Hello,
we are a family of 5 (all above 11 years old) and we are planing a trip around Japan in July 2025.
I am having problems calculating train tickets prices and deciding which pass would be worth buying.
I used the JR Pass calculator which told me that it is not worth buying a JR Pass. Is it possible that none of the regional passes is worth buying? It seems we have too many days without train travel.
Our itinerary is:
4.07.2025 Tokyo
5.07.2025 Tokyo
6.07.2025 Tokyo – Yokohama - Tokyo
7.07.2025 Tokyo – Kawagoe - Tokyo
8.07.2025 Tokyo – Kamakura -Tokyo
9.07.2025 Tokyo - Nikko
10.07.2025 Nikko
11.07.2025 Nikko – Takayama
12.07.2025 Takayama
13.07.2025 Takayama - Kanazawa
14.07.2025 Kanazawa
15.07.2025 Kanazawa – Kyoto
16.07.2025 Kyoto
17.07.2025 Kyoto
18.07.2025 Kyoto – Osaka
19.07.2025 Osaka
20.07.2025 Osaka
21.07.2025 Osaka – Nara
22.07.2025 Osaka - Kobe
I have another question. I am using https://japantravel.navitime.com to calculate train prices, times and travel options. Is that a reliable page? I do not understand how the option »Tourist Pass« works. For instance: when I choose that I have the Hokuriku Arch Pass and want to travel from Nikko to Takayama it says that I still have to pay the Hakutaka 567 Go to Tsuruga train (5620 JEN, not 14730 JEN which I understand is the full price) and also fort the Hida 20 Go to Nagoya train (again not the full price). Of course I would also need to buy tickets for Hiratsuka via Ueno and JR Nikkou Line trains which are not included in Hokuriku Arch Pass.
Please explain to me, how to understand prices information at navitime and how to calculate regional passes to figure out if there is any of them worth buying for our specified itinerary.
Thank you very much for your answer and best regards!
