It is possible, but the ordinary rail pass will cover only the base fare. The green car fee and possible shinkansen or limited express supplement fees will have to be paid separately, which usually adds up to a rather large amount.
No, the Japan Rail Pass is a strictly personal pass and can be used only by the person whose name is printed in the pass. Pass holders may be asked by railway staff to produce their passports in order to confirm ownership of the pass.
The validity period of the Japan Rail Pass is based on calendar days (midnight to midnight) rather than 24 hour periods. For example: when starting to use a 7-day pass at noon on day 1, it will expire at midnight at the end of day 7 rather than at noon of day 8.
If you happen to be on board of a train at midnight, the Japan Rail Pass remains valid until the end of your journey, i.e. until you leave your final station through the ticket gates. This is true even if you transfer trains after midnight. However, if you transfer to a shinkansen, limited express or express train after midnight, the pass will not cover the express supplement for that train anymore.
The voucher can be exchanged at designated major JR stations across Japan, including the JR stations at Narita Airport and Kansai Airport. See this page for a list of designated stations and opening hours. Hand your voucher and passport (photocopy not accepted) to the ticket counter staff. After some processing, you will receive your Japan Rail Pass.
When you exchange your voucher to the actual pass, you do not need to start using the pass from the same date. You can select any date within a one month period as your starting date. However, once the actual pass is issued, the starting date cannot be changed anymore. Those who purchase their pass through the official JR website select the starting date of their pass at the time of purchase and cannot change it later.
Japan Rail Pass holders can make seat reservations for free at ticket machines or ticket offices across Japan after exchanging their voucher to the actual pass. Reservations cannot be made on board of trains. Those who purchased their pass through the official JR website can also make online seat reservations on that website. See the pages on how to use trains and shinkansen for more details about how to make a seat reservation.
Many trains do not book out, but some do, especially during rush hours and busy travel periods. For peace of mind it is always recommended to make seat reservations especially when traveling in groups and you wish to sit together. After all, seat reservations are free for rail pass holders. On a few trains reservations are mandatory (see above).
This may cause inconvenience to other passengers and the railway company and should be avoided by all means. If it does happen, try to cancel your reservation at a ticket office before it is too late. You can then ride a later train in the non-reserved section or make a new reservation for an upcoming departure.
It depends on your itinerary! It won't pay off for urban travel alone. But if you cover some long distances within a relatively short time period, the pass is likely to pay off. Furthermore, the pass provides convenience and flexibility in addition to saving money. For example, pass holders won't need to buy tickets whenever they ride trains and can spontaneously make side trips at no additional cost.
On the other hand, the pass is not valid on Nozomi trains which can be a small inconvenience when traveling along the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen. Note also that some travel agents might charge a service fee or apply an unfavorable exchange rate, resulting in an inflated cost.
As a rule of thumb, the 7-day pass costs about the same as regular shinkansen tickets for a round trip between Tokyo and Kyoto. It will not pay off if you travel less than that. Our Japan Rail Pass Calculator and timetable websites are good tools to compare regular ticket costs with the pass. The access pages in our sightseeing guide also contain lots of fare information.
Urban transportation alone will not justify the purchase of a Japan Rail Pass. A pass will only pay off if some long distance travel is involved. However, in cities that are well served by JR train lines, the Japan Rail Pass can also be useful for urban transportation.
Tokyo and Osaka are two of the few cities where the pass is quite useful thanks to Tokyo's Yamanote Line and Osaka's Loop Line. In many other cities, however, for example in Kyoto, non-JR trains, subways and buses are more convenient but not covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
ãƒWhen picking up/exchanging a PASS, you will be required to show your "Temporary Visitor" stamp/sticker stamped or put in your passport upon entering Japan. During the screening for pick-up/exchange, be sure to show your passport* and "Temporary Visitor" stamp/sticker.
