My plans are progressing ....

I will arrive at KIX on March 4, and depart NRT on April 7, so 34 days in Japan. The first week will be spent in/around Kyoto and the final few days in/around Tokyo, so I've got 3 weeks in between to wander. I'm still working on my itinerary and won't get it finished before I depart for Thailand (on KR) on Jan 15, so I'm going to go ahead and purchase a 21 day ordinary JR Pass next week and just not worry about optimizing.

I cannot find a place to purchase the JRPass in Philadelphia, so I will order online. I've found JRPass.com and Japan-rail-pass.com (the link from japan-guide, which seems to ship from France).

Recommendations? Their prices are comparable, and both do standard FedEx delivery.

Also, the one linked to Japan-guide has add-ons: $13 for phone or email support in Japan, and $8 for their 160 page guide to using the JR Pass. Are either of these useful -- especially for someone who is a newbie at the Japanese rail system?

Thanks,

We bought from JRpass.com earlier this year and they sent a guidebook to exploring Japan by rail with the voucher.

You cannot purchase a JR Pass in the US, you can only buy a voucher and exchange it for the pass in Japan. There have to be travel agents offering this service in Philadelphia - it's the 5th largest city in the US and when we went in 2008, we were able to obtain ours in Dallas.

I did the same thing as BigRuss (but I must have inadvertently requested the guidebook because I didn't want it).

I bought everything through japan-rail-pass.com, which I think also came from France. I received it in about two days and it was over a holiday weekend.

The other service that I got from them, though, was the pocket wifi. This was the second time I'd rented through them (it's Global Advanced Communications service) and their prices were better than other sites I'd searched.

I *strongly* suggest you make your itinerary first before buying any pass. While you could save money on a pass, if you don't travel enough you could in fact lose money on one.

For those on long trips and often traveling at a slower pace, it is often harder to break even on using a pass. Getting a series of regional passes might make more sense. And if you're going to the farthest parts of the country, a cheap flight on a low cost carrier or ANA's Experience Japan Fare might together with a regional pass save more time too. You could get your money's worth taking the train from Tokyo to Sapporo, but unless you're stopping off along the way, why would you murder a whole day sitting on trains?

You can get the rail pass exchange order from nearly any big travel agent selling tickets to Japan. Online is fine too. Or from this March you'll be able to buy the whole rail pass after you arrive in Japan at the big airports and major JR stations, as part of a new trial basis (though at a higher price). And before someone tries to start telling me you can only buy it outside Japan, you are not keeping informed.

Since you'll be arriving at KIX, the Icoca & Haruka discount ticket is one way to save some money getting into the city. Regional passes within the Kansai area are hit and miss; for many though they don't pay off without some long distance travel to somewhere like Himeji. Have a look at some choices at:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2357_kansai.html

Within Tokyo, the 3 day subway pass is a great way to save money.
http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/v...dex.html#anc03

If you do order the pass online, just make sure you are not giving a PO Box - they require a signature upon delivery. But as I said, make sure it will pay off first. Check your itinerary at
http://www.hyperdia.com
and make sure you are at least breaking even.

Thank you for the replies. It sounds like either online ordering company is fine.

I have not found any place in Philadelphia that sells the JR Pass vouchers, so if someone with better Google skills than I can find one, I would be thankful.

Yes, the online orders require a signature for the FedEx package, so I will arrange to work from home the day that the package is due.

As for sorting out a detailed itinerary and calculating point-to-point vs a railpass, I know many consider that ideal. I've done a quick sketch/check between major points I plan to hit and I'm comfortable that a JR Pass is a reasonable gamble: I leave the US in two weeks and cannot sort a detailed itinerary and learn the train systems before then. I will be dialing in the details of my trip during the latter part of January while in Thailand. So, if I loose a bit of money on transport, so be it. For this trip, I accept that possibility.

Thanks again for feedback on the online ordering companies!

http://japanrailpass.net/area_02.html#THAILAND

There seems to be a number of places to purchase your JR Pass voucher in Thailand....maybe that would work for you?

And as Adastra2200 said, there are places to buy the Pass in Japan starting in March.....

http://japanrailpass.net/file/trial_basis_en.pdf

Thanks, Mara.

I've been wondering if I, as a US/UK national, am required to buy the voucher in the country corresponding to my passports or could buy it in Thailand.

I've got two weeks in Bangkok at the end of February at the end of my 6 weeks in Thailand/Cambodia, so if I can indeed purchase the voucher there, that leaves me ample time to dial in my itinerary and do the cost benefit analysis.

And taking one more thing off my plate in the next two weeks, before leaving for 3+ months, would be fabulous!

So, next tasks: confirm that a US or UK national is allowed to purchase the JRPass voucher in Thailand ....

(Regarding purchase in Japan: yep, I've thought about that, as the pass sales begin on March 8, a couple of days before I would activate my 3-week pass -- but at a price premium.)

If you're concerned about buying from some online fly by night outfit you've never heard of before (and you should be), there are the big Japanese travel agencies you can buy online from as well. Like JTB, IACE, Kintetsu, HIS etc. (Although the online only places above are legit, and basically act as sub-agents; the first one for example as I recall is a sub-agent of Kintetsu).
http://online.jtbusa.com/JRPass/AllJRpass.aspx
http://www.iace-usa.com/en/jr-others/about/
http://www.hisgo.com/us/Contents/Opt...s.aspx?lang=en

Buying in Thailand is another option as mentioned. Or if you have a JAL or ANA ticket, you can buy it at their ticket counter on the spot in America before flying. I'd prefer having it in hand before I leave home though.

Beyond the question of breaking even on a pass, it is FAR better to have as much of your itinerary planned out as possible. Those who just wing it or figure it out later almost always end up missing some of the best sites, not to mention waste money, time and energy.
I, and I'm sure many others, will be happy to help you figure out the best way to travel if you can provide more info. At least, what cities are you planning to visit and for about how long?
For your reference, here is a good list of various regional passes that might serve you better (and be aware that to see some places like Hakone, Koyasan and others a JR Pass won't get you all the way there at all).
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2357.html

Well, I am a budget traveler so to me the price difference between a one, two or three week pass for my itinerary would be something I would do on a spreadsheet, but that's me....;-)

However, if you have more time to figure out your itinerary and it turns out you don't need a 21 day pass but only a 14 day pass I think the savings would outweigh the extra price of buying it in Japan.

Maybe you can call HIS or JTB in the US, which are the big Japanese travel agencies with both US and Thailand offices and inquire about purchasing the voucher in Thailand.

And as Adastra2200 said, often a JR Pass is not the best option. I take longish trips and it rarely works for me whereas regional ones often do....plus there are also the low cost airlines that can be cheaper and quicker than trains....

Thank you to everyone for your replies. I will investigate the option of purchasing the voucher in Thailand, which would be the simplest option if feasible.