Kansai area and return in a Tokyo JR office to get your deposit back.

Since you return to Toyko and will do a daytrip... yeah I'd say the JR pass is worth it. Activate it when you reach the airport, use it for the Narita express, then Tokaido shinkansen to Kyoto, maybe some JR line from Kyoto to Osaka/Kobe. You may be able to use your JR pass to get to Fuji.

You can use the pass for JR lines in Tokyo and get to Disneysea.

Aaah, thanks for the inputs Diego and Asahana.

An additional question if you don't mind;

Is it possible to go to Kobe, Osaka, Nara in one day?

Or should i just stick to two cities in one day? if so, which two cities are advisable to visit?

I'll be commuting from Kyoto.