orangeblossom_08

Hi
My hubby and I are headed out to Japan in a couple of days and I'm trying to figure out if it's worth it to pay for a 7-day JR Pass. My itinerary is as follows:

Kansai Airport to Osaka (2 days)
Osaka to Kyoto for a day trip (ie, Osaka-Kyoto round trip)
Osaka to Hakone (1 night)
Hakone to Tokyo (4 days)
Tokyo to Narita Airport.

I used hyperdia to try to work out the cost of my train rides. With the assumption that I am buying individual trips, I usually chose the best value option in terms of time/cost, eg Osaka-Kyoto i chose the 540Y train option which takes 26mins vs more than 2000Y for the 15mins train trip.
I found that my itinerary will cost me approx 22000Y in rail travel.
I am wondering if I should just get the JR pass since I can also use it to get around in Tokyo ( I will be there for 4 days - staying in the Shinjuku are)). As of now , I am planning to just buy a Suica card as I usually like walking as I can see more of the place. But if I have the pass, then of cos I will use it

If the advice is for me to buy individual trips, pls also advise if I should take the airport limousine bus to Narita for my flight home (how long will this journey take approx? I read it's 2 hours?!) or a train? Similarly, on my way in from KIX to Osaka (staying in Namba area), I am planning to take a rapi:t (?) train/nankai express(?).

Would really appreciate it if I can get some advice.
Thanks so much!

hawaiiantraveler

If you are planning on buyin a Suica card then no it is not worth the money to buy a pass if you did your calculations correctly

Aloha!

mrwunrfl

You don't need a JR Pass, as ht mentioned.

In fact, I think your calculation is accurate, but high. It might be that you used a shinkansen on the Hakone - Tokyo leg.

Simply entering
KANSAI AIRPORT - NARITA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 2
should give you a pretty good approximation. That fare is right around 18,100. Add on the 1000 for the day trip to Kyoto and 600 for Hakone Yumoto <-> Odawara and it comes to 19,700. This uses Limited Express from KIX, Nozomi to Tokyo.

Figuring separately,
1160 on JR Rapid from KIX to Osaka
12770 Osaka - Hakone Yumoto
1750 Hakone Yumoto - Tokyo using JR Tokaido line local
2940 Tokyo - Narita on the Narita Express
-----
18620
1080 for the Kyoto day trip
=====
19,700

For the Osaka - Hakone leg, be sure to get there either by a Hikari train to Odawara with no change of trains (this is your best option). Or go with a change of trains in Nagoya. Or change shinkansens at a station between Nagoya and Odawara. Doing that is quicker and cheaper than taking a Nozomi to Shin Yokohama and backtracking to Odawara.

Using the Tokaido line vs shinkansen when going to Tokyo saves about 1700 yen.

All of the above includes Hakone Yumoto - Odawara on Odakyu.

Alternatively, you could just take the Odakyu train from Hakone Yumoto to Shinjuju for 2000 yen and then subway for 190.

All that analysis confirms my expectation that just putting airport to airport and adding in the two side trips (Kyoto, Hakone) would get nearly the same result as adding up the point to point fares, give/take a couple of train differences.

orangeblossom_08

Thanks so much for your responses. I was really tied up in knots wondering about all that transport logistics and costs and the info makes me feel more relieved that i'm doing my research rifgt! And inputting end-to-end airports is a very clever way of getting a good estimate, thanks for the idea!

Just one other question on Hakone - I am thinking of getting the Hakone Free Pass from Odawara, but I understand there is a "package" that includes a round trip train ticket to Shinjuku (which takes about 2hrs? Is this the same as the Hakone "romance car"?). My original idea is to get buy the Hakone Free Pass (3900Y) and buy a train ticket which takes about 1hr approx 2800Y (vs one which takes only 30 mins but costs 3600Y).
Mrwunrfl- your earlier response touched on Hakone, but I'm a little confused by all those options (esp the ones I mentioned above) out there and would really appreciate some advice?

Thanks!

hawaiiantraveler

Have you seen this as an explanation of your Hakone Free Pass and the Shinjuku extension?

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html

Aloha!

mrwunrfl

I think that link would explain that they have a pass good for all the transpo in Fuji-Hakone NP and that an option includes a one-way ride in the Romance Car (which is just a limited express train).

I've read about it as including a ticket FROM Shinjuku to Hakone Yumoto (and the transpo in the park) and that is the way I used it. I have been wondering whether that version of the pass would be good for travel in the opposite direction. Maybe you can figure it out for us, if ht doesn't know.

See how it has the prices "from Shinjuku station". But can you get it TO Odakyu Shinjuku station?

hawaiiantraveler

The pass from Shinjuku is a round trip pass. You would have to pay a 870 yen supplement each way if you want to travel on the Odyaku Romance car. See the above site I left as it explains all of your questions.

Aloha!