Hello,

I will be travelling through Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagasaki) from August 2 - August 9.

To go from city to city I would like to take the bullet trains, which from my reading and understanding you CANNOT use the JR Passes for.

However, do you think that within the cities it would benefit me to get the JR Passes before I leave??
I am from NY and very used to the subway system- however, here you can buy day passes, week passes, etc. I know that the JR Pass can only be bought here- does that make sense for me?


Thank you!!!!

The bullet train is certainly available for a JR Pass. The very fastest train, the Nozomi, is not eligible, but on most routes the difference between it and the other Shinkansen trains is minor, e.g., 162 minutes vs 141 mins between Tokyo and Osaka.
Check hyperdia.com and price out the times and costs, and see if the pass makes sense for you. For a week it probably does, even if you're only going one way Tokyo-Nagasaki with a stopover in Kyoto.

AFAIK, you must buy the JR pass outside of Japan, at least that was the case. On my last trip to Japan I hadn't been on the Nozomi trains, but had been on the other types of bullet trains. I did price out the journeys I needed, and found that the pass was only marginally less, so I decieded to buy individual tickets so that I could ride the Nozomi too.

Welcome to Fodor's allystum.

A good way to start your research is to look through the contributions that have been made to the forum: the best way is to type a phrase like "JR Pass bullet train" in the box labeled "Search the forums." After you've done the groundwork, I'm sure you can get answers to more specific questions here.

Allystum - perhaps click on your name and review the answers to your previous posts that are very similar. The answers are all there for you.

I am having some trouble understanding the hyperdia website and know that it can be a great resource to me.
Can someone please help me understand the prices, how to read the different stations I need, etc.

I am looking to go from
Tokyo to Kyoto on April 5
Kyoto to Nagasaki on April 8

Thank you!!!

Price is total price, not only fare. Fare is basic only from point to point, not including express fee, which you must pay to use any train except local. Hyperdia misnamed it reservation fee, but reservation fee is only around ¥500. The rest is not optional.

You can input the station nearest your hotel or just use Tokyo for Tokyo station. Kyoto for Kyoto station. Nagasaki for Nagasaki station.

You are best buying the JR Pass, but you must get it outside Japan http://www.jrpass.com it is not available within the country.

You can ride the shinkansen, other JR trains, JR ferries and JR buses with the JR Pass, it is a really economical way of seeing the country. On the subway systems you might want to get a Pasmo or Suica prepaid card which you can use in most cities.

I am assuming you mean August 5 and 8.

Fare would be August 5 Tokyo<----> Kyoto
Leave: 10:03 am arrive 12:48 pk Total Fare 13,420 yen seat fee included

August 8 Kyoto<----> Nagasaki
Leave: Kyoto 9:29 arrive Nagasaki station 14:25 Total fare 18,370 yen seat fee included.
The price for a 7 day JR regular pass is 28,300 yen so you would be saving if you order one. See here for details if you haven't already.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html

Aloha!

YOU CANNOT BUY A JR PASS IN JAPAN.

YOU CANNOT OBTAIN A JR PASS OUTSIDE OF JAPAN.

You must buy <b>a voucher</b> for a JR pass in the United States or whatever is your country of residence. You then exchange the voucher for a JR pass when you arrive in Japan. This process takes about 10 minutes, maximum.

Your reading of the rules is incorrect, you can use your JR pass to take every single type of bullet train in Japan EXCEPT the Nozomi shinkansen.

Following KimJapan's pointer, I looked at all the previous posts where in fact the information has already been provided. This thread is going around in circles and now even the dates provided are incorrect.
Maybe the best thing is for allystum just to go to a JR station upon arrival in Japan and buy the tickets needed. The staff can go through the options and help with the choice of trains, tickets, times, etc. It might cost a few dollars more, but so what? This stuff about the JR Pass and Hyperdia seems to be just too confusing for this traveller.

I actually did not realize that clicking on my name would give me my previous posts- so thank you very much! I appreciate you telling me that.

Also, thank you to those that posted the fees and times of the trains- again I appreciate it!

Is it crucial that I book trains while in US, or is it something that I can book once I get to Japan on day of travel, etc.
Just not familiar with how the train system works in Japan.

Thank you again!

You can't book trains from the US unless you pay a travel agent got the tickets and service charge.

If you use a JR Pass you can make reservations free of charge anytime before your journey. 4 seats together may be tough but if you don't mind seperate seats should be no problem.

If you buy tickets you can reserve at that time. Same as above about 4 seats together.

You can always ride in unreserved cars as well with no reservation.

Tokyo to Nagasaki would be about a 7 hour trip. You would take the bullet train to Hakata and transfer to a (nice) Kamome limited express train to Nagasaki.

Same route on return, tho you would stop in Kyoto enroute.

This would cost about 48,000 yen. Or you could get a rail pass and pay 28,300 yen.

My preference would be to fly one-way between Nagasaki and Tokyo on a Yokoso fare for 10,000 and get a JR Pass for 28,300 for the getting between Nagaski-Kyoto-Tokyo (and the Narita Airport transfers).

allystum, you need to read this:
http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en001.html

But, with the time you have you might have a better time just visiting Tokyo and Kyoto.

mrwunrfl- i have to go to nagasaki as i am taking a cruise leaving from nagasaki.
since my flight arrives in tokyo, i would like to spend some time in tokyo and kyoto on my way to nagasaki, finally arriving in time for my cruise.

therefore, i think what i have learned is to take a train from kyoto to hakata and then transfer to a kamome (what is this?) train to Nagasaki.

Thank you !!!

I would add to mrwunrfl's suggestion, and profer the following schedule. Catch the shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto. My reading is that the cheapest fare is ¥13,420. If you are flying an One World carrier, purchase one voucher from the Yokoso Japan pass (http://www.oneworld.com/ow/air-trave...es/visit-japan) for ¥10,000. You would need to catch an airport shuttle from Kyoto to Osaka Itami, but after that the trip to Nagasaki is only 1 hour 15 minutes.

Or, make it an all air trip, catch a flight from Tokyo Haneda to Itami, using two vouchers (¥20,000), flight time 65 minutes.

One World Visit Japan has blackout period from August 6 - 16. While it could be used from Tokyo to Itami on August 5, it is hardly a time saver between getting to the airport at least 30 minutes before, an hour for the flight, and then an hour from Itami to Kyoto...same as the train.

Mention of that blackout period made me wonder whether anyone factored Obon into their advice. I didn't, and now think trains should be booked as soon as possible, as this is one of the busiest travel times of the year. I hope too that hotel reservations have been nailed down.

Obon will be after they are gone but many might travel sooner. Hotels may be tight or expensive or both. The biggest concern I think is the incredible heat.

Thank you so much for all of these suggestions.
Is there a way to book train travel outside of Japan?

I know that the heat will be intense and a problem, but I am a school teacher so unfortunately the only significant time I have off is during the summer months!

I have hotel reservations at a few hotels, and just trying to make a final decision.

In Tokyo I am booked at Park Hyatt and Peninsula
--> does anyone think I would be better off at one as opposed to the other? Again, I have never been to Tokyo and therefore am not familiar with locations, where the sites are, etc.

In Kyoto, I am booked at Hyatt Regency (much more than the other two), Westin Miyako, and Hotel Okura.
--> again- any advice or opinions on these?!

Thank you again for everything. It took me a little bit to get used to Fodors and travel (train, etc) in Japan but I think I am getting the hang of it!