Home
Back

Dear visitor, if you know the answer to this question, please post it. Thank you!

Note that this thread has not been updated in a long time, and its content might not be up-to-date anymore.

JR Pass 7 day Vs 14 day pass? 2017/1/23 07:49
Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 Tokyo
Day 4 Tokyo to Takayama
Day 5 Takayama to Kanazawa
Day 6 Kanazawa to Kyoto
Day 7 Kyoto
Day 8 Kyoto to Osaka
Day 9 Osaka to Mount Koya
Day 10 Mount Koya to Nara
Day 11 Nara to Kinosaki Onsen
Day 12 Kinosaki Onsen - Himeji station - board Sunrise Seto to Tokyo
Day 13 Tokyo to Hakone
Day 14 Hakone to Narita Airport
Either I take the 14 day pass
or I take the 7 day pass between Day 6 and 12?

Thanks to advise
by WhiteOrchid79  

Re: JR Pass 7 day Vs 14 day pass? 2017/1/23 12:48
14 day
by hakata14 (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: JR Pass 7 day Vs 14 day pass? 2017/1/23 13:18
If you take overnight bus between Tokyo to Takayama and highway bus between Takayama to Kanazawa, 7-day JR Pass will make sense from Days 6 to 12. It also makes sense if you just use the 14-day JR Pass since it covers NEX trains to and from NRT. What I am not sure if that will let you use NEX from Kawaguchiko to NRT at no extra cost.

Your itinerary is kind of iffy; not even sure your travel season. Many of your travel takes hours of train rides when in Kansai. Know that Koyasan is not served by JR.
by stikiting rate this post as useful

Re: JR Pass 7 day Vs 14 day pass? 2017/1/24 03:59
I believe that Hakata14 and Stikiting have both given good advice.
The seven day pass method covers most of your distance travel, with the following exceptions:

Narita Airport to Tokyo (day 1) - With a 14 day pass, this would be covered by the NEX (Narita Express). There are limo busses, and the Keisei Skyliner that are lower cost options.

Tokyo to Takayama (day 5) - With the 14-day pass, this is a Shinkansen to Nagoya, and then a Limited Express to Takayama. The Nohi bus line has a direct bus from Shinjuku, which take about a hour longer to get there. The Nohi is 6900 yen, and is a lot less expensive, but if you go the 14 day pass, it is included.

Takayama to Kanazawa (day 6) - I am not sure about this one. Most people travel by bus, so that you can stop at Shiirakawa-go. If you plan to do this, the 14 day pass will not be used.

Tokyo to Odawara (Hakone, day 13) - If you have a 14 day pass, you can get the "free area" version of the Hakone free pass, which will save you about 1000 yen. You will also get there a lot faster on a Shinkansen.

Odawara to Narita Airport (day 14) - Once again, the NEX is included on the 14 day pass. If you do not have the 14 day pass, you will return to Shinjuku on the private train on the Hakone free pass, and then have to get to the airport from there. Once again, the 14 day pass will save you time with a Shinkansen to Tokyo, and a NEX to the airport.

The two other days not covered by the pass are in Tokyo, and the pass will get you around on the Yamanote loop, or if you have some other place to go outside the loop (Yokohama, Kamakura, there are other places too). These are minor cost days, but the pass can help.

Overall, I believe the 7 day will be a little less cost in funds, but you will also have a time cost involved. The other thing to think about is regular -vs- a green pass. I have been told that the Nagoya to Takayama train ride, with a wide view Limited Express train, is one of the most scenic rides in Japan. If you plan to get a green first class pass, then go for the 14 day version. The first class compartment is in the front car, and you will have a view out the front of the car. Get the first row, right side seats.

One thing I don't know about this train, is how it hooks up with the train coming from Kyoto. A Limited Express train also departs from Kyoto and Nagoya, and they both link up together at Gifu Station. It's kinda weird, because they are both called the Wide View Hida but they have different numbers. For instance, both the WV Hida 16 and WV Hida 36 depart from Takayama at 15:35, but they split into two trains at Gifu Station. I don't know which one is in front, but that would be the one you would want the first row, left side seat. There is about a 7 minute delay in Gifu, to de-couple the two trains. This happens in other places, such at the night train to Tokyo, but the two trains have different names. The Sunrise Seto and the Sunrise Isumo link together at Okayama station.

