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Does JR pass cover these routes? 2022/4/4 12:02
Hello, our family is preplanning a 2 week trip to Japan and I would like to know if a JR pass is recommended for the following itinerary. As well, does the JR pass cover all these routes? If not, I would appreciate any suggestions on what other train lines I need to consider buying. Thank you in advance.

From Tokyo- 5 nights
To Kyoto- 4 nights
To Hiroshima- 1 night
To Kinosaki- 2 nights
To Tokyo- Haneda Airport.

Thanks once again.
by Kimberly (guest)  

Re: Does JR pass cover these routes? 2022/4/4 19:11
All except Haneda Airport.
by H (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Does JR pass cover these routes? 2022/4/4 19:51
JRPass does cover the monorail to Haneda airport
by Animaul (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: your itinerary (1) 2022/4/5 04:30
When in the year will you travel?

Will you visit Miyajime as well?

does the JR pass cover all these routes?

Yes, Japan Rail Pass can cover your major railway legs.

However, 14-day Japan Rail Pass seems not best cost-wise.

For your currently-shown trips,
I suggest the combination of
JR-West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass
for the western Japan legs
and JR regular ticktes
(basic fare tickets and Shinkansen service ticktes)
for the other major legs.
by omotenashi rate this post as useful

Re: your itinerary (2) 2022/4/5 04:39
[Western Japan legs]

JR-West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass
(5-day, 16800 yen) can be used
for your Hiroshima and Kinosaki trips from Kyoto,
on the condition
that you go between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka
not by the Tokaido Shinkansen
but by the JR conventional line (#).
https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/kansai_hiroshima/

Unlike Japan Rail Pass,
this JR-West pass is valid
also for Nozomi and Mizuho train rides
on the Sanyo Shinkansen Shin-Osaka - Hiroshima section.

You might hope to visit Himeji as well,
either on your way to or way back from Hiroshima.

In Shin-Osaka Station,
you easily find (Shinkansen) Transfer Gate;
search for "Shinkansen" when you go to Hiroshima,
and search for "JR Lines" when you go back to Kyoto.
https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/timetable/pdf/station_shin-osaka.pd...

(#)
The Tokaido Shinkansen is operated by JR-Central.
On the conventional line,
Kyoto and Shin-Osaka are connected
frequently by Special Rapid trains.
I recommend you avoid weekday mornning and evening rushes.
by omotenashi rate this post as useful

Re: your itinerary (3) 2022/4/5 04:45
[Other legs]

You plan to stay in western Japan for 7 nights,
which means you travel for 8 calendar days;
so, 7-day JRP is not good for the both ways,
from and back to Tokyo.

Also,
the JR regular cost for Tokyo - Kyoto round trip
by Shinkansen Hikari with your seats reserved,
which is 27300 to 28100 yen,
does not surpass the price of 7-day JRP,
and the one-way basic fare ticket
/ the pair of the round-trip basic fare tickets
is good for 4 calendar days
/ for 8 calendar days (#).

Therefore, 7-day JRP is not suitable.

When you add a side trip from Tokyo
to Matsumoto, for example,
and you cut one day for western Japan,
7-day JRP may make sense.

(#)
The distance between Tokyo and Kyoto
is to short for the round-trip basic fare discount,
so it sounds better to choose one-way tickets,
in which case you can stay longer in western Japan.
by omotenashi rate this post as useful

Re: Does JR pass cover these routes? 2022/4/5 08:17
As mentioned already, yes, the JR Pass can be used for the monorail to/from Haneda. But if you are just staying put in Tokyo, then the rail pass is of very little benefit for you there. Unless you are also planning some other extended side trips, like a day trip to Sendai, then it would be better to just pay for regular fare tickets for the Tokyo-Kansai round trip, and get the Kansai-Hiroshima Pass for Kinosaki and Hiroshima. And as mentioned, doing that lets you take Nozomi bullet trains the whole way, saving you even more time.
The alternative is cramming everything into 7 days, but for me that would be pretty hectic.

