emd

I read on a post of KimJapan's in last few days that the "fare" charge listed on Hyperdia is the basic fare that you pay to get from one place to another, but w/lots of stops, making it a slow choice, and that the "charge" is something like an upgrade charge to get on the faster train. I am trying to price out train trips and decide if we need a 7 day or 14 day JR Pass. Our first 7 days will consist of using Narita Express to Yokohama, then daily trips from Yokohama to Tokyo and back. I know the price of the Narita Express is 4180. But the Yokohama to Tokyo trains puzzle me. There is a 30 minute train (JR Keihin-Tohoku-Negishi line)for 450 yen fare, or a 39 minute train (JR Yokosuka line) for 3000 (450 fare plus a 2550 charge). Why is the 39 minute train that much more expensive than the 30 min. train? This difference in calculation would make a difference in whether it is better for us to get the pass for the first wk as well as second wk or not. If we just pay 4180 for Narita Express and 450 each way in and out of Tokyo each day for 5 following days (total 6430), then the $154 difference btwn JR 1 and 2 wk pass is not worth it for us. BUt if we are paying 3000 per trip btwn Tokyo and Yokohama, the JR pass that extra week is really worth it.
Am I missing something here? What is the big differential for on those 2 Yokohama-Tokyo trains?

emd

And one more thing- next to the extra 2550 charge for the 39 min. train from Yoko. to Tokyo, it says "unreserved seat"- why would anyone want to pay that much extra over the 30 min. train for a slower train AND unreserved seat?

KimJapan

The Yokosuka line is subway so it's cheap.

The charge for a reserved seat is only around 500 yen, not much at all. The reserved seat charge is a seperate charge from the "better, faster train" charge.

emd

I think this must be a mistake on hyperdia. There is no way it can be a 2550 charge for a 450 rate train for a 39 min ride from Yokohama to Tokyo. Other people are telling me that the rate on both lines is 450, period.

The above sure messed up my calculations on trying to figure out if I need the JR pass for week one. But I am convinced now that I do not need a 14 day pass, only a 7 day pass, which I will activate when we take the train from Yokohama to Odawara on day 8, and then day 9 continue our more intense traveling on the JR Pass to Kyoto (w/Nara and Himeji), Hiroshima/Miyajima, Osaka for a day of Sumo, and then back to Narita the second week.

KimJapan

I don't think it's a mistake...I checked in Japanese too. Price ranges from flat 450 to over 7000 yen. I don't think anyone would pay the much higher price for the more expensive train unless they are using that train for destinations other than Tokyo/Yokohama.

emd

Wow, pay either $4 for a 30 min. ride or $27.50 for a 39 min. ride. Well, I know which train I'm taking. I've heard now from someone who lives there that the best line to take from Yokohama to Tokyo is the Tokaido (orange) line and that it takes 25 min. and costs 450 yen. I'm glad I know now to be sure I don't get on that $27.50 train.
One additioanl question: why does Hyperdia list a ride as having zero transfers when you can see from the layout of the option that it clearly has transfers (eg. it has the little "walking feet" and the amt. of time the walk takes showing you have to walk btwn trains)?