Transportation: trains, IC cards

Hi,

I'm helping my son plan his nearly 2 month stay in Japan this Spring. Due to the length of his stay, none of the JR passes seem to make much sense (3, 7 or 21 day) and due to the variety of areas he will be visiting, we can't really figure out which IC card(s) are best. Any input would be much appreciated. I've put an approximate itinerary below to help. Thank you in advance!

Approx 2 weeks - Okayama area then onto
Kyoto/Osaka for approx 2 weeks then onto
Takayama area for approx 2 weeks and then onto
Tokyo for about 10 days.

Input as to local travel in these areas (IC cards etc...) and trains between locations would be great!

Have you (or even better, your son) read the pages about transportation on this website?

Due to the length of his stay, none of the JR passes seem to make much sense (3, 7 or 21 day) and due to the variety of areas he will be visiting

Does he have a more detailed itinerary that we can look at? Also consider getting a bunch of shorter duration passes and use them non-consecutively to cover major travel.

we can't really figure out which IC card(s) are best. Any input would be much appreciated.

There are virtually interchangeable at this point, so you usually just get the one for the area that you visit first. In this case, probably an icoca card.

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

The nationwide JR Pass does not have a 3-day version. It has 7, 14 and 21 day versions.

You're right that the nationwide passes won't pay off since your son is staying in certain areas for long periods of time, unless he does lots of daytrips from those places. An IC card will be your best bet, and fortunately the major ones are able to be used anywhere in the country (except for the trams in Hiroshima, I believe). Whatever one your son purchases first (in the Kansai area, that's the ICOCA) should work in all the other areas.

He won't be able to use the IC cards for long-distance travel (e.g. shinkansen) - for that he will need to purchase separate tickets.

Keep in mind that depending on any side trips your son may take, a regional pass (e.g. Kansai area-specific passes, etc.) may be cost-effective. This website has a comprehensive list and your son can determine if they will be cost-effective by comparing the costs to the fares found on Hyperdia (hyperdia.com/en).

Thank you for the replies and suggestions. We had read so many conflicting reports of which IC cards could be used in what areas, I had visions of having to purchase several different ones. It's good to know that we can purchase one, and it will be good for use all over, or in most locations.

We will definitely look into the regional passes as those may prove to be a good option during a stretch of time in one location.

Thank you again for the replies and we will look into these new options.