Short transfer at Nagoya station

Hi all, We will be using JR passes from Takayama to Hiroshima on 21st March leaving Takayama at 2:38pm. According to Hyperdia we will be changing trains at Nagoya Station and we have only 7 mins from track 4 to track 16 for the Shinkansen and the same goes at Shin -Kobe where we will have 8 mins to change. Do you think we will have enough time at both Nagoya and Shin-Kobe? Four of us will have suitcases. From what I�fve read, Nagoya is a very big station. I looked at Nagoya station map and it looks quite a walk from track 4 to track 16. Is track 4 on the same level as track 16? Does anyone know what what the track number is for Shin-Kobe to Hiroshima? It doesn�ft state the track number on Hyperdia.

Thanks in advance.

http://www.hyperdia.com/en/cgi/en/search.html?dep_node=TAKAYAMA&arv_no...

As judged from the station map,

https://www.jr-odekake.net/eki/premises.php?id=0530116

you should go down the stairs (or use escalator), walk to the Shinkansen transfer gate and then go up the stairs. If you are in a hurry, I guess you can do it within 3-4 min. The suggested transfer time (by JR Central) is 7 min so the Hyperdia suggest this transfer. You are using the JR pass so the next Hikari is one hour later, then you should just hurry :). But if you miss it, then you will wait one hour and then catch the next Hikari. In "Hida" train, you can ask the attendant which car (exit) is closest to the escalator and just before Nagoya move to the exit. In Shin-Kobe it should be much easier, but in this time also, you might better ask the attendant at which platform you should wait. In any case, you don't need to worry.

JR Shin-Kobe (Shinkansen) only has one track and platform and all trains stop at Shin-Kobe, regardless of Shinkansen service. You alight the train and wait for yours to show up.

Regarding Nagoya, was some similar question a while ago.

https://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+160086

I thought it would be very difficult for a person who never been in the station before. But the guy made it, so i guess it's possible...

Thank you for your response, Frog1954 and John.

I�fve read somewhere that the Hida train can be a few minutes late. If that happens we will have no choice, but wait for another hour for Hikari train. ☹ If that�fs the case, we would have to go back down the escalator and get out of the Shinkansen gate to find a JR ticket office and reserve the seat again?

If that�fs the case, we would have to go back down the escalator and get out of the Shinkansen gate to find a JR ticket office and reserve the seat again?

Yes. You can take non-reserved seat, but you will have almost one hour so you might better go out of the gate, reserve seat, buy some food or eat something.

Hi Pandy,

Have you thought about takyuubining your bags? I know the fewer bags I have, the faster I can make a transfer. I like having bags that are small enough and light enough that I can carry them up and down stairs should I need to.

Nagoya station has some great snack options. I don't know that station well, but I have used it a few times and saw the queues to buy various popular treats. My last trip I did the Hikari to Hida transfer. I had a wheelie, train snacks from Kyoto, and possibly another small bag and a child with me. I did the transfer in under 7 minutes.

So, I think you can do it. :)

Good luck!

I must say that Nagoya Station is the only station where I missed my train (came from Kyoto to Nagoya airport, had 25 min for transfer incl ticket purchase)! It is quite confusing place, better ask people they help you.

from Takayama to Hiroshima on 21st March
According to HyperDia we will be changing trains at Nagoya Station

On 17 March 2018, JR companies will revise train timetables for major sections.
HyperDia tends to be late in taking new time data.

I recommend you will check in mid-March on the following webpage
whether the new timetables for Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen are already announced.
http://english.jr-central.co.jp/info/timetable/index.html
: The timetables linked from this page list regular trains only;
extra trains might be available on your boarding day.

The 21st of March 2018 will be a public holiday (Vernal Equinox Day).

If that�fs the case, we would have to go back down the escalator and get out of the Shinkansen gate to find a JR ticket office and reserve the seat again?

It is recommendable that you get nullified your seat reservation in your missed train
so that another passenger can reserve the seats.

In Nagoya Station,
on the Shinkansen north / south concourse,
you don't go back to the Shinkansen north / south transfer gate,
but go down by nearby escalator
and get to the Shinkansen ticket gate for north / south Exit.
Then you show your Japan Rail Pass + Shinkansen reserved-seat ticket
and explain that you missed your train
to the staff of the counter at the gate.
There is a JR Ticket Office near the north ticket gate.

We will be using JR passes
the Hida train can be a few minutes late.
If that happens we will have no choice, but wait for another hour for Hikari train.

How is your whole itinerary?

A combination of JR regular tickets + a JR-West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass
might be more suitable than a Japan Rail Pass.

Unlike a nationwide Japan Rail Pass:
this JR-West pass can be used for Nozomi and Mizuho train rides
on the Sanyo Shinkansen section between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima,
also can be accepted by gate machines;
on the other hand,
this pass does not allow you to use a reserved seat,
and is not valid on the Tokaido Shinkansen
(Tokyo -- Nagoya -- Kyoto -- Shin-Osaka),
which is operated not by JR-West but by JR-Central.

- JR-West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass
http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/kansai_hiroshima/

Four of us will have suitcases.

