Confused with JR rail pass

Hello to All.

Finally i get to go to japan in mid Nov but all confused with the rail system.

My trip
tokyo ==== kyoto =====osaka
5nights 2n 2n

I am plan to purchase the JR rail pass before we leave for tokyo. I understand can activate the pass for use to take the train from narita airport to city. The pass has 7 , 14 and 21 days tickets. If i activate it on day one, i will NOT be using it till day 5 to travel to kyoto. Think it's waste.. any suggestions?

# from kyoto to osaka, i need the pass again on day 7. May i know how to travel from osaka city to kansai airport? is there a train operated like JR in tokyo?


Please help. many THANKS

A 7-day Japan Rail Pass will cost roughly twice than what regular tickets for Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka would cost. I strongly recommend against the purchase of a rail pass if the above route is all your long-distance travel.

Options for travel between Tokyo and Kyoto:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2363.html

Between Kyoto and Osaka:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4006.html?aFROM=2157_2158

May i know how to travel from osaka city to kansai airport? is there a train operated like JR in tokyo?

I agree with Uji..you definitely don't need a pass if you are not returning to Tokyo

The JR limited Express haruka train goes from shinosaka and tennoji in osaka directly to Kansai airport, just like Narita express

thanks uji and fmj

Now i am trying to figure out tickets to buy for local internal tokyo city train travel. Any suggestions? thanks in advance

Buy a Suica or PASMO card at any Tokyo train station (they're interchangable, it doesn't matter which you get). It's a stored-balance card that's good on all the lines in the city. You can refill the balance as necessary.

Further information:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_002.html

Thanks nicholas. So i guess it's better to buy a suica card as u suggested. The one day or 2 day metro pass for tourist is lower in price but may not cover all lines.. thanks again

To travel from Narita to Tokyo then travel around Tokyo you could get the Suica & NEX package for 3500 Yen. It consist of 1) a one way trip from Narita Airport to Tokyo (or Yokohama) by Narita Express and 2) a Suica card worth 2000 Yen (500 Yen refundable deposit plus 1500 Yen worth of train fares), a great deal, considering that the regular one way fare of the Narita Express alone is around 3000 Yen or more! Suica is more practical than 1 or 2 days passes. Suica only charge the exact price of a trip but with the 1 day pass if you use it for only a few short trips the money left on the card cannot be used the day after. You can use all the money on your Suica card (you can use it in Osaka and Kyoto (and reload it if you need more money to travel in these towns)

Please advice me for railway reservations.
I am leaving in Japan. and my parents are traveling to Japan. I have asked them to get the days JR pass with them. I have some questions about reservation I am planning trip to Hiroshima-kyoto-nara starting from 23rd Dec. When should I reserve my ticket? My parents arrival in Japan is on 21st dec. Will it be ok if I reserve the tickets after the arrival of my parents? or do I need to book it in advance ? plz help

To make reservations for your parents using the railpasses, you will need to show the passes to be able to get the free reservation. Therefore you will need to wait until they have arrived and exchanged their vouchers. If you buy your ticket and reservation at the same time, it would be fine.

thanks kappa :-) one more questions but can i make reservation just 2 days before my travel ? and that too during the year end vacations ?

I believe you can buy tickets and make reservations weeks in advance.

To make reservations for your parents using the railpasses, you will need to show the passes to be able to get the free reservation. Therefore you will need to wait until they have arrived and exchanged their vouchers. If you buy your ticket and reservation at the same time, it would be fine.
I believe it is possible to reserve seats online now, if you plan to have a Pass, even before you actually have the Pass: check with JR: I read it was a new innovation, but I'm not sure when it was to start

Thanks, sensei2. Appreciate your reply. I am pretty keen to visit NARA. Now trying to add the individual JR trains costs to see if it's better value to buy the JR Railpass.
Planning tokyo--kyoto--nara--osaka...hm. Thanks

December 22-26 are all normal working business days, the holiday travel really does kick in until the week after, eg near new year and after new year.

So you should be OK in making a reservation in my opinion after your parents arrive. Yes you can reserve tickets up to 1 month in advance.

The online reservation in English is only for JR East trains, the Tokaido Shinkansen to Kyoto is not JR East.

Trains between Kyoto-Nara are regular trains, so they are not reservable.

Tokyo-Kyoto are reservable. Alternately depending on how long your trip is, JTB Sunrise tours come WITH hotel and roundtrip tickets, Cheaper then the JR pass, also discount Shinkansen tickets between Tokyo and Kyoto roundtrip come out Cheaper then a JR railpass. (Eg Kodama Economy Plan).

a 7-day railpass costs Yen 28000, a Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Osaka costs Yen 13000 one way, so that's Yen 26000, so difference is only Yen 2000 (about US$ 20), than you also wanna go to Nara, and perhaps also wanna use the Yamanote loop line in Tokyo, and maybe a daytrip to Nikko or Kamakura or Hakone, so I think I JR railpass is not only cheaper but also much more convenient, I mean, no hassle with buying tickets, line-ups, and above all a lot of freedom.

Something that wasn't discussed was your hotels. You are planning to stay 2 nights in Kyoto and 2 nights in Osaka. These 2 towns are only 30-40 minutes from one another by very frequent trains so why not --as I do--stay in one town only? I prefer Kobe myself, as this give me a chance to have a look at another town, but it is a personal choice. I commute daily--in North America--by rapid transit between my home and work/ shopping etc. 45 minutes one way. I LOVE the trains and subways in Japan so I take any chance I can to use them. They are very easy to use and familiar, for someone like me who was raised in Europe.

thank you all :-)...

a 7-day railpass costs Yen 28000, a Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Osaka costs Yen 13000 one way, so that's Yen 26000, so difference is only Yen 2000 (about US$ 20), than you also wanna go to Nara, and perhaps also wanna use the Yamanote loop line in Tokyo, and maybe a daytrip to Nikko or Kamakura or Hakone, so I think I JR railpass is not only cheaper but also much more convenient, I mean, no hassle with buying tickets, line-ups, and above all a lot of freedom.

As I said in the post above yours:
Discount tickets and packages exist which make not having a JR pass mute.

A discount ticket between Tokyo and Kyoto can run around 9800 yen x 2 thats 19600 or 8700yen cheaper then a JR pass, so that gives 8700 can pretty much cover most smaller transportation around, also considering their plan doesn't call for a trip to Nikko or Hakone then that point is mute. I'm pointing out if you already have a fixed plan. Also plans.

Also depending on how long you plan to visit osaka/kyoto from Tokyo, the sunrise tour packages also offer hotel room in the package for alot less then a JR pass + hotel.