Get off at any station?

Hey guys,

Just wondering, if i were to catch the shinkansen going from Tokyo to Kyoto but decide half way that i want to get off somewhere, is that ok?

Or is the travel route pre determined and I'd have to get off at Kyoto?

Cheers

The +100km base fare ticket is effective for multiple days (depending on the whole distance traveled) "unless you backtrack". The ticket is still effective even if you get off at Nagoya station.

Express suppliment become ineffective if you get off in the middle of the way. So when you want to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto with stopover at Nagoya, you need

-base fare ticket Tokyo - Kyoto
- Shinkansen suppliment Tokyo - Nagoya and
- Shinkansen suppliment Nagoya - Kyoto

Will you have a JR Pass?

If you want to do that sort of traveling, it would be easier to buy a non-reserved ticket for a station that you KNOW you will pass (ex: From Tokyo to Shin-Yokohama) and then wherever you decide to get off, just go tell one of the people at the gate and pay the difference.

That way, if you are en route from Tokyo to Kyoto and want to stop at Nagoya or you take one of the slower Shinkansen and get off somewhere else like Shizuoka or Maibara, you can do it easily.

If you pay for a ticket to Kyoto but you try to get off at Nagoya, I imagine they would let you get off at Nagoya (since you payed more than enough to get you there) but you'd likely have to explain that you 'made a mistake', read about Nagoya on the train ride and decided to stop, or whatever reason you have. I could be wrong, but I think it would be a little bit of a pain.

Just wondering, if i were to catch the shinkansen going from Tokyo to Kyoto but decide half way that i want to get off somewhere, is that ok?

Yes, that is ok. You just end up paying more for a shorter trip. Note that you should avoid doing this when using reserved seats on the shinkansen with a JR pass.

Or is the travel route pre determined and I'd have to get off at Kyoto?

Yes, the route is predetermined, but no you don't have to get off at Kyoto. You can get out of the station anywhere along the route, but note that you will lose whatever seat reservation and/or green car fees that you already paid. If your overall trip is more than 100km then you can get back on the train and continue your trip within 5 days as long as you purchase a new shinkansen supplement.

I am looking at getting a JR pass. If i were to use unreserved seats would it then be OK? I know this isn't particularly ideal but something may come up where i might want to get off at Nagoya or somewhere along the way.

It is perfectly ok when using unreserved seats.

I am looking at getting a JR pass. If i were to use unreserved seats would it then be OK? I know this isn't particularly ideal but something may come up where i might want to get off at Nagoya or somewhere along the way.

One of the great advantages of the JR Pass is the flexibility, so feel free to hop off and on wherever you wish if you are using non-reserved seats.

Enjoy your trip!