If you have trouble getting a berth on the sunrise Seto, ask about going on the Sunrise Izumo (same train, different name) in Himeji.
by ebaychucky311 rate this post as useful

Re: JR Pass 7 day Vs 14 day pass? 2017/1/24 09:48
Oops... The train engineer stands on the left side of the first car to operate the train. The right side has a clear view out the front in the wide view limited express trains.
by ebaychucky311 (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: JR Pass 7 day Vs 14 day pass? 2017/1/24 14:41
I also agree with ebaychucky regarding the directions of your itinerary.

Regarding Takayama to Kanazawa, as stated bus is the usual connection which is not part of JR Pass. If you insist on train without going to Shirakawago, from Takayama:
1) then train (local or Wide View Hida) to Toyama then shinkansen to Kanazawa [2 to 3 hours]; or
2) then train (local or Wide View Hida) to Nagoya then Shirasagi to Kanazawa [5 hours].

@ebaychucky and OP:

Regarding the Wide View Hida, see this link https://www.jr-odekake.net/train/hida/compo.html.
kƒƒCƒhƒrƒ…[l‚Ђ¾ - Wide View Hida
‘åã - Osaka
–¼ŒÃ‰® - Nagoya
Šò•Œ - Gifu
‚ŽR - Takayama
”ò‘ËŒÃì - Hida Kogawa
•xŽR - Toyama

Looking on Wide View Hida 25 or 36 in the 2nd configuration, you will notice that car 1 faces Osaka while car 3 faces Takayama and car 5 faces Nagoya then car 9 faces Takayama - Hida Kogawa and below it is a caption that says –¼ŒÃ‰®~Šò•ŒŠÔ‹tŒü‚« or 'Nagoya opposite direction between Gifu.'

If you take a look at this map https://www.jr-odekake.net/train/hida/section.html, I am not really sure since I haven't ride Wide View Hida but perhaps if coming from Nagoya at first the car 9 faces Nagoya then car 5 faces Gifu. As both Wide View Hida coming from Osaka (west) and Nagoya will couple at Gifu, car 3 will be coupled to car 5 then the whole train, set to Takayama, will move westward a bit (or depends on the station configuration) so that the car 9 faces Takayama.

For the Sunrise Seto/Izumo especially for OP, see this configuration https://www.jr-odekake.net/train/sunriseseto_izumo/compo.html.
ƒTƒ“ƒ‰ƒCƒY£ŒË - Sunrise Seto
ƒTƒ“ƒ‰ƒCƒYo‰_ - Sunrise Izumo
‚¼ - Takamatsu
“Œ‹ž - Tokyo
o‰_Žs - Izumo
When you book your nobi nobi seat, check the car number and the floor you are assigned/want to. Coupling station Okayama is a station away from Himeji via Sunrise express. Okayama and Himeji stations are also stone's throw away via shinkansen.

As I picked up from lot of forumers here, it is difficult to secure nobi nobi seat especially towards weekend and holidays so better come up with an alternative plan or see that you can book for it the moment you arrive in Japan.
by stikiting rate this post as useful

Re: JR Pass 7 day Vs 14 day pass? 2017/1/24 15:27
If the schedule is set, then this doesn't apply:

You could go Tokyo to Kanazawa and then to Takayama (either train or bus) and complete the trip across the island which is more scenic with the Hida Wide view rather than the Thunderbird between Kyoto and Kanazawa.

Also, why not do your Nara and Osaka trips as day trips from Kyoto rather than changing accommodation an extra two times?

And, I would pick the 14 day pass.
by JapanCustomTours rate this post as useful

Re: JR Pass 7 day Vs 14 day pass? 2017/1/25 02:25
Thank you so much for your valuable advice - hakata14, stikiting, ebaychucky311 and JapanCustomTours.
My trip is planned for March end to beginning of April.
I will really look into rearranging the itinerary as per your recommendations.
by WhiteOrchid79 rate this post as useful

Re: JR Pass 7 day Vs 14 day pass? 2017/1/25 05:41
Using the JR Pass, Is it better to travel :

Tokyo to Takayama - Stay there
Takayama bus to Shirakawa then go to Kanazawa - Stay there
Leave for Kyoto from Kanazawa

OR

Tokyo to Kanazawa (2 day stay)
Day trip - to Shirakawa go and Takayama in one day and back
Leave for Kyoto from Kanazawa

by WhiteOrchid79 rate this post as useful

Re: JR Pass 7 day Vs 14 day pass? 2017/1/25 07:57
Hmmmm..... Interesting idea.

