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JR Pass price increase in October

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JR Pass price increase in October

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Old Jun 26th, 2023, 04:37 PM
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eal
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JR Pass price increase in October

Hi all, I will be traveling in Japan in October and plan to buy a JR Pass. I see that the prices will increase in October but it is not clear to me whether this is for travel in October or for passes bought in October i.e. if I buy a pass before October will it be the lower price and can I travel in October with it?

thanks in advance,
Eric
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Old Jun 26th, 2023, 05:52 PM
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If you buy the pass before October, you can use it to travel in October without any issues. Be sure to check the official Japan Rail Pass website for the most up-to-date information on pricing and purchasing
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Old Jun 27th, 2023, 03:14 AM
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Originally Posted by dortodoor
If you buy the pass before October, you can use it to travel in October without any issues. Be sure to check the official Japan Rail Pass website for the most up-to-date information on pricing and purchasing
This is of interest to me as well, as we're planning for November. Can you be more precise -- if we buy the pass before October, can we use it in Nov? Thanks.
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Old Jun 27th, 2023, 04:13 AM
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According to the Japan rail pass website, a voucher for the JR pass can be purchased up to 3 months prior to use, so good for travelers who plan to use it through December:

https://www.japan-rail-pass.com/tran...#jrp-info-form
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Old Jun 27th, 2023, 01:44 PM
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Eric, LAX_Esq, there are a variety of regional passes and good airfares that might be better than an (all-Japan) JR Pass. If you post your itinerary we can help if you are not certain that you need one.
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Old Jun 27th, 2023, 04:08 PM
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Thank you!. My approximate itinerary is:
Fly to Hokkaido, rent car and tour for 5 days.
Train to Kyoto and 5 days sightseeing in the area
Travel to Tukoshima to walk part of the 88 Temples Pilgrimage

I think the train will be needed for Hokkaido through to Tukoshima, maybe a 7 day pass?
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Old Jun 27th, 2023, 10:10 PM
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Day 1-5 - Hokkaido with a car. The JR Hokkaido Pass is 19,000 for 5 days or 24,000 for 7 days
Day 6 travel to Kyoto, JR would cost about 37,000 for the 11-hour trip from Sapporo to Kyoto. JAL would cost about 14,000 for economy or 21,000 for business class for the 2-hour flight from Sapporo to Osaka and then some small amount of time and cost to get to Kyoto.
Days 7-11 Kyoto could use JR to go to Nara, but it is not expensive. The pass is not useful in Kyoto.
Day 12 go to Tokushima

7-day JR Pass is 29,650 which is less than that Sapporo to Kyoto fare. You coiuld use it for Days 6-12 to save about 8000. But, you could fly at half the cost of the pass.

jorudan shows Kyoto to Tokushima is 12,840 and 3 hr 20 min on JR. That goes via Okayama and over the Seto Ohashi Bridges which I thought was quite scenic. But there is also a bus option 4300 and 3 hr 21 min. I assume that goes across Awaji Island

So you can pay 29000-ish for rail travel or maybe 19000 to fly/bus for those 7-days.

but yeah, the pass will save you money if you decide to go by rail from Hokkaido to Kyoto.

For days 13 and on, consider the All Shikoku Pass and/or Setouchi Pass described here: Rail Passes in Japan (japan-guide.com)
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Old Jun 28th, 2023, 08:10 AM
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thank you!
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Old Jun 28th, 2023, 09:09 AM
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Eric, do you definitely want to take the train to Kyoto? If so, you could break up the looong trip with a stop at Sendai to visit Matsushima (literally pine islands) and take the cruise
Matsushima Bay - Matsushima Travel (japan-guide.com)

If you ended your Hokkaido travel in Hakodate then you could fly nonstop HKD to Osaka Itami for about 15,000. Or, if interested, pay to take the shinkansen under the water (Tsugaru Strait) to Aomori and then fly nonstop (AOJ) to Osaka (ITM) in less than 2 hours for 11,000.

I once flew from Fukuoka to Sendai and got room for the night at a hotel next to the station. I booked it with a TA at the station and then walked the block or two to the hotel. The cruise on Matsushima Bay was really nice. I took the shinkansen up to Kakunodate (a special place) and visited Nyuto Onsen from there, then back to Tokyo. The one thing I remember of the Tohoku Shinkansen ride was rice fields with nice big houses and roads on built up land, surrounded by the rice fields.

Last edited by mrwunrfl; Jun 28th, 2023 at 09:29 AM.
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Old Sep 6th, 2023, 07:53 PM
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Just noticed that if you use a Nozomi with the new/expensive pass that you have to pay a supplement. With a pass purchased before Oct 1 you can't ride the Nozomi or Mizuho shinkansen (was always true).

The new price would almost be okay if included those previously restricted trains.
Drastic price increase announced for the Japan Rail Pass (japan-guide.com)

Examples of the supplement fee:
  • Tokyo - Nagoya: 4,180 yen
  • Tokyo - Kyoto: 4,960 yen
  • Tokyo - Shin-Osaka: 4,960 yen
  • Tokyo - Hiroshima: 6,500 yen
  • Tokyo - Hakata: 8,140 yen
  • Shin-Osaka - Hiroshima: 4,170 yen
  • Shin-Osaka - Hakata: 4,960 yen
  • Shin-Osaka - Kagoshima-Chuo: 9,460 yen
  • Hakata - Kagoshima-Chuo: 4,500 yen


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