Tokyo to Nagaoka by Train
 

Hello
Is anyone able to advise if the only way to travel on the Joetsu’ bullet train from Tokyo to Nagaoka is to buy a 5 day pass? Are there return tickets available at all?
I'm a little confused after googling this.
Thanks
Rellie

A one way Tokyo to Nagaoka ticket on the Max Toki Shinkansen is 8,750 yen. I don't know whether a 5 day pass makes it much cheaper but a return would be 8,750 yen x 2. Source:HyperDia Timetable and Route Search in Japan.

If the round trip Shinkansen fare is 8,750 yen x 2, then a JR East Nanago Niigata Area Pass could be a better deal for you.

Look at the coverage map in https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_nagano_niigata.html to see if it covers all the area you need to get to.

At 17,000 yen (or 18,000 yen if purchased in Japan) the pass gives you flexible 5 days of riding trains within a 14-day period. However, the 14-day period starts ticking on the day you purchased a pass in Japan, or the day you exchanged a voucher into a pass in Japan.