Need your advise! How to use JR Rail Pass costs efficiently for 12 days trip ( Tokyo-Hokkaido-Kyoto-Osaka)

Hi Malee!

Here are the base costs for your trip, assuming you are going to Sapporo in Hokkaido:

1. Narita airport terminal 1 > Tokyo: ¥3140, (62mins, 79km)
2. Tokyo > Sapporo(jr): ¥23570, (593mins, 1196km)
3. Sapporo(jr) > Kyoto: ¥32580, (745mins, 1710km)
4. Kyoto > Osaka: ¥540, (28mins, 42km)
5. Osaka > Kansai airport: ¥3340, (57mins, 64km)

TOTAL JR ticket cost: ¥63170 for 5 legs

• 07 day rail pass (¥28,300) saving: ¥34870
• 14 day rail pass (¥45,100) saving: ¥18070

As you can see you'll make good savings with a 14 day pass. In addition, during the 14 day period all further JR travel will be free. I wasn't sure if you intend to leave from Tokyo or not - if so, you'll make even more savings. Take care with the timings on the trips up-to and back from Sapporo as they are quite long journey's and will need a day each way (but are quite an experience in themselves).

You can look up precise train timetables and costs at the Hyperdia travel planning website and learn how to use Hyperdia for JR Pass holders through our video blog.

Hope this helps!

Thanks & really appreciated your prompt feedback. 14 days JR Rail Pass is really suitable with our trip I think.

Therefore , we are planning to get start from Tokyo to Sapporo :- Take a Hayate train on the JR Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Shin-Aomori Station then, take the JR Hakucho limited express to Hakodate and finally the JR Hokuto limited express to Sapporo.

My questions are :-

1. According to our route to Sapporo aboves. Is it fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass? or we have to pay more for JR limted express?
2. For the way back from Sapporo to Kyoto it gonna take time around almost 8 hrs , Do we need to back to Kyoto first and then take JR to Kyoto ? Can you recommend the shorten one?

Best,
Malee

Noted : our route will be Bkk->Narita ->Tokyo( 1 day)-> Sapporo (7 days-)->Kyoto( 2 days)->Osaka( 2 days)->Kansai-->Bkk

...

Hi there :)

The trip you mention above is 100% covered by the JR Pass - any limited express trains you wish to use are also included.

For the trip from Sapporo to Kyoto you will need to change train at Tokyo first, and this is the shortest route. To reduce journey times (and also travel in style!), you should aim to use a Hayabusa class Shinkansen from Shin-Aomori to Tokyo rather than a Hayate. These are the very fastest bullet trains in Japan reaching top speeds of 300kph and are also 100% valid for use with the JR Pass :). Here's a sample route for you showing the Hayabusa taking 190mins from Shin-Aomori to Tokyo vs the Hayate's 220mins for the same 713km journey.

Hope this helps!