It is strongly recommended that you pack lightly.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2274.html

Do you think we will have enough time at both Nagoya and Shin-Kobe?

The Nagoya transfer sounds not realistic.

Your luggage may hinder your walking fast.
A Japan Rail Pass is not accepted by gate machines;
there may be a long queue in front of the manned counter
at Shinkansen North / South Transfer Gate.

- Map of (JR) Nagoya Station
http://english.jr-central.co.jp/info/station/_img/nagoya_L.jpg

The Shin-Kobe transfer sounds doable.

In Shin-Kobe Station there are two tracks,
only one track beside one platform for each direction.
So, you get off the former Shinkansen train
then wait on the same platform for the latter train to arrive at the same track.

- Map (in Japanese) of (JR) Shin-Kobe Station
https://www.jr-odekake.net/eki/img/premises/0610156.pdf

During the both transfers,
you pay attention to Shinkansen train numbers (like Sakura 469)
and to your position on the platform for your train car.
(The earliest departing train is not always your train.)

Good luck!

Thank you so much everyone. I've been to Japan three times, but still have a lot to learn. I just was just there from 27 December -10 January this year. On one occasion we were on the edge of missing our train from Matsue to Osaka because the train was 4 mins late and left us with 5 mins to change instead of 9 mins. The speed we were running with our suitcases was probably almost as fast as the Shinkansen. :)

(qs)I thought it would be very difficult for a person who never been in the station before. But the guy made it, so i guess it's possible..(qe)
What I'm planning to do when we arrive at Central Japan International Airport, Nagoya on the 19th March is to activate our JR passes then check out track number 4 and track number 16 to see if we can do it with our suitcases in 7 minutes. I'm going to give it ago and if we don't make it we'll just get new reserve tickets and return our reserved tickets at the ticket office.

(qs)Yes. You can take non-reserved seat, but you will have almost one hour so you might better go out of the gate, reserve seat, buy some food or eat something. (qe)
Absolutely, I love Japanese snacks.

(qs)Have you thought about takyuubining your bags?(qe)
Hi rkold, yes I talked to my sisters last night about it. So it's an option. We will be staying overnight in Hiroshima and travel to namba/Osaka the next evening from Miyajima. It makes sense to send the luggage forward. We were going to leave our luggage at the hotel in Hiroshima for the day and pick up on the way to Osaka.

(qs)On 17 March 2018, JR companies will revise train timetables for major sections.
HyperDia tends to be late in taking new time data. (qe)
@omotenashi: Wow, thank you for letting me know. I will definitely check the new timetable before we go.

(qs)How is your whole itinerary?

A combination of JR regular tickets + a JR-West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass
might be more suitable than a Japan Rail Pass. (qe)
Here's the itinerary:
Nagoya-Takayma-Hiroshima-Miyajima-Osaka-Kansai airport (we'll have side trips ie:Kyoto, Kobe etc)
Above trips we will need to use JR pass

Sorry about my last post. I don't know how to do the italic passage.

Hi Pandy,

If you're going to be staying in Hiroshima only 1 night, I would just forward my bag from Takayama to Osaka. That way it is there waiting for you and the bag you'll have to find space for in a locker in Hiroshima Station or leave in your hotel while you sightsee is smaller and more portable and it will certainly help when you're traveling through Osaka.

I think testing out the tracks is a good idea, just make sure to do the walk inside the ticket gate vs. in the station itself because I found the transfer was much easier that way and a heck of a lot less confusing than just walking around the station outside the ticket gate.

I leave it to someone else to calculate out the pass that make the most sense for you.

Enjoy!

for italics, use square brackets [ and ]

At Nagoya, the transfer is tight, and it might be a good idea to check the time for the next Hikari train and how long the additional wait is.
Playing with the time-table (and revisions are usually pretty minor - my experience is usually they only change by a few minutes between version if they make a change at all), it looks like you would be getting the Hikari 477 at 17:09 You could book/get the Hikari 419 at 17:19, but for the trip to Hiroshima it will deliver you 60 minutes later because the connections to the hourly Sakura do not work as well. (but it is a long travel day anyway)

@rkold just make sure to do the walk inside the ticket gate vs. in the station itself because I found the transfer was much easier that way and a heck of a lot less confusing than just walking around the station outside the ticket gate.

Can you actually walk from track#4 to track #16 without leaving the ticket gate? We will be taking the Meitetsu airport train to Nagoya on the 19th March and sort out our JR passes at Nagoya station. I suppose I can use the pass to go through the Shinkansen gate and take a look at track #16.

If you are moving from a non-JR track to a JR track, you'll need to go through at least one fare-deducting checkpoint. You need to leave the Meitetsu area and pay for the fare and then access the JR lines and pay fare (or swipe IC card).

