Substitute for Japan Rail Pass

LMoMoney on 27/07/2017 - 13:10

Heading over to Japan in a month, where our accommodation will be in Tokyo for the whole trip. I'm starting to sort out all the things you need to do before you leave; and one of the things on my list was a JR Pass……and then I saw the price……WOW! (46,000 yen per person for 14 day pass).

So I've spent some time researching and a lot of people are saying that if you're spending the whole time in Tokyo then you don't need the JR Pass. I think getting a Pasmo pass for inner Tokyo travel will be fine for most of the trip; but I don't want to limit myself to just being stuck in Tokyo.

We've got 1 trip outside Tokyo (albeit not far from Tokyo) to Saitama for the Japan vs Australia World Cup Qualifier; so whatever pass I choose definitely needs to be able to get me there. We'd also like to do a couple of day trips; but the distance is limited by our requirement to return to Tokyo to sleep; so I doubt we'll make it beyond Nagoya (happy to take suggestions on suitable day trips).

So for all the people who've made the trip to Japan and bought the JR Pass:

  • Did you think it was worth the money?
  • Is there an alternative that'll get us around town and then maybe a couple of trips outside of Tokyo for a considerable discount?
  • Is there any other JR Package that I haven't taken into consideration?

Any advice is much appreciated!

Travel

Comments

  • idontwanttobehere on 27/07/2017 - 13:17
    +15

    You can punch you trips into googlemaps and set it to public transport. It will tell you the total cost in Yen.

    Advise not to get the JR rail pass if you're only staying Tokyo. Only one line (of many) is covered by it. The Pasmo/Suica cards are better value.

    If you do change your trip and go further out. The JR rail pass maybe more worth it. Mainly it's value is derived from bullet train use.

    • MoMoney on 27/07/2017 - 13:37
      +1

      I've been doing that all morning and not realised that it shows the cost of the trip in the details area. Thanks for pointing that out!

  • idontalwaysnotlie on 27/07/2017 - 13:26
    +1

    yeah, dont get a JR pass. Saitama is only an hour away and the train ticket there is $5. Rail passes are only worth it if you are visiting more than once city as the bullet train is quiet expensive. Local trains and subway are cheap and reliable.

    • MoMoney on 27/07/2017 - 13:42

      Yeah after seeing the price I knew I wouldn't get that much value out of it just hanging around Tokyo.

  • Caped Baldy on 27/07/2017 - 13:30
    +6

    Hyperdia is your friend. It provides more detailed info than google maps but is a tad more complicated.
    IC cards are fine to use within cities but it's not possible to travel between cities. For the day trips simply buy a return ticket from a train station, it's how the locals get around as the JR pass isn't available to them.

    JR pass is definitely worth it if travelling around Japan and just for the experience of catching a shinkansen. It is possible to get around on the local/all stops trains but it takes a lot longer.

    • MoMoney on 27/07/2017 - 13:45

      Hyperdia looks like it'll be a handy tool. Thanks for the suggestion!

      • Caped Baldy on 27/07/2017 - 14:30
        +1

        Japan guide is pretty good as well. Pick out a destination city and there's a transport link (labelled access) at the top to suggest the best transport options.

        Edit: I also suggest taking the bus from the airport (I'm assuming Narita), only costs 1000 yen and there's surprisingly little traffic in Tokyo.

  • cheapskateasianchic on 27/07/2017 - 13:33
    +2

    There are JR East or Jr East South Hokkaido that you can consider if you are staying arnd Tokyo only. I would suggest using hyperdia to see what the total cost is for you to just take normal pass and compare total with the JR Pass. If most days you just staying within tokyo can just take the pasmo/suica card as suggested above.

    Japan-guide is a very good website to research for your trip.

  • jesse085 on 27/07/2017 - 13:37

    Just use cash on the Metro lines. We just got back from 15 days in Japan and the JR pass saved us hundreds if not thousands on our trip. However, we moved around all over and caught 10 bullet trains. A JR pass makes very little sense if you're mostly staying in Tokyo. Partly because in Tokyo most of the lines are not covered by JR, so you end up paying cash on a metro or wondering for hours looking for a JR station.

