In this week’s Japan Travel Q&A we answer a question about the Japan Rail Pass from Jon in Thunder Bay, Ontario:
“How can I figure out whether or not I should get the Japan Rail Pass?”
Don’t feel like watching a video? Read below for this week’s answer!
The Japan Rail Pass is an amazing way to get around Japan, but most people don’t realize that it’s not always the best option.
Depending on your Japan itinerary, the JR Pass could save you a fair amount of money and be fantastically convenient. On the other hand, in some cases the Rail Pass is actually more expensive – and less convenient.
So how do you figure out whether or not the Rail Pass will be your best bet? Before we delve into the details, let’s begin with a little background about the Japan Rail Pass for those unfamiliar with it.
Japan Rail Pass Basics
Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass)
The Japan Rail Pass is a discounted train pass offered by the Japan Railways (JR) Group for tourists, designed to help travelers explore Japan more affordably.
JR has an extensive network of trains and bullet trains (shinkansen) throughout the country, and when you have the JR Pass you have access to nearly all of it – making it a great value in many cases.
The JR Pass is available in denominations of 7, 14 and 21 days, and when purchasing it you can select between standard class (known as ordinary) or first class (known as green).
While prices fluctuate depending on exchange rates – and also increase from time to time – the approximate prices are:
$300 for the 7-day JR Pass ($400 for green class)
$450 for the 14-day JR Pass ($600 for green class)
$600 for the 21-day JR Pass ($800 for Green class)
Ordinary class is quite comfortable in Japan, but for luxury travelers we always recommend green, which has more spacious seating and an overall more relaxing environment.
Based on all of this, you may be thinking that the Rail Pass sounds pretty good so far. So why is it not the best option in every case?
The shinkansen (bullet train) (Photo Credit: Kossy@FINEDAYS via Compfight cc)
When The Japan Rail Pass Isn’t The Best Option
In most cases, if you are making multiple journeys on the bullet train, the Japan Rail Pass will be a tremendous value.
However, the Japan Rail Pass may not be the best option for you if:
You’re a luxury traveler and don’t mind spending a little extra for added convenience
You’re traveling during a particularly busy travel period
Your Japan itinerary doesn’t involve many long train/bullet train journeys
Your long train/bullet train journeys don’t fit neatly into 7-, 14- or 21-day periods
Note: As one of our clients you don’t need to worry about this, as we will do all the legwork for you.
Below are more details about each scenario to help you figure out whether the JR Pass is right for you or not.
There’s nothing like a bento on the shinkansen (bullet train) (Photo Credit: kadluba via Compfight cc)
You’re A Luxury Traveler
If you’re a luxury traveler and don’t mind spending a little extra for added convenience, the Japan Rail Pass may not be the best option for you.
Would you rather have all your train reservations made in advance, and your tickets sent directly to your hotel? Or would you rather spend time during your trip visiting ticket counters, waiting in line, and making seat reservations after you’ve arrived in Japan?
One of the few drawbacks of the Japan Rail Pass is that it requires you to pay a visit to a JR ticket office after you’ve arrived in Japan. You must go in person and present your passport in order to exchange your Rail Pass voucher for the Rail Pass itself.
Another downside is that you can’t make train/seat reservations for any of your journeys until after you have done this. This means that with the Japan Rail Pass it’s never possible to reserve any train tickets until after you’ve exchanged your voucher at a JR ticket office.
If you have a limited amount of time in Japan, or would simply rather not have to deal with this, a better option is to book through a travel consultant (whether us or any other Japan travel specialist). This way you can arrange to have all your train tickets neatly sent to your first hotel. Then all you need to do is show up for your journeys, as everything will already be set for you.
Even if you’re not a luxury traveler, doing things this way can save you time and effort.
The shinkansen (bullet train)
You’re Traveling During Peak Season
If you’re traveling during a particularly busy travel period, the Japan Rail Pass may not be the best option for you.
During non-peak travel periods, getting a seat on trains and bullet trains is not usually a major issue. In addition, for most routes (for example, Tokyo to Kyoto) trains leave with some frequency.
However, during peak travel periods, when domestic travel spikes drastically, trains often sell out and it can be a hassle to make last-minute seat reservations.
Since (as described above) the Japan Rail Pass doesn’t permit you to make any train/seat reservations until after you’ve arrived in Japan, you may be best off obtaining your train tickets in advance if you’re traveling during one of Japan’s peak travel periods. One way to do this is by booking your trip through a travel consultant (whether us or any other Japan travel specialist).
While domestic travel also spikes during three-day weekends, the busiest travel periods of the year in Japan are:
New Year (particularly the first few days of January)
Golden Week (usually the first week of May)
Obon (in mid-August)
It’s not absolutely essential, but if you’re traveling during one of these holidays we usually recommend forgoing the JR Pass in favor of individual tickets.
