Which train ticket?

Hi all,

I am travelling to Japan in May and my trip looks as follows:
Day 1 Kanasai Airport - Kyoto
Day 2 Kyoto
Day 3 Kyoto - Nara - Kyoto
Day 4 Kyoto - Himeji
Day 5 Himeji - Hiroshima
Day 6 Miyajima Island
Day 7 Hiroshima - Hakone
Day 8 Hakone - Tokyo
Day 9 Tokyo
Day 10 Tokyo
Day 11 Tokyo - Nikko - Tokyo
Day 12 Tokyo
Day 13 Tokyo
Day 14 Tokyo - Osaka
Day 15 Osaka - Kanasai Airport

My questions is is I should I buy a 7 or 14 days JR rail pass? I was thinking I could buy a 7 day pass and start it on day 3 of my trip therefore I would have to pay for these additional tickets seperatly:
1) Kansai airport to Kyoto
2) 1 day in Kyoto
3) 4 days in Tokyo
4) return trip Tokyo to Nikko
5) 1 way Tokyo to Osaka
6) 1 way Osaka to Kansai airport

Does anyone think this is cheaper than buying a 14 day pass?? or should i just pay for 14 days?

also, does this trip look ok or am i rushing around too much?

A 14-day pass will come cheaper for your itinerary.

any special reason why you stay one night in Himeji? it takes 4rs maximum to walk from/to Himeji JR station to the castle and visit the castle at leisure. Leaving Kyoto at 9 am and stopping in Himeji (put your bags in lockers) you can be in Hiroshima by 6 pm or even earlier. You could then spend more time in Hiroshima or somewhere else.
your trip looks ok.

My questions is I should I buy a 7 or 14 days JR rail pass? I was thinking I could buy a 7 day pass and start it on day 3 of my trip therefore I would have to pay for these additional tickets seperatly:

7 day pass: 28,300yen
14 day pass: 45,100yen

1) Kansai airport to Kyoto--2,300yen by the limousine (not covered by JR pass)

2) 1 day in Kyoto--one day bus ticket for 500yen (not covered by JR pass)

3) 4 days in Tokyo--JR Tokyo oneday ticket for 730 x 4 = 2,920yen

4) return trip Tokyo to Nikko--5,880yen for return from Shinjuku to Nikko via Asakusa on the Tobu Limited express ( not covered by JR pass)

5) 1 way Tokyo to Osaka--13,550yen on Hikari

6) 1 way Osaka to Kansai airport--1,300yen on the Limousine bus from Umeda to KIX (not covered by JR pass)

Total cost excluding #2 and #6: 24,650yen

Buying a 14 day pass might be a good idea, unless you mind taking the slower and less frequent Shinkansen 'Hikari'.

However if you visit Nikko on the day 9, the difference between 14 days' cost, and 7 days' cost plus the total cost of point-to-point tickets is nearly break-even and it allows you to take a non-reserved section of Nozomi train (310yen less than #5).

It's all up to you which way to choose.

Day 7 Hiroshima - Hakone

Hiroshima 8:15am--9:44 Shin-Osaka 10:13--12:35 Odawara, gateway station to Hakone.

Hiroshima 10:15--11:44 Shin-Osaka 12:13--14:35 Odawara

Hiroshima 11:50--13:24 Shin-Osaka 14:13--16:35 Odawara

Hiroshima 12:50--14:24 Shin-Osaka 14:40--16:30 Shizuoka 16:48--Kodama--17:41 Odawara

All trains are Hikari unless specified.