Hi everyone,
I’ll be traveling to Japan soon and I’m trying to figure out whether the JR Pass or the Hokuriku Arch Pass would be better for my trip.
Here’s my planned route (one-way, no return to Tokyo):
Tokyo → Kanazawa
Kanazawa → Takayama
Takayama → Kyoto
Kyoto → Osaka
I’ve read that the Hokuriku Arch Pass covers most of the route but not the Toyama → Takayama → Nagoya section, which I’d have to pay for separately. The JR Pass would cover everything, but seems more expensive for this kind of itinerary.
From my own calculations, for 2 people:
Individual tickets: ~€363 total
Hokuriku Arch Pass + extra fare to Takayama: ~€362 total
JR Pass (7 days): ~€580 total
Given that the cost difference between single tickets and the Hokuriku Arch Pass is almost zero, I’m wondering:
Am I missing any additional routes or benefits that could tip the scale toward one pass?
Thanks in advance for your advice!