    • MoMoney on 27/07/2017 - 13:50

      Yeah if we were doing our trip in a few different cities; I could see the benefit of having the JR Pass. But I think it would be a waste of money for what we have booked.

    • Tnetennba on 28/07/2017 - 20:31

      I hope you mean pasmo and not actual cash..pasmo is so convenient :)

  • KaTst3R on 27/07/2017 - 13:51

    Use Hyperdia

    It will show you the cost per trip.

    Unless you are constantly taking the rail a couple of times a day or longer distance, I think its not worth JR Pass.

    • MoMoney on 27/07/2017 - 14:18

      That's a few mentions of Hyderdia now; so will definitely be looking into that tonight

  • [Deactivated] on 27/07/2017 - 14:04

    I thought the train from the airport to the city was quite expensive … goes some way to offsetting the cost of the rail pass.

    Maybe you don't need the 14 day railpass, but you might find some value in the shorter pass if it can cover an airport trip and a side trip from tokyo.

    Riding the bullet trains is generally fun.

  • [Deactivated] on 27/07/2017 - 14:08
    +1

    We'd also like to do a couple of day trips; but the distance is limited by our requirement to return to Tokyo to sleep

    Kyoto and Osaka are reasonable day trip from Tokyo. The trains are fast and efficient.

    • MoMoney on 27/07/2017 - 14:15

      I thought they might be way too far. Based off Google Maps; it's saying the travel time is about 3 hours each way. Did you do this on your trip?

      • [Deactivated] on 27/07/2017 - 14:32

        It's 2h15m on the bullet train (the trains run on time down to 1 min interval) … 3 hours is probably door to door from your hotel. You can sleep on the train, if you're worried about an early start or late evening.

        Totally do-able, considering most people commute and hour to work each day. Heck, if you have a JR pass, you could do it twice.

        Did you do this on your trip?

        No - we stayed in Kyoto for a few days and went further south as day trips from Kyoto.

        • MoMoney on 27/07/2017 - 14:34

          That's a fair point about sleeping on the train. I definitely wanted to fit in some time at Kyoto; so might look into the cost of this as a side trip.

        • smpantsonfire on 28/07/2017 - 18:56

          The jr pass doesn't cover that 215m train btw you're looking at 3:30 ish

        • [Deactivated] on 28/07/2017 - 19:07

          @smpantsonfire:

          My bad. Nozomi trains are included in the pass, but hikari trains are imcluded and it's 2h40m Tokyo to Kyoto.

  • CyberMurning on 27/07/2017 - 14:08
    +1

    (46,000 yen per person for 14 day pass) - that is freaking amazingly cheap, once you know how much bullet train between cities in Japan. many local cant afford travelling with bullet train as they have to pay full price.

    • MoMoney on 27/07/2017 - 14:11

      Yeah absolutely would be beneficial if we were moving around the country. We're only staying in Tokyo though; so I don't know that we would be able to utilise the value of it.

      • CyberMurning on 27/07/2017 - 14:15

        yeah no need if you not going much out from tokyo…
        i think one week JRPASS price equal to local price for one way tokyo to osaka (or return)? cant remember anymore.

        • MoMoney on 27/07/2017 - 14:17

          Should have clarified that I thought it was expensive for what I would be using it for; it definitely seems to be a money saver if you're moving around the country.

  • purplelady on 27/07/2017 - 14:19
    +1

    If you don't take bullet train for e.g. Tokyo - Osaka return, then you don't need to take JR Pass. From memory, the price of return Tokyo - Osaka is equal or almost equal JR Pass 7 Days pass. So if you are not planning those sort of trips, then better just don't buy it. Lots of attractions in Tokyo are actually closer to Metro than JR, so it saves you time too.

    From memory, I took a lot of Metro in Tokyo, JR in Osaka, and buses in Kyoto.

