JR Pass, Tokyo-Kyoto and day trips

Hey everyone. I'll be going to Japan for 2 weeks at the end of the month and I'm wondering if a 2 week pass is worth it. I'll be travelling between Tokyo and Kyoto and back so that's at least 200 euro right there. I also want to do several day trips to Nara, Himeji castle and Nikko. Its those day trips that I think might just or might just not make it worth it. What do you guys think?

Thanks in advance,
Vincent

Look up your fares on Hyperdia (hyperdia.com/en) and calculate whether the 14-day Pass will pay off. Normally it won't without more long-distance travel, but if you make several day trips (do you mean Nara, Himeji and Nikko once each or more?) it might. Also include your airport transfers; you don't say which airport you're flying into/out of but both Kansai and Narita are accessible by JR train and could make a 14-day Pass pay off.

I think it might end up cheaper to buy a 7-day Pass for your Kyoto/Tokyo round trip and pay separately outside those dates. You can try to organise your day trips to fall within the Pass dates.

Nikko has separates passes available by Tobu Railways that may be worthwhile if your Nikko day trip falls outside your 7-day Pass dates.

If you plan on travelling from Tokyo to Kyoto to Himeji, back to Kyoto, to Tokyo and take the N'EX from and to Narita (which I assume you're flying from) it should pay off already. + if you decide to do something else later on (like going to Hiroshima from Kyoto for example) this is also possible and covered. It gives you more freedom to do what you want and not have to worry about buying tickets before you decide to randomly hop on a train and see where it goes.