About JR pass

Hello All,

We will be travelled to Japan on this Jun-9-2018 with 7days in Japan. We will go to (from Tokyo) Kurobe, Toyama, Tetayama Alpine Route, Fuji- Kawaguchiko, Tokyo. May I ask the JR pass worth for the trip? Can we use JR pass for all routes?

Thanks!

Not available for all route.

Also not worth it for Tokyo to Toyama and half return.

There is a rail pass calculator in the transport section of this website - use that to check.

May i ask the JR pass can use for the Tateyama Alpine Route?

The answer is no.

So for the trip, i no need to buy any JR pass, just to buy separate ticket for each route?

Thank you!

https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/

https://www.jrpass.com/farecalculator

The website of the second link shown above
(www.jrpass.com)
is among some non-JR website of a confusing domain name.

Tools offered as JR pass calculator,
at least those which I have checked,
are not based precisely on the rules of JR fees,
whiich may result in suggesting you a too expensive pass.

A nationwide Japan Rail Pass does not pay off fior your traveling course,
whose 2nd half is mostly non-JR sections.

While Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is wholly outside the JR network,
JR-East and JR-West now jointly offer to foreign travelers
a one-way discount ticket for the Route and it�fs east gateways.

- Tateyama Kurobe Option Ticket
http://www.jrtateyama.com/e/
: This ticket should be purchased in advance,
before the first day of the validity.
: This ticket is not a pass to let you travel freely;
once you start to use it, you are not allowed to turn back.

How is your timeline?
Where would you stay overnight?

It sounds better to make your Kawaguchiko trip from Tokyo.
You may need more than 5 hours to get there
from Ogisawa, which is at the east end of the Alpine Route.

Lake Kawaguchiko is not served by JR.
The railway route to Kawaguchiko Station is operated by Fujikyuko.

JR TOKYO Wide Pass covers the Fujikyuko section.
(This pass does not pay off
for only a round trip from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko.)
https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/tokyowidepass/

Thank you Omotenashi.

Below is our itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival Narita around 11.15am, then go to Kurobe and stay overnight here. We will sightseeing this area.
Day 2: Sightseeing Kurobe in morning, then go to Tateyama Alpine and stay overnight at Murodo.
Day 3: Sightseeing Tateyama Alpine Route, then go to Kawaguchiko and stay overnight here.
Day 4: Sight seeing Kawaguchiko. still no idea, maybe Kawaguchiko or other place
Day 5: Overnight at Tokyo
Day 6: Tokyo
Day 7: Home sweet home

I think we still have one day for somewhere, but no idea yet :).
Please advise what kind of transport for the route.

Many thanks!

On the condition that you shift your lodgement booking,
I suggest you modify your timeline like this.

Day 1 = Jun-09 (Sat)
: Flying into Narita Airport [NRT].
: Heading to Tokyo; staying overnight.
Day 2 = Jun-10 (Sun)
: Going to Kurobe Unazuki hot spring resort.
: Sightseeing (maybe also into Kurobe Gorge).
: Staying overnight.
Day 3 = Jun-11 (Mon)
: Going to Tateyama Station.
: Sightseeing along the Alpine Route (the 1st half).
: Staying overnight at Murodo.
Day 4= Jun-12 (Tue)
: Sightseeing along the Alpine Route (the 2nd half).
: Going via Nagano Station to Tokyo; staying overnight.
Day 5= Jun-13 (Wed)
: Sightseeing in Tokyo (#).
: Staying overnight in Tokyo.
Day 6= Jun-14 (Thu)
: Day trip to and around Kawaguchiko (#).
: Staying overnight in Tokyo.
Day 7 = Jun-15 (Fri)
: Flying out.

(#) If your flight departure on Day 7 is scheduled in the morning,
it may be better to do Kawaguchiko trip on Day 5 and Tokyo sightseeing on Day 6.

Where exactly in Kurobe will you stay?
Here I assume
your "Kurobe" refers to the area of Unazuki hot spring resort,
which is off the Alpine Route.
cf. Kurobe Dam is along the Alpine Route.

Please know in advance
the transportation modes
along the Alpine Route (Tateyama -- Ogizawa) and its gateways,
especially pay attention to how to have a ride on Tateyama Cable Car.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7551.html?aFROM=2164_7550

Day 1: Arrival Narita around 11.15am, then go to Kurobe and stay overnight here.
Day 2: Sightseeing Kurobe in morning, then go to Tateyama Alpine and stay overnight at Murodo.

On this timeline
: You arrive at Kurobe in the evening;
even if the weather is fine, it can be already dark outdoors.
: Your Kurobe sightseeing has to be done mainly in the morning of Day 2.
: Day 2 is a Sunday; the Alpine Route can be more crowded than on weekdays.
: You may not reach your Murodo hotel by the dinner time.

Day 3 (= Monday, June 11) is a normal weekday.

Day 3: Sightseeing Tateyama Alpine Route, then go to Kawaguchiko and stay overnight here.

As is said in my previous response,
you had better visit Kawaguchiko separately from the Alpine Route.

When you try to reach Kawaguchiko in the same day,
you would not have time enough for sightseeing along the Alpine Route;
you spend more than 6 hours
(i.e. at least 1 and a half hour for the 2nd half of the Alpine Route +
at least 4 and a half hours for the leg beyond Ogizawa)
on getting from place to place and waiting for a bus, trains, etc. to depart.

Thank you omotenashi.

Yes, I have researched the itinerary, it is a bit tire on the day 1-2-3, those days almost very late go to the hotel and very early for the sightseeing. However, I can�ft change for now, since I have to book the hotel :(

[Luggage]

It is strongly recommended that you pack lightly.

For some transportation modes,
the amount of your luggage is restricted.

You plan to change hotels frequently,
which may hinder you from utilizing takuhaibin delivery services.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html

[Weather]

It can be better to prepare rain gears in advance.

The rainy season seems to have started
in regions including Kanto-Koshin,
where Tokyo, Narita City and Fujikawaguchiko Town are located,
and is likely to last at least during your days in Japan.
It would not rain all the time every day,
but your outdoor activities may be affected by rainfall.

(Low-price umbrellas,
such as 500-yen ones with transparent plastic fabric,
may be easily broken in a strong wind.)

[Transportation modes and tickets]

To use Tateyama Kurobe Option Ticket from Day 2,
you have to get it on Day 1.

The Option Tickets are available
at JR East Travel Service Center in NRT Terminal 1 or 2.
There you can buy
also JR tickets for other major legs of your itinerary,
including tickets for your Shinkansen train ride from Tokyo Station.

In Tokyo Station,
there are two separate Shinkansen zones,
and different gates have the same or similar names.
Please find a gate
for Tohoku, Joestu and Hokuriku Shinkansen (Tracks 20 to 23),
which is indicated with Shinkansen icons on a green background.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shinkansen-E.svg
https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/stations/e1039.html

The Access Narita bus can bring you to the highway bus terminal
which is near Yaesu South Gate on the Shinkansen side.
http://accessnarita.jp/en/home/

When you have bought
the Option Tickets and the JR tickets in the airport,
you can go straight from the bus terminal to that Shinkansen zone,
passing first through Yaesu South Gate
(JR common gate, NOT the one for Tokaido Shinkansen)
then through Shinkansen South Transfer Gate
for Tohoku, Joestu and Hokuriku Shinkansen (Tracks 20 to 23).
(You pass by the same-name other transfer gate for Tokaido Shinkansen.)

Thank you very much Omotenashi about your information. It is very useful for my trip, i will take note about this. Thank you again.