shelleyk

I am going to Japan in Nov. for a total of 16 days. We spend our first 4 nights in Tokyo and then leave. Upon leaving I will begin a 7 day JR Pass. We will end in Kyoto for the last 4 days and then fly home.

My question is: Am I better off buying a JREast Tokyo Wide Pass to cover NEX from the airport, and day trips to Nikko and Kamakura. Or should I buy a 14 day JR Pass to cover the first 14 days of our trip? I think the answer is a 7 day JR Pass and a Tokyo Wide Pass, but I just wanted to run it buy other Fodorites to make sure I am not missing anything.

BigRuss

<<I think the answer is a 7 day JR Pass and a Tokyo Wide Pass, but I just wanted to run it buy other Fodorites to make sure I am not missing anything.>>

Well, we can't tell if you're missing anything because we are. Fill in two blanks:

(1) You are departing Japan from ___ airport. I'm guessing it's KIX and not Haneda or Narita, but can't tell (we're "ending our trip" in Kyoto but flying home from Tokyo).

(2) You are planning to take ____ trips from Kyoto or wherever. If you're going to try to go from Kyoto to Hiroshima and back during days that would otherwise not be covered on your 7-day JR pass or something similar, that may be an issue.

Based on the information you have provided, the 7-day pass and TWP would work but that will cover only 10 of your 16 days. If you want to cover all of them, or thereabouts, you'd need some other pass(es). At that point you need to check the difference between 7-day JR pass plus TWP (39K yen or so) and 14-day JR pass (45K yen) against the other passes or travel costs you may have.

shelleyk

I am flying into Narita and taking the NEX into Tokyo. My 7 day pass will end when I go from Hiroshima to Kyoto. The uncovered days would be 3 days in Kyoto-with day trips to Nara and Uji, which would be covered if I had a 14 day pass. We are flying home from KIX, but the 14 day JRPass would not cover this as it would be day 16 of our trip.

Mara

The extra 15,000 or so JPY for a 14 day pass won't be worthwhile just for trips to Nara and Uji which are under 2000 JPY roundtrip for Nara and much less for Uji.

Hyperdia is your friend.

mrwunrfl

Mara nailed it.

You aren't missing anything because I think you understand your two day trips would be on the first two of your three full days in Tokyo. The Narita Express trip would be day 1 of the 3-day pass, so Nikko and Kamakura would be days 2 and 3.

shelleyk

Thanks everyone. And it is my understanding that the Tokyo Wide Pass does not have to be purchased before I enter Japan, the way the regular JR Passes do. I can purchase it at Narita. Correct?

mrwunrfl

hai

Narita Airport Terminal 1
JR EAST Travel Service Center
8:15-19:00

http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/tokyowidepass/index.html

An interesting restriction is this:
When using the JR TOKYO Wide Pass for express train service on a Tobu line, either the departure or arrival station must be on a JR line.

So, if you were staying in Asakusa, or a subway ride away from Tobu Asakusa station, you wouldn't be permitted to board a Tobu l'ex there to Tobu Nikko.

https://www.japan-rail-pass.com/japa...FU-BfgodTI0GrQ

You can probably beat that 10K price without costing too much additional travel time depending on where you are staying in Tokyo.

shelleyk

Hi mrw-

I am going to Nikko as a day trip.

I have a double booking of hotels, one of which I will cancel. One is near Shinjuku station and the other is in Asakusa. If I stay near Shinjuku I will buy the Tokyo Wide Pass. The downside to staying at Shinjuku is that there is only one fast direct train in the morning at 7:30, and one in the afternoon from Nikko at about 4:30, so I am very much constrained by this schedule. Other trains require multiple changes.

If I stay at the Asakusa hotel, it is near the Tobu Asakusa line, where trains seem to run all day and evening.
The downside to this hotel is that I'd rather stay at the Shinjuku hotel as I know the area from my last trip, and I like it.

mrwunrfl

¥2,720 on Tobu rapid trains Asakusa-Nikko roundtrip
¥2,040 for Kamakura
¥1,100 for NRT->Asakusa
That airport trip is one change of trains (Oshiage is not a transfer).
Looks like the last rapid train Tobu Nikko to Asakusa is 17:39 and if you leave after that then add another 1300 or so and make one transfer.

So, it's maybe 3000 cheaper pp. than the WAP. Not decisive.

As far as JR goes, you found LTD. EXP NIKKO 1 that goes to Tobu Nikko station.

But, you could depart at 9:25, make the two transfers and still make it to JR Nikko in 2 hrs 2 min. There are other JR options, but slower. That is to say that I wouldn't necessarily feel (today) constained by the JR schedule, but I could see how it might affect my decision.

Anyway, you can't really go wrong here. No perfection to be achieved. No big stakes.

mrwunrfl

No big stakes. <- all else being equal, which often they are not.