You also might consider cutting back Kinosaki to just one night, unless you really want to just sit in the hot springs all day and night. There is little you'll get from staying a second night that you won't get in the first. And if you haven't added a half or full day to see Nara and Himeji, I highly recommend you to consider it.
https://goo.gl/K3RqXH
by Ken (guest) rate this post as useful

Correction: typos 2022/4/5 09:27
Let me correct some typos.

Re: your itinerary (1) to (3)

Miyajime -->> Miyajima
ticktes -->> tickets ((twice))
mornning -->> morning
to short -->> too short

Thanks.
by omotenashi rate this post as useful

Re: Does JR pass cover these routes? 2022/4/5 10:05
Thank you so much for your help! I am overwhelmed with how many train lines there.

We are planning for next spring of 2023.

Can you please confirm if I've got this right:

From Tokyo to Kyoto- it's more economical to buy a one way JR train ticket.

From Kyoto-Nara- Hiroshima-Miyajima-Kinosaki - purchase a JR West Kansai-Hiroshima area pass.

From Kinosaki to Tokyo Haneda Airport- what train ticket do I buy here?

Much appreciate the suggestions offered here!

Kim



by Kimberly (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Does JR pass cover these routes? 2022/4/5 11:20
Yes and no. That was one person's opinion.
You haven't really described your travels in detail. So a comprehensive answer like above is a bit premature.

While you can save 5-10% by doing these little tricks. Using unreserved seats etc. I think your travels wil46far outweigh a 14d JR pass cost.

You already have about 44K yen in shinkansen tickets alone. And a JR pass costs 46,250 yen.

I am sure between the short trips like Miyajima and Kinosaki etc, that you'd find 2650 worth of value.

Arashiyama and Fushimi Inari on the list to visit? Osaka? Namba-Dontonbori? Shinjuku?


by H (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Does JR pass cover these routes? 2022/4/5 13:19
As mentioned countless times by me in the past, by all means you should make your itinerary first, and then choose the best way to get there.
If for some reason you omitted some important details that would change the equation, then by all means please add them in. But taking you at your word and believing what you've given is accurate, it will cost less money to buy the regular tickets for the Tokyo-Kansai round trip and use the Kansai-Hiroshima Pass for the rest, than the cost of a 14-day JR Pass. Do the math and see for yourself - the numbers are indisputable.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_kansai_hiroshima.html
If it's more economical and you have the chance to take the Nozomi train (and JR Pass holders can't), it would be in your interest to do so. There are up to about 8 departures from Tokyo per hour (and only 1-2X/hr for Hikari trains), making it much more convenient and flexible for you. (And no matter what, for longer legs, please don't take a Kodama train). If you haven't read the page yet, by all means see
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2018_tokaido.html
for more info. Not to mention that you won't have to compete against other foreign tourists using JR Passes. And with fewer stops, with the Nozomi trains you will arrive about 30 minutes sooner. The JR West Kansai-Hiroshima Pass also lets you take the Nozomi trains, with the same benefits. Its one drawback is not being able to use the bullet trains between Kyoto and Osaka, but you can still use the limited express trains, which take just a bit longer, or the rapid trains which are no slouch for speed either.
Regarding getting from Haneda into Tokyo, it is simple enough to buy a regular ticket and take the monorail to Hamamatsucho, and then on to wherever else you are going. Or, there are the Keikyu (non-JR) trains from Haneda which may come out cheaper. Or maybe you don't want to bother carrying your luggage (a very wise choice during weekday rush hours), and you can take the orange limousine bus (pricey but convenient) if it goes to, or near your hotel. There are variables like your arrival time, if you want to go straight to your hotel, etc. If you are going to be going all over Tokyo for a few days, then it may be very convenient to get a prepaid IC card like Pasmo or Suica at Haneda - you never have to calculate fares using them. Or, there is a 48 or 72-hour subway pass for just 1200 or 1500 yen respectively and pretty easy to break even on. It can depend where you are going - there often is more than one way to get there. At any rate, your trip is still at least a year away, and you could change or add things on to your plans, so do your research and choose what suits you best.
by Ken (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Does JR pass cover these routes? 2022/4/5 14:05
Thank you very much Ken! Your response is most helpful!
by Kim (guest) rate this post as useful

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