Hello,
me and my friends are travelling to Japan in May, starting with Tokyo and going through Kyoto and Osaka before returning to Tokyo. We have calculated that national JR pass would not be cost-effective but we are considering purchasing regional pass in Kansai area.
If I calculated it correctly, travel including day trips in the area (Kyoto-Osaka-Himeji-Osaka-Nara-Osaka), the regional pass for four days would come down to about the same price as the individual tickets. I would like to know if the Kansai area regional pass covers other transport than between cities? Could we use it on a train line between stations in the cities Kyoto or Osaka like, say between Kyoto station and Saga Arashiyama station or Osaka station and Morinomiya station? I understand that there are many rail companies in japanese cities but are there specific metro lines we could use with the regional pass?
I would also like to know if we have to purchase the regional passes before we come to Japan or if we can buy them at a train station in Japan.
Lastly, I know this might not be your area of expertise but do you have any information on suica/pasmo cards? I heard there was electronic chips shortage so the production was postponed and android phones can only download the Suica app in japanese, which me and my friends unfortunately do not speak. Are they available to buy in Japan? If you don't have this information, could you forward me to a site that has the most recent information?
Thank you very much in advance,
Tiria