    Enjoy!

    • CyberMurning on 27/07/2017 - 14:37

      ah you just had the same memory as mine.
      yeah popular suburbs in tokyo actually not near bullet train stations (JR).

      • purplelady on 27/07/2017 - 15:17

        Yeah, I remember using Metro a LOT. Even using the 2 days unlimited metro pass or something

    • Caped Baldy on 27/07/2017 - 15:17

      So OP may be better off getting a 7 day pass and squeezing in a few days trips.

      • MoMoney on 28/07/2017 - 07:22

        Yeah that's what I might look at; just a 7 day and then using the Metro for the rest of the time.

    • MoMoney on 28/07/2017 - 07:21

      Yeah I've checked out a couple of trips that would require Shinkansen and they are very expensive. I think a trip to Kyoto and back was going to be over $200. So if we end up taking 1 or 2 journeys then I guess it's worth it.

  • altomic on 27/07/2017 - 14:38
    +1

    I was in Japan in June and I caught highway buses for long distances. Tokyo to Kyoto was 7 hours on a night bus with reclining seats and permanent black out curtains. it cost Yen5,500, Osaka to Hiroshima (5 hours and yen4,200) and Hiroshima to Fukuoka (4.5hours and yen 3,700).

    then rented a car (they have killer one way fees) and flew Jetstar from Kagoshima to Narita for $80.

    I'd strongly suggest/recommend (and I lived in Japan previously for 4 years) catching a flight to kagoshima, renting a car (not so expensive if you rent and return to the same place - there are rental car agencies accross the road from the Kagoshima airport -200metres) and spend a few days driving around, checking out the beaches, the mountains, the abandoned hotels in - Toi cape in Miyazaki prefecture, Kyushu. like this and this.

    the beaches are really nice (and I live 20 minutes south of the sunshine coast)

    i rented through rentalcar.com and the provided was orix it cost $200 for 3 days. you must have an international drivers permit to drive/rent cars in Japan

    • MoMoney on 28/07/2017 - 07:23

      Thanks for the suggestions. I'll see if I can get my travelling companions on board with this idea.

  • myusername on 27/07/2017 - 14:55
    +2

    jr pass sounds expensive for us, but it's cheaper than what the locals pay apparently.

    pony up the bucks and buy one you won't regret it

    • R4 on 27/07/2017 - 21:55

      I agree. Only a few Shinkansen trips covers the initial high outlay.

    • MoMoney on 28/07/2017 - 07:24

      Yeah I'm slowly shifting my view on this. Might give the 7 day pass some more thought.

      • myusername on 28/07/2017 - 07:25

        so worth it honestly.

        when travelling on the shinkansen i would firstly sit in my allocated area and then once my ticket had been checked would move to one of the 'first class business type' carriages.

        • MoMoney on 28/07/2017 - 07:31

          Nice work; will definitely have to give that a try! Knowing my luck they'll catch me doing it and throw me off the moving train.

  • R4 on 27/07/2017 - 21:53

    What's the difference between the Pasmo and Suica cards? Can I get one at Haneda Airport? Can they be topped up at convenience stores?

    I'm taking my son to Tokyo at the end of September.

    • MoMoney on 28/07/2017 - 07:29

      Apparently they're pretty much identical. This article is pretty good at explaining the two cards:
      https://tokyocheapo.com/travel/pasmo-suica-cards-tokyo-trave…

      • j05h on 29/07/2017 - 11:07

        As Phil1311 said, they both serve the same purpose. Suica is Japan Railway's card, Pasmo is the Metro system's card, but you can obviously use either card wherever you go. You will pay very slightly more on travel if you are using the opposite's services, ie. using the metro lines with a suica (JR) IC card.

        Also - a quick tip for using google maps for directions/public transport - I found that the symbol for train and bus was very similar, and I got caught out too many times searching for a train station that didn't actually exist (because it was a bus station).

        • kiitos on 30/07/2017 - 08:30

          I didn't know the different cards were charged different prices. Lucky we got pasmos, I guess.