It takes about four and a half hours to get from Tokyo to Takayama. It takes only two and a half hour to get from Tokyo to Kanazawa. You would be able to have a lot more time for sightseeing, if you went to Kanazawa first.

I do like the idea of NOT having lug your baggage around at Shirakawa-go and Takayama. If you have the JR pass, then you could, as a day trip, take the bus to the two locations, and then take the JR trains back to Kanazawa.

The return train from Takayama to Kanazawa is about two hours. This means that you will spend about the same amount of time riding on the train. It will be about half each day. I feel that normal attraction sightseeing is done between 10AM and 5PM, so this idea also can put the train travel time outside of these hours.

I also prefer to stay more than one day in a hotel. I dislike packing and unpacking, so I like this idea.
by ebaychucky311 (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: JR Pass 7 day Vs 14 day pass? 2017/1/26 03:19
Thanks ebaychucky311, good points.
I will go with the second option :)
by WhiteOrchid79 rate this post as useful

Re: JR Pass 7 day Vs 14 day pass? 2017/1/26 18:30
@ WhiteOrchid - I have the same dilemma regarding Kanazawa/Takyama but in reverse.

1. Kyoto-Takayama (1N)
Takayama-Shirakawa go-Kanazawa (2N)
Kanazawa-Tokyo

OR

2. Kyoto-Kanazawa (3N) with 1 day trip to Takayama/Shirakawago
Kanazawa-Tokyo

As of now, I'm doing the opposite of you and going with the 1st option. I'm planning on taking the Ltd.Exp. Hida Wide View train for the scenic route that JapanCustomTours mentioned. I'm also using that as my downtime (rest/relax/cruise) on the train.

I started off planning my trip with wanting and needing to see everything but realized I might be pushing it. So I settled for something in between. With some days crazy hectic and some days just a few sites and spending more time leisurely in each location.

About the luggage situation...I'm planning on using the forward luggage service. I'll be forwarding my suitcases from Kyoto to my hotel in Shinjuku. All I'll have while I'm in Takayama/Kanazawa will be my carry on/personal bag to cover those 3N/4D. I plan on leaving my bag at luggage station/center while I'm out and about in Shirakawago then head on to Kanazawa.

And like I said, this is as of now. Maybe later when I'm finalizing I might end up going with the 2nd option since it's out there. I really haven't explored on this option since I have been so hung up riding on the Hida Wide View. But since reading your post/comments the 2nd option has been creeping in my mind.

I do apologize for "hijacking" your thread. I like to read other peoples itinerary and all the suggestions. And this helps my planning (if I should be doing some changes because someone here suggested doing this/that or just sticking with what I planned already). Also, I will be going mid to late April so just right after you. But my Takayama/Shirakawago/Kanazawa trip isn't til the middle of it so I got time to really think about it and make changes. My hotel reservations all with free cancellation/changes several days prior (just worry about cost going up).
by hibell77 rate this post as useful

Re: JR Pass 7 day Vs 14 day pass? 2017/1/27 04:37
@hibell77 - Thanks for your post. Its great to hear other people's opinions and suggestion. So please post away... :)

With regard to Kanazawa, I am tempted to try the Hida Wide View train, I must say. 2 nights at one place sometimes works out cheaper than booking 2 separate nights.
Our intention is to pack superlight. I have two teenagers and the plan as of now is for everyone to have one carrybag each and thats it! Any unexpected purchases, we plan to do a forward luggage service to the last hotel.

I am playing around with my itinerary too, mostly hotels that I can cancel but gets tricky because of the strict airbnb bookings I did mostly in expensive cities Tokyo and Kyoto :(
by WhiteOrchid79 rate this post as useful

reply to this thread