JR Pass isn’t valid on Tokyo Metro
Your Itinerary Doesn’t Involve Many Train Journeys
If your Japan itinerary doesn’t involve many long train/bullet train journeys, the Japan Rail Pass may not be the best option for you.
As shown above, the 7-day ordinary JR Pass costs about $300. This means that, for example, if you’re only taking $200 worth of train journeys, the Rail Pass would end up being more expensive than simply purchasing individual tickets.
Let’s consider a real-world example:
Imagine you’re flying into Tokyo and ending your trip in Kyoto. This is a fairly common scenario, since Osaka (which is very near Kyoto) has two major airports, and many travelers fly into Tokyo but depart from Osaka.
If you’re spending a few days in Tokyo followed by a few days in Kyoto, your list of major train journeys might look like this:
1. Narita Airport to Tokyo Station, via JR’s Narita Express train
2. Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station, via the JR bullet train
3. Kyoto Station to Kansai International Airport, via JR’s Haruka Express train
To help you see whether or not the Rail Pass would be worthwhile, the next step is to determine what the cost of these journeys would be without the Japan Rail Pass. You can use two online tools to help you do this: HyperDia and Google Maps.
Note: As mentioned above, as one of our clients you don’t need to worry about carrying out these calculations, as we will do all the legwork for you.
As you can see from the example searches below, the journey from Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station costs ¥13,910 (about US $139):
Using HyperDia:
Tokyo to Kyoto by bullet train using HyperDia
Using Google Maps:
Tokyo to Kyoto by bullet train using Google Maps
After obtaining the cost for the other two journeys, you’ll find that the costs are as follows:
1. Narita Airport to Tokyo Station: ¥3,020 (about US $30)
2. Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station: ¥13,910 (about US $139)
3. Kyoto Station to Kansai International Airport: ¥3,370 (about US $34)
The total cost of these train journeys comes to ¥20,300 (about US $203). Since the 7-day Japan Rail Pass costs about $300, you would save money by forgoing the Rail Pass in favor of individual tickets.
Two of our featured travelers had a similar routing, and in their case individual train tickets worked out to be cheaper and more convenient, given their itinerary.
Some will argue that the Rail Pass would nevertheless be advantageous, since it gives you access to local trains within cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto. While it’s true that you can use the JR Pass on some trains in Tokyo – such as the ubiquitous JR Yamanote Line (Tokyo’s loop line) – unfortunately you can’t use it on other trains in Tokyo, such as on the Tokyo Metro subway lines. It’s also not valid on many of Kyoto’s trains.
However, if you plan to take one or more relatively long day trips from Tokyo and/or Kyoto (for example, to Nikko), the cost of these may make the Rail Pass worthwhile, so make sure to take this into account.
Note: If you’re simply looking for the convenience of being able to hop on and off trains and subways without having to purchase a ticket each time, we recommend IC cards, which can be purchased in Japan and are designed specifically for this purpose.
JR Pass isn’t valid on some forms of local transport
Your Train Journeys Don’t Fit Neatly Into 7-, 14- Or 21-day Periods
If your long train/bullet train journeys don’t fit neatly into 7-, 14- or 21-day periods, the Japan Rail Pass may not be the best option for you.
One of the most important things to note about the JR Pass is that it’s valid only for consecutive days, meaning you can’t “skip” days. For example, if you begin using your 7-day Japan Rail Pass on January 1st, it will be valid through January 7th.
Practically speaking, this means that if you have two bullet train journeys, but they’re separated and not possible to do within a 7-day window, then you wouldn’t be able to use the 7-day Rail Pass to cover them.
On the other hand, if you’re criss-crossing Japan and taking several long train/bullet train trips, then a 14- or 21-day Pass may really come in handy.
Special Note About Non-Tourists
The JR Pass is only available to short-term visitors to Japan, so if you’re visiting a friend or family member who lives in Japan, it’s important to bear in mind that he or she may not be eligible for the Japan Rail Pass.
It’s generally safe to assume that the person you’re visiting is not eligible for the Japan Rail Pass if he or she fits into one of the following categories:
He/she is a Japanese citizen
He/she is in Japan on a work or working holiday visa
He/she is a student on a semester abroad in Japan
If you’re not traveling during peak season, this may not be much of an issue.
But if you are traveling during peak season, it may be worthwhile for all of you to obtain train/seat reservations in advance. This will minimize the chances of your party being broken up onto different trains, and will make your travels easier and more relaxing.
Tokyo skyline
To Rail Pass Or Not To Rail Pass?
While the Japan Rail Pass is often one of the best ways for travelers to explore Japan, we hope this article has helped you figure out whether or not you should get the Rail Pass!
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Have other Japan travel questions? See our Japan travel FAQ, where we answer the most common questions about visiting Japan.