Hi Pandy,

I am trying to remember if there is a shinkansen only ticket gate in Nagoya, I know a few train stations have that. However, often times there are ticket gates for ordinary trains and then you can continue on past those gates to a second ticket gate for the shinkansen. So for example in Kyoto, you can enter the ground floor main level on the Shiokoji/Kyoto Tower side, and then go up an escalator/stairs, go past all the gates and go down a set of stairs to another ticket area and enter the shinkansen area. In Kyoto station all transfers tend to be a little crowded because Kyoto. I found in Nagoya when I did the transfer the passages were not as crowded and it was much easier following the transfer signs rather than exiting the ticket gate post my first train and going into the main station, and then trying to find the correct track and ticket gate. Personally, I find Nagoya Station harder to navigate outside the ticket gates and have a few times gotten turned around.

If you have an activated rail pass, you can go in and out of the JR ticket gates as much as you like. I had a 1.5 hour wait for a Hida from Takayama to Toyama in June and went in and out of the ticket gate several times looking for better snack options.

Enjoy!

For transfer to Shinkansen at Nagoya, this blog might help you.

http://crowdcloud.biz/archives/682.html

Thanks @frog. We have 7 mins between trains and that�fs if the Hida train isn�ft delay, At worse we�fll get on the next train which is one hour later. I�fm prepared to eat some Japanese snacks while waiting for another train. 😆

[Timetable revision]

JapanCustomTours:
and revisions are usually pretty minor

Yes; in the revision in the coming March there seems to be only a minor change on the Sanyo Shinkansen.
In my previous response, I recommend your checking on the JR official website to make sure.
(Timetables for the Tokaido Shinkansen (of JR-Central) and the Sanyo Shinkansen (of JR-West) are available on the websites of both the two JR companies.)

[Meitetsu - JR transfer]

pandy2026:
We will be taking the Meitetsu airport train to Nagoya on the 19th March and sort out our JR passes at Nagoya station.

Instead of walking from Meitetsu Nagoya Station to (JR) Nagoya Station,
you can make a simple and quick transfer from Meitetsu to JR in Kanayama Stations;
then you can take a train (departing at Track 2 or 4) for about 3 to 8 minutes to Nagoya Station.

- Map of Kanayama Station(s)
http://english.jr-central.co.jp/info/station/_img/kanayama_L.jpg
: The two Meitetsu platforms are between the two JR platforms,
two Meitetsu gates and one JR gate are close to each other,
and a JR ticket office is near that JR gate.

[Admission fee of Nagoya Station]

I suppose I can use the pass to go through the Shinkansen gate and take a look at track #16.

Strictly a Japan Rail Pass does not allow you just to get inside then outside the JR ticket gate(s) of one same station.
(To get inside a JR ticket gate not for a train ride, even a commuter pass holder should pay an admission fee.)
The JR admission fee of Nagoya Station is 140 yen per adult person, and the ticket is good for 2 hours.

[Choices of JR pass and transportation mode]

Nagoya-Takayma-Hiroshima-Miyajima-Osaka-Kansai airport (we'll have side trips ie:Kyoto, Kobe etc)
from Takayama to Hiroshima on 21st March

Will you fly out by 25 March?
Then, it may be better to use the previously-mentioned JR-West pass from 21 to 25 March,
taking the advantage of its validity for Shinkansen Nozomi and Mizuho train rides between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima.

In that case,
you can purchase JR regular tickets on 19 March at a JR Ticket Office in Kanayama or Nagoya Station
for the leg Kanayama or Nagoya -- Takayama on 20 March
and the leg Takayama --Nagoya -- Shin-Osaka on 21 March.

The total amount of the JR regular fees for these two legs is
16930 yen / 15330 yen per adult passenger
when you go with your seats reserved / do without seat reservation,
on the condition that you choose Hikari on the Shinkansen section Nagoya -- Shin-Osaka.

A JR-West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass,
when you book it through the official website, is sold at 13500 yen.

So, the total cost (on your major legs) is 30430 yen / 28830 yen,
about the same as the price 29110 yen of a 7-day (Ordinary-Class) Japan Rail Pass.

Between Nagoya and Takayama you might hope to travel by bus instead.
When you have round-trip bus rides, the bus fare is 5140 yen,
and the total cost (on your major legs) becomes 25190 yen / 24470 yen
(plus 170 yen for the section Kanayama -- Nagoya if you make a transfer in Kanayama Stations).
https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/highwaybus/nagoya.pdf

[JR-West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass]

With this JR-West pass, even though you cannot have a reserved seat,
you can choose also Nozomi and Mizuho on the Sanyo Shinkansen section,
so I suppose you much more likely to secure your seats
compared to when you can choose only Hikari or Sakura due to the restriction for Japan Rail Pass travelers.
http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/kansai_hiroshima/

In Shin-Osaka Station, the Shinkansen zone is managed by JR-Central;
you can go out through Central Gate and visit nearby JR-West Travel Corner,
where you can get your JR-West pass.

- Map of (JR) Shin-Osaka Station
http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/timetable/pdf/station_shin-osaka.pdf

Strictly a Japan Rail Pass does not allow you just to get inside then outside the JR ticket gate(s) of one same station.
Really? Can you point me at a reference for that as I had not seen that before in the terms and conditions. Back in the days when I had rail passes I would sometimes use the pass to take a short-cut through various train stations (the previous Hiroshima station layout springs to mind, but there were others).