Mrs Papas

Hi there,

Nice to see that you're already planning so far ahead of time :)

Both Kanazawa and Hiroshima are destinations that can add up in train fares, and potentially a JR Pass could be a very good match here. Having said that, the most important part would be timing of your travel. For example, if you could do travel between Tokyo - Kanazawa - Hiroshima - Hakone within a week, then the 7-day JR Pass is worth considering. If you would take longer, then it may be better to buy normal tickets.

For the best use out of your pass, use the JR Pass does longer distance travel. Like Tokyo - Kanazawa but it's fine to buy normal tickets for shorter distances, such as Hakone - Tokyo or local travel.

The JR Pass does include unlimited free stopovers, so making a stopover at Kyoto or Osaka would be no problem at all.

Best regards,
Daniel

Hi Daniel
Thanks for your reply...got a tad busy these days, now about to resume the Japan planning for April 2026.

Got flight from Hong Kong to Tokyo on April 5, arriving very early in the morning (around 6:45am), planning to get on the train from Narita Airport shorty after arrival & heading straight to Hiroshima (be there till April 7) then to Kanasawa, planning to be there till April 9/ 10, then head to Hakone for a few days, plan to be at Tokyo from April 12 to 14, flying back from Haneda on April 14.
Someone told me from Hakone, there is a Hakone Free Pass (including Ropeway) , would I be able to use that to get to Tokyo form Hakone on the last part my itinerary?
- Where to get detail information for the Hakone Free Pass? What is its limitation?

Using the JR calculator, find out its best to get the JR pass.....but not able to find Hakone on the calculator ?
If start the JR Pass on April 5 (Tokyo to Hiroshima), when will be the last day to use the 7 days pass?
- April 11 or April 12?
- If I can utilize the Hakone Free Pass to Tokyo, is it still worth it to buy the 7 Day JR pass?

How easy is to get the Shinkansen tickets on the spot? .......will have 1 piece of luggage for each
How to get tickets ahead of travel so that we can have the luggage seats?

Hi Daniel San

How soon would I expect a reply from you to my last question?

Thanks

Ellen

Hi Ellen,

Thank you for your patience here :) I'd be happy to further answer your questions.

Someone told me from Hakone, there is a Hakone Free Pass (including Ropeway) , would I be able to use that to get to Tokyo form Hakone on the last part my itinerary? Yes, there are different versions of the Hakone Free Pass, one will include the Odakyu train back to Shinjuku in Tokyo. Full details are here.

For Hakone, I recommend using the station Odawara as this is the Shinkansen station for Hakone.

Personally, I typically buy tickets 1 day ahead of time. This gives me enough flexibility and I can still select the seats I like, such as a window seat. Still, even if you need do to it at the station, then be done just before departure. However, ticket lines can take 20 min or so just to queue so come a little earlier. This is also where you can select seats and luggage reservations.

Hope this helps,
Daniel