Anything better than the Railpass?

Hello everyone!

My fiancé and I are planning to spend 3 weeks in Japan for our honeymoon. We decided to visit a lot of different places in this time and already set up our itenary. But we're still stuck at making the decision which rail pass option we should get.

Day 1 - Tokyo
Day 2 - Tokyo
Day 3 - From Tokyo to Yamadera and Zao Fox Village (Shinkasen and busses) AND Yamadera to Fujikawaguchiko in the evening (Shinkasen and Highway Bus)
Day 4 - Fujikawaguchiko and surroundings (rental car)
Day 5 - Fujikawaguchiko and surroundings (rental car)
Day 6 - From Fujikawaguchiko to Kyoto (Shinkasen/train)
Day 7 - Kyoto
Day 8 - Kyoto
Day 9 - From Kyoto to Nara (Train)
Day 10 - From Nara to Osaka (Train), fly to Fukuoka
Day 11 - Fukuoka
Day 12 - From Fukuoka to Kumamoto (Shinkasen), from Kumamoto to Kurokawa Onsen
Day 13 - From Kumamoto to Takachiho and back (rental car), from Kumamoto to Kagoshima (Shinkasen)
Day 14 - Yakushima (rental car)
Day 15 - Yakushima (rental car)
Day 16 - Yakushima (rental car)
Day 17 - From Yakushima to Kagoshima (ferry), from Kagoshima back to Fukuoka (Shinkasen)
Day 18 - From Fukuoka to Okinawa (plane), Okinawa (rental car)
Day 19 - Okinawa (rental car)
Day 20 - Okinawa (rental car)
Day 21 - Okinawa (rental car), Okinawa to Tokyo (plane)
Day 22 - Fly back home

As you can see, the problem is that we will need the Japanese Rail Pass on day 3, 4, 6, 9 , 10, 12, 13 and 17 - so we would need a Rail Pass for 15 days instead of 14. Actually, we'd only need the pass from day 3 up until day 13, since a fter that we will only go to Yakushima and Okinawa. But unfortunately, we will have to go back to Fukuoka to get our flight to Okinawa, after visiting Yakushima - so we will have to take the Shinkansen from Kagoshima to Yakushima on day 17.

Apparently, the Shinkansen for day 3 and day 17 is so expensive that it would be cheaper to get the 21 days option for the Rail Pass instead of paying for the trains normally. We already thought about getting short-term regional passes, but that won't work either.

What do you think? Is there any better option to do our itenary than the 21 days Rail Pass or not?

Is the 21-day JR Pass cheaper than the 14-day JR Pass and single tickets for Kagoshima to Fukuoka?

Shorten that day 3 to 17 by one day. Im sure it is doable. Or buy 21 day pass.

Not to your question, but Day 3 sounds terribly busy. Yamadera and Fuji5lakes is nowhere close to each other.
On day 13, do you stay in Kurokawa Onsen for the night? I think that would make most sense in the itinerary.

I can hardly imagine that a ticket from Kagoshima to Fukuoka is worth more than the difference between 14 and 21 days pass, but I haven�ft calculated it. If you did, well then I am simply surprised.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!

Kagoshima-Chuo to Hakata stations is 10,000 yen, +/- 200 yen

The difference in 14 and 21 day passes is 13,000 yen, +/- 200 yen

Also,
Why fly Osaka to Fukuoka when a railpass is currently active? Seems a waste of 10,000 yen.

Day 17 - From Yakushima to Kagoshima (ferry), from Kagoshima back to Fukuoka (Shinkasen)
Day 18 - From Fukuoka to Okinawa (plane), Okinawa (rental car)

Why go back to Fukuoka and then fly to Okinawa. There are direct flights from Kagoshima to Okinawa. Also you can consider flight from Yakushima to Kagoshima which might be more expensive, but much more convenient (you don't need to take bus from the ferry terminal to the airport).

I would buy 14 day Japan Rail Pass and use it from your first day to day 14.