        • j05h on 30/07/2017 - 11:30

          @kiitos: It was really minimal - like 10-30 yen per trip

    • Caped Baldy on 28/07/2017 - 07:46

      Basically the same. Each area has it's own privately owned metro system with their own card (aka IC cards). They're now usable within each of the different cities (with some exceptions) but not travel between cities.

      Top up is available at the train stations within and outside the ticket gates.

      Have a read of this http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html

  • altomic on 28/07/2017 - 08:14

    Saitama is no distance from Tokyo. They have trains, express trains. Just get one of those. Tokyo is such a mega city that saitana city is almost considered part of it. Think of it as dandenong, but better.

    • MoMoney on 28/07/2017 - 13:15

      Yeah from what I've seen it looks to be part of the greater Tokyo region; even though it seems to be it's own prefecture. Doesn't look that difficult to get to; although Google Maps is telling me I have a 25min walk regardless of which route I take.

  • SumTingRon on 28/07/2017 - 10:20
    +1

    There is Tokyo metro (similar to subway in Osaka) unlimited day pass for travel metro trains in 1 day cost 800yen for tourist, 200 yen cheaper on the week-end, but can't be used for JR lines (have to pay extra). You can only buy the ticket at the station with passport (just in case to prove you are tourist), Very cheap to hop around with more than 3 hops on many metro lines, you can use hyperdia to compare the cost. Many main tourist attractions are close to metro stations.

    Pasmo card can be used at any station in Japan for touch on touch off, pay-as-you-go, to travel around all metro & JR lines so you dont have to buy the actual train ticket at the station, just for the convenient.

    Plan your trip well using hyperdia, JR pass is only good if you travel long distance several times within a defined period, eg 7 days, but beware some bullet/shinkansen trains are excluded in the pass. Otherwise just use metro unlimited pass for mutiple rides for a day trip and pasmo card pay-as-you-go.

    I didnt use JR pass in my first japan 15 days trip, flying locally instead of catching train, but 7days JR pass was very useful for my second 13 days trip and I am not going to use JR pass for my next japan 12 days trip in December. It totally depends on what pace you want to travel and where you want to go.

    You can combine JR pass, metro day pass (in Osaka it's called subway day pass) and pasmo card to cover many places just need a bit of planning.

    Rio2Rome is another usefull travel site for cost estimation for evey short/long trip, they have free app to download on ios and android.

    • MoMoney on 28/07/2017 - 13:18

      Yeah we heard about the unlimited metro pass from someone else also. Is it this one?
      http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/value/travel/

      I'll have a look at Rio2Rome tonight; thanks for the tip!

      • SumTingRon on 28/07/2017 - 19:07
        -1

        Yup, thats the one. Dont buy 48/72 hrs! it's not cheaper, just get 24hrs one and purchase every time/day you need it.

  • kiitos on 28/07/2017 - 10:54

    How long will you be in Japan? For day trip suggestions, you could go to:

    • Hakone, hot springs and Mt Fuji closeups, the quickest way there is a non-JR line

    • Kamakura, very close, down on the cosst, great temples and shrines, and another way of seeing Mt Fuji

    • Nikko, towards the mountains, more nice temples

    • MoMoney on 28/07/2017 - 13:33

      In Japan for 11 days.

      Thanks for the suggestions; have put them on the list

  • Velathial on 28/07/2017 - 14:59

    Highly recommend the pass if you're taking Bullet trains as 3-4 or more bullet train rides can easily make up for the JR pass easily.

    If it's also your first time, it makes things easier as the metro system can be daunting for newbies, and sticking to JR lines allows you to just flash your pass and go through easy.

  • knitwear on 28/07/2017 - 14:59

    JR Pass is only worth it if you ride the shinkansen at least 2 times (return). Tokyo-Osaka one way by shinkansen is around $250. You do get free travel on JR lines trains, but there are heaps of train lines that are not serviced by JR, making you have to purchase tickets anyway.

