Nagoya to Gero JR Limited Exp Wide View Hida

Greetings!

Although I have been to Japan several times, this would be my first time going to Gero Onsen.

Per HyperDia, the "best" way to get to Gero Onsen from Nagoya Station is to take the JR Limited Express Wide View Hida. My questions are as follow;

1) HyperDia states that the ticket costs ~2K Yen, but the total come out to be ~4K Yen which include seating cost. What is this all about?

2) As I will be going to Onsen around the busy season (Jan 28-29), should I make reservation or are there going to be ample seats for us (a family of six with one infant) when we purchase the tickets right before the takeoff?

3) Just for added assurance of seats having sold out, I tried making online reservation, but to no avail. I found third-party website, but the tickets seem to be exorbitantly priced. What is the "best" website to order the tickets?

I would be most grateful if someone would kindly elaborate me on these!

Thank you very much!

There is normally a seat fee and a limited express fee. You should have come across this already if you have been to Japan multiple times already. The important figure is the total.

If it is busy season, then yes it is a good idea to reserve a seat.

Hello Hakata14,

Thank you very much for your prompt response regarding my inquiries.

I've been to Japan many times, but I mostly chose only one or two cities and travelled around the area via taxi each time I went to Japan.

By any chance, do you know a website that a foreigner can use to purchase the ticket? I've seen two, but the prices are way above what has been shown on HyperDia.

http://jprail.com/travel-informations/basic-informations/timetable-and...

http://jprail.com/trains/sort-by-type/limited-express/limited-express-... - check the comments section especially the December 6, 2016 comment

additional input, may be applicable whether or not you will be holding JR Pass or booking for shinkansen or limited express:

http://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/42817/online-seat-reservatio...

http://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/26482/booking-a-jr-shinkanse...

http://www.insidekyoto.com/2012/01/reserving-japanese-train-tickets-fr...

My takeaways while reading the inputs of forumers as well as their provided links on the websites above:

1. You can book your seat at the JR ticket office in any (major) station the moment you arrive in Japan;
2. Most of the website for online reservations are catered for nationals while foreign tourists can still use the JR East English reservation website;
3. You must have a JR-recognized credit card to be registered in the reservation website to make online seat booking; and
4. Unless you travel on peak periods, you may or not book for a reserved seat.