I have some questions for some of you Japan residents & travelers regarding travel passes and arrival info.

1. Flight arrives late afternoon, when is rush hour?? Have luggage (2 people) and will be taking Limo bus to Shiba Park so wondering if traffic would be an issue. Would definitely take NEX but don't want to deal with transfers and big stations/rush hour crowds with luggage and after a long flight.

2. I'm planning on getting the JR pass voucher soon however I don't have to exchange it at NRT right? The less I have to do at NRT the better. I can do that at a JR station such as Tokyo or Shinagawa closer to when I'll be using the pass, about 5 days later.

3. I can buy the Hakone Free & World Heritage passes for the day trips IN Tokyo at a JR station? Will prob decide on these days according to the weather (clear day) and I assume it's okay to buy same day?

4. I can get a Suica card at any JR or subway station? I know about the NEX/Suica deal but unfortunately have to go with what is convenient on arrival day. I think I read that Suica cards can be used at 7-11's and such as well?

Thanks in advance!

One advantage of doing anything at NRT is that you will likely to be dealing with people who speak English and signs are in English. I think the JR pass can be set to activate at a later date. The lines are the windows at large downtown stations can be quite long. I could have hit the stations at wrong times, but whenever I needed to make a reservation using the JR pass, I had to contend with a long line.

I thought Tokyo was in perpetual rush hour except at wee hours in the morning or on Sunday. I thought the traffic was either bad or horrible in Tokyo.

The NEX is designed to accomodate people with luggage. Additionally, the Japanese travel with huge luggage themselves and the trains deal with them well.

1) Yes, it will probably be rush hour, and will slow you down some, but you are correct that taking the bus is less hassle. On my first trip to Japan I took the NEX to Shinjuku - a station used by 3 million people a day (or maybe it is "only" 2 mil) and I think all 3 million of that days travelers were there at the time I arrived. Figuring out the map at the station was also a trick. If the bus takes you to your hotel it is really a good way to go. The NEX does accommodate luggage, as mentioned above, and would definitely be good to use if you can walk from the NEX station to your hotel. Otherwise, you will be hauling it onto a subway that you transfer to.

On one trip, instead of taking the train I took an airport bus to Yokohama station. It did seem like it lasted forever, because of the traffic. And legroom on the buses is not very good. Basically, I have to take up two seats, with my legs wide apart - no way I could sit with my knees in front of me.

So train and bus both have their drawbacks.

2) Right. You can exchange it at any JR station that handles passes. The locations and hours are at the JR railpass website: japanrailpass.net. I did what you are considering. Took a limo bus to a Shinagawa hotel and then got the pass at Shinagawa station. I did have to wait, but not very long at all. You go to a special office to get it done, so you aren't in line with ticket buyers (that is how I remember it). You can, of course, do the exchange one day but not have it activated until some days later.

The line that nickn was in, to make a reservation, is different from the one you would use to get the JR Pass. nickn may have been unlucky or maybe in the wrong line. For seat reservations you go to the midori no madoguchi (see this: japanrailpass.net/eng/en007.html). In my experience, those lines have been short even when the ticket buying line is long (because most people are buying their tickets when they make their seat res, but you don't need the ticket, just the seat res).

3) The Hakone Free Pass is a pass offered by Odakyu Railways, not JR. You would go to an Odakyu station, like the one at Shinjuku. Odakyu Shinjuku station is connected to JR Shinjuku station (and Keio Shinjuku station for that matter).

I don't know what the WH pass is.

4) I can't help with that. I think hawaiiantraveler is knowledgeable about these passes, hope he will stop by.

Thanks for reassuring that I don't have to exchange the voucher at NRT. I just want to clear customs, get cash, get on the next available bus for the hotel. If there is a wait time, I will definitely do as much as I can before leaving NRT such as the voucher exchange.

Taking NEX would be nice to Tokyo however it would involve at least 1 or 2 transfers + walking with luggage on the subway which is why we're taking the bus but on the return from Shinjuku, it definitely will be the NEX.

Mr. Wundrfl: The World Heritage Pass is a round-trip train ticket (from Asakusa) + bus pass + other discounts + admission to 2 shrines and 1 temple valid for 2 days for 3,600 yen.

Maybe I was lucky, but the two rail agents I've dealt with in Tokyo - one at the Odakyu station at Shinjuku to get the Hakone Free Pass; the other at the JR counter in Ikebukuro - both speak excellent English.

Taking the Limousine Bus to your hotel is the correct choice, traffic or no traffic.

When I visited my daughter in Tokyo last summer, she used her SUICA card in shops, subways, and vending machines. If you plan on using the trains to get around, the SUICA is a great help. There's no need to figure out the cost of your ticket/trip--the card will automatically deduct the cost for you.

They can be purchased (and reloaded) at the card vending machines in the train stations.

FYI-
There is another IC Card called PASMO, which subway company sells, and you will find some indicators to use PASMO as though they don’t accept SUICA in subways, but you can use and charge SUICA at vending machines at any stations as well.

SUICA for tourists
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/index.html

The above post is incorrect. SUICA cards <b>can</b> be used in subways. See here for more details:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_002.html

You can buy your World Heritage Pass form a Tobu Service Center. See here for details:

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

Aloha!

I think what Sakura meant was that there may be some outdated signs in some stations that might give you the wrong impression that only PASMO are accepted and SUICA is not, which may have been the case in the past.

sorry you are correct, speed reading today,lol

Thanks, will definitely get a Suica card. I love it even more when you can use it for other places besides the subway.

The WH pass looks like a good deal at 3600 yen for two days.

If your JR Pass would be valid for your trip to Nikko then you could use it to get there. Then for 1000 yen you can get a combo ticket for the same sites as the WHP and then pay 520 to see all parts of the Toshogu Shrine (see: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3801.html). Depending on where you are staying JR may be more convenient than Tobu Railways. So, with the JR Pass the cost would be 1520 plus rail/bus fares in Nikko (I assume the fares would be a good bit less than the 2080 difference with the WH pass).

Depending upon where you buy random necessities like snacks, you may be able to use the suica card in convenience type stores.

Are you going elsewhere in Japan? If so, check to see if the Suica card is accepted. Kyoto and the Kansai area had an ICOCA card and the companies were working to get acceptance of Suica and ICOCA cards in each other's regions.

You can set the date of your JR pass for the future -- on arrival at Narita, we set ours to start about four days after we arrived because we knew we'd use the JR trains to get around the country after leaving Tokyo.