    Otherwise, either Suica/Pasmo or use the ticket machine.

    I suggest using Odigo.jp to plan your itinerary. They have a trip planner, including optimising your routes.

    Good luck! You're gonna have a lot of fun. We were there last year and 2 weeks wasn't long enough for us :)

    • MoMoney on 31/07/2017 - 10:41

      Cheers for the tip; yeah our trip is way too short. Next time will book longer.

  • mattomatic on 28/07/2017 - 15:01

    As someone who lived in Tokyo I would suggest you don't waste your money on the JR pass (you will lose money unless taking long trips).

    kiitos has some good suggestions in relation to day trips. To add some information to that:

    1: Hakone has a bus pass service (http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/freepass/) that includes free entry to some stuff,
    2: Kamakura is reachable by local or rapid train (about an hour/around 700 yen off memory, maybe a little more depending on where you get the train
    3: Nikko has a train pass on the Tobu line that is off memory easier/faster than the JR line (http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/en/pass/all.html)

    Also, have you considered climbing Mt Fuji? You can catch a bus from outside Shinjuku station to the 5th station on Fuji (http://highway-buses.jp/course/kawaguchiko.php), climb it overnight (thats when most people do it - to see the sunrise) and get back (smelly) to Tokyo the following day.

    As for Saitama you should be able to get there by limited express for around 600 yen or if you really want to take the bullet train (and you are not getting the NEX from Narita to Tokyo) you can pay around 3500 yen one way - no need for a JR pass.

    Enjoy your trip.

    • MoMoney on 31/07/2017 - 10:43

      Also, have you considered climbing Mt Fuji? You can catch a bus from outside Shinjuku station to the 5th station on Fuji (http://highway-buses.jp/course/kawaguchiko.php), climb it overnight (thats when most people do it - to see the sunrise) and get back (smelly) to Tokyo the following day.

      This actually sounds really good. Did you do the climb?

  • anonymous01 on 28/07/2017 - 15:41

    I was there for 10 days and it wasn't enough. Get a 7 day pass as that's cheaper. Go to Osaka, Kyoto, Mt. Fuji, and make sure you go to Hakone. There may be cheaper ways to get there but IMO it's much easier and hassle free with a pass. Don't have to worry about connecting lines etc. as it can be a bit difficult due to language barrier. I missed Kyoto but I will surely go there next time I visit Japan.

  • Zaenille on 28/07/2017 - 17:11

    It's obvious that you don't need a JR Pass for your case, but if you want the math of how much you're actually going to spend/save with the different types of passes, check this tool out.

    http://japan.aoimirai.net/jrpass_calculator.html

    It's the best JR pass calculator I've seen, and I've seen 2 or 3.

    A rough rule of thumb. The 7 day JR pass is equivalent to a Shinkansen return trip between Osaka and Tokyo.

    • MoMoney on 31/07/2017 - 11:08

      A rough rule of thumb. The 7 day JR pass is equivalent to a Shinkansen return trip between Osaka and Tokyo.

      Yeah I'm starting to see this now. Even a shorter trip to Kyoto return is coming back at around $220; which is only just over $100 short of a 7 day JR Pass.

  • belongsinforums on 28/07/2017 - 18:06

    you don't need a JR pass, unless you like spending hours each day on your short trip taking long trains. you could do a day trip to an onsen with a view of mt fuji. was fkn great. the photos here don't do it justice: http://www.yamanashi-kankou.jp/foreign/english/stay/p5_5071.…

    you could get a seishun 18 kippu perhaps (5 time use train pass), but it's really not worth it for your time.

    if you want to get a discount one time shinkansen pass, you can try get this: http://www.jrtours.co.jp/kodama/en/
    must order in advance

    • MoMoney on 31/07/2017 - 11:09

      if you want to get a discount one time shinkansen pass, you can try get this: http://www.jrtours.co.jp/kodama/en/

      Thanks for this; it does look a bit cheaper. But wondering if I'm going to spend $220 on one trip; if I should just pay the $330 for a 7 day pass and not be limited to one trip outside of Tokyo.