I strongly recommend you to Buy Japan Bus pass 7 Day=15000‰~ For non consecutive 7 Day unlimited ride This pass cover Tokyo, sendai, osaka, kyoto,Fukuoka etc prefectures.
As well as SunQ Bus pass for Whole Kyushu=3 Day=10000‰~,cover Fukuoka,oita,saga,nagasaki,kagoshima ,miyazaki,kumamoto,shimonoseki prefectures unlimited ride By Highway and Local Bus.

I wouldn't fly to Fukuoka from Osaka. It is only 2.5 hours on bullet train. Flying is 1.25 hours, but will probably take at least 3 hours if you factor in getting to the airport, arriving early for luggage check and security, and the deplaning/luggage pickup and subway into town. And even without a rail pass, flying won't be cheaper factoring in luggage costs.

And I agree with the others regarding day 3. I don't think Tokyo to Yamadera to Kawaguchiko is reasonable in one day. You are 3 hours train to Yamadera, and then 6 hours and many transfers from there to Kawaguchiko. You'd have maybe 2-3 hours in Yamadera, and the rest of the day is on the train.

I think with the tips above, you can make a 14 day pass work for use between Tokyo and Kagoshima

Day 3 - From Tokyo to Yamadera and Zao Fox Village (Shinkasen and busses) AND Yamadera to Fujikawaguchiko in the evening (Shinkasen and Highway Bus)

Are you stopping at Yamadera to check out the area? Otherwise you could just Shinkansen it to Shiroishi-Zao Station and rent a car to drive to Zao Fox Village. This alone is almost half a day already. Plus the travel time to get to Kawaguchiko Station would put it all day.

Here is an example:

0856 Tokyo Station
1045 Shiroishizao Station
-Pick up Car Rental-
1115 Drive to Zoo Fox Village
1145 Arrival Zao Fox Village
-Zao Fox Village-
1345 Depart Zao Fox Village
1415 Arrival Shiroishi
-Lunch-
-Drop off Car-
1658 Shiroishizao Station
-Transfer in Tokyo and Otsuki Station-
2205 Kawaguchiko Station

Day 10 - From Nara to Osaka (Train), fly to Fukuoka 
I highly recommend taking Shinkansen here.
Example:
0800 Nara Station
-Connection Tennoji and Shin-Osaka Stations-
1153 Hakata Station


Aprox. JR Cost
Tokyo to Shiroishizao Station 10350 Yen
Shiroishizao to Otsuki Station 11430 Yen
Otsuki to Kyoto Station 15050 Yen
Kyoto to Nara Station 710 Yen
Nara to Hakata Station 15800 Yen
Hakata to Kumamoto Station 5130 Yen
Kumamoto to Kagoshima-Cho Station 6940 Yen

Total 65410 Yen
14 days Japan Rail Pass 46,390 Yen


14 days Japan Rail Pass activated on day 3 to day 16 should be good for you. Extra's are the private trains, rental cars, etc.

Hope this helps!

If I was doing that trip, I would make an important and subtle change: shift Yamadera after Kawaguichiko. Then you can have the 14 day pass active on the day you leave Kawaguichiko and don't have the trip to get to Kyoto on that day. Also, the way your day #3 looks currently, I wouldn't try to do all of that in a day - logistically it doesn't make sense - the Fox village isn't the most accessible place, and you've got a lot of other travelling on that day also.
BTW Nara to Osaka (Train), fly to Fukuoka is not much faster than the train, and with your rail pass, doesn't cost extra. Check the time required (and transfers required to get from Nara to Osaka to ITM, check-in, luggage retrieval at the other end etc - what a hassle.)

Hey. I will be staying for 17 days in japan aswell. Just look up to 3 day tokyo metro pass.So you can activate jr pass on 3rd day. and use it without any problem. one way shuttle from narita and 72 hours pass costs about 2400 yen. you can get it from airport terminal 2

Onmyouji, note that the Tokyo Metro Pass, similar to the JR Pass, should only be purchased after considering your itinerary. You need to take the metro a certain number of times before the Pass becomes cost-effective, and the subway isn't necessarily the best way to get to certain sights.