Hello Everyone,
I need your help. Would anyone know a travel agent near the Placa De Catalunya where I can purchase a Japan Rail Pass? The country I live in will not sell me a pass unless I'm traveling with Japan Airlines. Unfortuantely, I will not be, and since I'll be traveling to Barcelona on June 19th, I'm hoping to purchase one during my visit. Thank you ahead of time.

Warm regards,

This is the only place where you can buy the Japan Rail Pass in Barcelona :
JAL Barcelona
Consell de Cent, 333-5. B 08007 Barcelona
TEL: 34.93.487.48.19 || Fax.34.93.487.85.47
It's a travel agent. I looked for it on the net, I've never been to Japan

>it's a travel agent. I looked for it on the net.
Can you tell me where to find such an agent in Munich? . I'll be going there in September.

also check to see if you can buy the Japan Railpass in Japan itself - as you can many railpasses but not all.

I would think any travel agent would be able to procure one if you have enought time if they have to order it.

> if you can buy the Japan Railpass in Japan itself
I already found that out. No you can oly buy the pass outside of Japan. But it seems there's no posibility to buy over the internet, so I need a local company.

JR-EAST: Rail PassGERMANY, Jalpak International (Germany) GmbH Frankfurt Office, Rossmarkt 15, 60311, Frankfurt am Main ... JAPAN RAIL PASS. JEP.......... JR EAST PASS ...
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/eastpass/a.../europe/eu_jpg

JR-EAST: Rail PassGERMANY, JAL FRANKFURT, Rossmarkt 15, 60311 Frankfurt Main 1, GERMANY ... Japan Air Line sells the Exchange Order for the Japan Rail Pass or JR East Pass to ...
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/eastpass/a.../europe/eu_jal.

THANKS PalenQ, I found it on the page!

GERMANY,JTB (GERMANY) GmbH. (Munich) Schwanthaler Str. 22, 80326 Munich GERMANY TEL 089-594671, FAX 089-597580
SPAIN JTB Viajes Spain S.A.(Barcelona) Plaza de Paisos Catalanas S/N Barcelona Spain TEL 93-4909508, FAX 93-4909298

Sure, logos
H.I.S. München
tel.: 089/5432 9900
Schützenstr. 9
80335 München

And I don't understand a word of german..but it looks like you can buy it online here :
http://tinyurl.com/ywj5jm
which is the same agency of the spanish address.

now it would be complete if only we had a www.railsaver.com type thing to see if the Japan Pass is a good deal or not!

Thanks, kenderina That's the one with the flight only. Schwanthaler 22 is very close to the Hauptbahnhof. I'll go there in person and ask.

Yes, please, something like www.railsaver.jp

JR Pass is excellent value for money. 7-day ordinary class pass costs 28,300 yen, which is barely more than a return trip on Shinkansen (bullet train) between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka. And you can use it for side trips to places like Himeji and Hiroshima.
The only scenario where a railpass isn't cost effective is if you only stay in Tokyo or Kyoto (you'll be using mostly other forms of transport like subways and buses for which the pass isn't valid), or you have an open jaw air ticket Kansai/Narita and are only doing a single journey between Tokyo and Kyoto (around 13,000 yen).
There are a lot of knowledgeable people on Fodors Asia site, Thorn Tree NE Asia and http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e623.html

Got my daughter a JRP when she went to Tokyo last March. Here was the trick...

You purchased the "voucher" in the States, as you cannot buy the actual pass in Japan. Once in Japan you exchange the voucher for the "pass", showing your residence info, as Japanese residents cannot buy this.

http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en001.html

hope that helps,

dave

Dear Kenderina & Fordories,
Thank you so much for the information. I just called the office in Barcelona, which is located off the Passeig de Gracia. Apparently, I'll be able to purchase my tickets at this office, and I don't have to fly with JAL.

Thank you again.

Just make sure you are going to Japan within 3 months - exchange order you buy must be changed into the actual pass, which can only be done in Japan, within 3 months of purchase.

Thanks Alec. Pertinent information!! I really appreciate that.

I recieved the ticket today from Jalpak in Düsseldorf. The exchage rate I got was very poor. For the 57700 Yen ticket I paid 358€. They say, they don't add any handling fee, but given that exchange rate, they don't need to.

Logos, don't be so unhappy. 57700yen is actually €348 (according to XE.com currency converter). Considering buying - selling rates, €10 difference seems not much.

True!, but when you have a choice between two different companies that sell the voucher on the internet, one says "free" and the other "plus a 5€ fee" I go for the "free" one, even though it can actually be more expensive. Those 10€ are just not worth making phone calls and asking for the real price.

I haven't read all the posts above so maybe I missed something but you mean there is another agecy that offers "free" ( > one says "free" and the other "plus a 5€ fee" I go for the "free" one) ? Then why didn't you buy there???