      • belongsinforums on 31/07/2017 - 17:56

        You have to do the maths. Be realistic though. You'll need time to rest

  • smpantsonfire on 28/07/2017 - 19:02

    Put simply, the jr pass 14 days is $38 aud a day.

    If you are only in Tokyo, there is no way you would spend that much getting around.

    Give it a miss and get a pasmo

  • henrikoez on 28/07/2017 - 23:08

    instead of Hyperdia, you should use Navitime for Japan Travel (https://www.navitime.co.jp/pcstorage/html/japan_travel/engli…). It has better user interface and free for unlimited time.

    Like everyone said, just use Pasmo/Suica since you will be in Tokyo. You can use them as debit card on some stores as well and the fares are cheaper than paper tickets. No need to hassle through transfer gates etc since Tokyo has two network providers.

    Hope it helps you. Japan is awesome!

    • MoMoney on 31/07/2017 - 11:11

      Thanks for the tip on the Navitime App!

  • Randxyz123 on 29/07/2017 - 12:06

    46,000 yen for 2 weeks isn't expensive… But if you're just in Tokyo it probably isn't worth it.

  • pat0809 on 31/07/2017 - 18:32
    +1

    Definitely don't get the Rail Pass. You don't need it. I live in Yokohama, if you need a hand with anything just send me a private message.

    If you plan a few trips outside of Tokyo, you should check out the Tokyo Wide Pass. It also covers some shinkansen if you're interested in trying that out.

    • MoMoney on 04/08/2017 - 06:56

      Cheers Pat!

  • richrichie on 01/08/2017 - 16:06

    As other have suggested, JR Pass is definitely worth it if you travel a lot with bullet trains (which is the case for my previous trips) but not if you are planning stay in Tokyo mostly.

    Maybe consider a 7-day JR pass if you would like to do a few day trips?

    Some places for day trips:
    - Nagano (about 1.5 hours) and local bus & trains to go to Jigokudani Monkey Park. Probably not the best time to visit because the monkeys probably wont go for onsen
    - Kanazawa (about 2.5 hours). Go & check out Kenrokuen garden when you are there
    - Kyoto (~ 3hours)
    - Nagoya (~ 1.5 - 2 hours)

    • MoMoney on 04/08/2017 - 07:02

      Thanks for the suggestions; hopefully we'll have time to do a couple of them.

  • jerjergege on 11/08/2017 - 08:09

    Remember to get a Citibank card, no fees drawing cash from atm, just save the Citibank currency exchange website to your phone using the free wifi in Tokyo, and take out cash when the exchange rate is good :)

    On your initial question.

    Doesn't sound like you'll need a pass, just pay for the trip for the day.

    Pasmo/suica card for general public transport, best metro underground railways of the world in Japan.

    If you're a whiskey drinker, remember to top up and take some home.

    If you ever go to Osaka, the AOP Amazing Osaka Pass is really good, since it gives you lots of free events / discounted tickets but it includes public transport as well.

    Enjoy the trip!

    • MoMoney on 15/08/2017 - 10:58

      Thanks for the advice! Definitely a whisky drinker; so will be doing my best to bring back some Yamazaki

      • jerjergege on 15/08/2017 - 11:32

        I got really lucky, i had family over with me which do not drink, got them to carry their limits for me all (~6L).

        I found 2 bottles of Bruichladdich's Octomore 6.3 (Smokiest whiskey in the world) literally impossible to find, snapped them right up for around $350AUD each, kept one for myself, sold 1 in australia for $450. If you ever get a chance to try it, it is a must.

        Nikka by the barrel is like $20AUD there(over $90 in australia if you can even find one), one of the best cheap whiskeys I've ever tasted, also with 3 drops of water in a glass opens up the palette, totally changes the opening and finish.

        Also, if you are a collector, the samurai armour nikka is only sold at Japan Duty Free, nowhere else, always a nice piece for starter collectors.

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