JR rail pass or JR regional pass
 

Trying to figure out which is the best pass to buy. I will be in Japan for two weeks and am thinking of buying a one week JR Rail pass. We will be spending 3 nights in tokyo and then 4 nights in Kyoto. From Kyoto we plan to travel via train to Oska, Hiroshima, Hakone and return to Toyko for 2 days. I think it is cheaper to buy a one way ticket to Kyoto and then use the rail pass. However when I visited the JR Rail site it seems that I could also just buy a regional pass for less money. Which one would work best for me. I have already priced out the one week verus the two week pass including the extra fare from Tyoko to Kyoto and its seems the one week works out to be less money. Any suggestions, thanks.

If you start your Railpass on the day you go to Kyoto the use it to continue on to Osaka, Hiroshima and Hakone within the seven days you can get from Odawara (Hakone area) to Tokyo for under 4000 yen. Or possibly you can use one of the Hakone area passes for that last portion of your trip.....
Hope that helps.
Enjoy!

Oh no, my calculations were all wrong. When I looked again, it seems the cheapest I can get to Kyoto is 12,710 (there is the fare and seat charge) when you add that to the cost of getting from Odaware back to Tokyo, it is the same or more than the 14 day pass. Is Nikko on the JR line or do you need to buy another rail ticket. Thanks again.

What I suggested was to go to Kyoto on the first day of using the railpass - maybe you could write out you whole nightly itinerary from when you leave Tokyo to when you return....
When are you going to Nikko and for how long - I believe there is a separate package you can use for that....a different train line, not sure....sorry.

As Mara suggested you should list out your daily itinerary - what nights in what cities (with options). JR does go to Nikko.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_002.html

Here's some info on the Tobu Nikko Free Pass which you can consider if your JR railpass has expired......