Traveling from Okayama to Takamatsu

Hello everyone!

I'm sorry if this has been answered already, I couldn't find a solution using the search function.

I'll be visiting the Setouchi and Kyushu area in November and will be using the Sanyo San'in Northern Kyushu Pass. During my stay in Okayama, I'd like to make one or two day trips to Takamatsu in Kagawa prefecture. According to JR West, the pass also covers the route to Takamatsu.

However, when I try to look up suitable route options using the Navitime app, I get confusing results.

For instance, one option is a direct connection with the Marine Liner and the app lists this connection as partially or wholly not covered.

Another connection is from Okayama to Kojima then transferring to the Marine Liner to Takamatsu. The section to Kojima is listed as covered. On the Marine Liner it says the first half from Kojima to Sakaide is only partially covered, but the section from Sakaide to Takamatsu is wholly covered.

I also encountered the same issue looking up other passes such as the Sanyo San'in Area Pass.

I couldn't find any explanation on JR West site which trains are covered and which are not. Does anyone have experience traveling between Okayama and Takamatsu?

Thanks in advance for any help!

The best connection is the Marine Liner. It is covered by the Sanyo Sanin Northern Kyushu Pass! No transfer required!

As a side remark: Kojima and Sakaide are also along the line, which is covered by the Sanyo Sanin Northern Kyushu Pass. It seems Navitime has some issues. In any case: if you use a Marine Liner, no transfer is required.

Yes, the Marine Liner is the best way to go, and it is covered by the pass. I have taken this trip numerous times (Okayama to Takamatsu and return) and always enjoy it.

By the way, this is one of the few JR trains where you can purchase an upgrade to green seating if you are using a rail pass to cover the base fare. I believe it has to do with the classification of train type as a glinerh as opposed to a limited express train, but that doesnft really matter. The important thing is that the first car of the train is a gdouble-deckerh car with two levels, the lower level being a regular reserved seating section and the upper level being reserved Green seats. The upper level is definitely preferable, for the great views going over the Seto Ohashi bridge. The lower level isnft too bad, but if I wasnft getting the Green upgrade I would probably choose non-reserved seats because those cars are not double-decker so you sit up a little higher than in the regular reserved seats. (Look at pictures of the train and this becomes clearer.) Your pass will cover the regular reserved seats with no extra charge, but I always pay the extra for the green seats, even though itfs a bit of a splurge (1260 yen each way, I believe). I have tried the gpanoramah seats, which are the ones directly behind the operatorfs compartment, and those are sort of fun, but I actually like the Green seats better.

Oops, Ifm not sure Ifm right about how the upgrade is handled in terms of pricing. It might simply be the usual thing where the limited express fee is inseparable from the green fee so you have to pay both to get the green. You could ask a JR West agent. If I were on a tight budget I would just get non-reserved seating, but I really love those upper-level seats on the double-deckerc

The Marine Liner is classified as a rapid (kaisoku). So, you can ride the Green Car by purchasing just the Green Car upgrade for 1260 yen one way. Or make a reservation for the ordinary reserved seats for free. I personally prefer the unreserved seats over the ordinary reserved seats, because the unreserved seats are located higher.

The green car fee of 1260 yen stated on JR Westfs route finder includes the reserved seat charge, so you arenft getting gjusth the green car charge for that price. Regular (non-green) reserved seats cost 840 yen more than the base fare, so it seems to me that if you were just paying for only the green supplement it should cost 1260 minus the reserved seat charge of 840 that is supposed to be free with the pass. But anyway, regardless of the fare basis, I agree that either unreserved seats or green seats are better on that train. The non-green reserved seats are too low. The unreserved seats are really not bad, and that train runs quite often and Ifve never seen it completely full, so I wouldnft worry about the chance of not getting a seat in the nonreserved car.