The PASS will not be issued if the name in your passport is different from the name on the Exchange Order or the name who purchased the PASS online. The PASS will not be issued if you don't have your passport with you or if you only have a photocopy of your passport, since the "Temporary Visitor" stamp cannot be confirmed. Customers who have "registered user cards" under the Trusted Traveler Program will be asked to show the cards to confirm the "Temporary Visitor" status.
(1) Scan the QR code on your JAPAN RAIL PASS with the reader on the reserved seat ticket machine (or input the reservation number written on the PASS), and input your passport number.
(2) Input the travel section, date and time, etc., and select the train and facilities.(If you have already booked reserved seats online, select the itinerary for which the ticket should be issued.)
(3) Check the inputs, and if everything is correct, issue the ticket.
We chose the flexible four-day pass. What this means is you can travel all across the island on any of its JR-affiliated trains and buses within a 10-day period. You basically get to travel as much as you want within four lots of 24 hour periods.
It is a little pricey, though, with this four-day flexible pass costing Â22,000, so it may not be worth it depending on your plans. But you will save money if exploring Hokkaido at a fast pace is what you want to do!
This pass is good for the beaches of Shirahama to the south, the incredible Buddhist complex of temples and winding old pilgrimage routes of Koya-san, the ancient temples of Kyoto, and the famous (and famously beautiful) 500-year-old castle at Himeji.
Money-Saving Tip: Keep in mind that you may want to get a JR Pass for just a portion of your trip. For example, if you plan to travel in Japan for 2 weeks, a 7-day pass might be all you need if you plan to spend the beginning and end of your trip in one place.
During this trip, we purchased the 7-day pass, which was a lot of money for us to fork over at the time. We were living and teaching English in South Korea back then, and compared to the cost of trains in Korea, we felt like the JR Pass was super expensive.
Before both our trips to Japan (in 2015 and 2019), we ordered passes through JRail Pass (www.jrailpass.com), an official vendor. Both times, our communications with JRail Pass were professional and timely.
Just like booking a flight, fill out the name of each passenger, length of pass (7-, 14- or 21-day pass), standard or Green Pass (first class), estimated date of arrival in Japan, and delivery address for the ticket voucher.
Important: The exchange order is NOT your J-Rail Pass, but instead is a voucher of sorts. You will need to present your exchange order along with your tourist visa (stamp in your passport) at the train station, as explained below.
More often than not, the JR trains you will ride will be within the same city or will be labeled as regional or local trains. These trains are similar to metro trains and you can sit wherever you want on the train. You cannot reserve seats on these trains.
Similar to a city metro, local JR trains stop frequently within the same city. You enter through a gate at a station and you can sit anywhere on the train that you like. Sometimes the trains have seats along the windows (subway style) or the seats are two by two, it just depends on the train.
Typically, it is on the left-hand side of the entrance gates, and there will be a person at the booth. You will show your ticket (if you have one) and your JR Pass. They will look at your pass and wave you through.
Your pass will be mailed to your home address, so do not delay this process. We cut it pretty close by ordering our passes a week before our trip, but thankfully, the shipping is fast and we got the package just in time.
The quickest and most comfortable option to get to Narita Airport is on the JR Narita Express, which takes just 60 minutes and is free as part of the JR Pass. (The Narita Express train costs 3,000 yen ($22.74 USD) one way without the pass.)
Hi Lenny, Great question. Our general rule of thumb is if you are traveling to three or more cities, purchasing the Japan Rail Pass is a good idea.
For you, if you are traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka, and then back to Tokyo to fly out, then you definitely should get the pass. If you are only going Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka and flying out of Osaka, then it gets a little more complicated. The prices are still pretty comparable once you add in the transportation within each city without the pass (especially for Tokyo and Osaka, and getting to the airports).
Most of the time the JR Pass will suffice within the city, but you might have to get a refillable metro card if you want to go to a specific stop.
You can use Hyperdia or the Japan Official App to calculate the cost of buying each train/metro individually. Then compare that total to the 7-day Pass. My guess is it will come pretty close and any extra cost for the JR Pass will make up for the time of having to buy each individual ticket (and standing in line) at each station when you are in Japan. I hope this help!
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