Hi . I’m confused whether buying the JR pass will make sense for my iternary.
- Land into NRT- Shinjuku and explore Tokyo
- Shinjuku- Hakone via Odawara
- Hakone to Matsuda
- Matsuda to Kyoto ( only long Shinkansen route)
- Spend 3 nights in Kyoto
- Kyoto to Osaka and then off to Kansai airport.
Is it better to buy IC card and purchase the tickets as I go or will all the city and metro rides will accumulate to 50000 yen of JR pass? Thank you for your help.
Need help with JR pass
Hi there,
My recommendation would be to purchase a JR Pass in combination with a Hakone FreePass, with the round trip included. This would be via Odawara and can be purchased for either a 2-day or 3-day period. More info on Hakone can be found below:
https://www.jrpass.com/blog/the-guide-to-hakone-japan-visiting-with-the-japan-rail-pass
The JR Pass can be used for most JR Operated train lines, as well as the JR Yamanote Metro in Tokyo. This is a circular line that covers most of central Tokyo. If you wish to access other privately owned metro lines, you'll need to look into getting something like a Suica Card. Tourist hotspots such as Shibuya, Shinjuku and Central Tokyo are all on the Yamanote line and so a Suica card isn't completely necessary.
Hope this helps!
Alexis
Thank you for your reply . Are the prices for trains and Shinkansen fixed in Japan or do they rise up if I book them last minute?
Hi there,
Train prices are fixed, but if you book them last minute you may risk not being able to find available seating.
This only applies with regularly purchased train tickets. Purchasing a JR Pass means you'll only pay the fare of the JR Pass and are then free to make seat reservations.
Hope this helps!
Alexis
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