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How economical is a JRpass for 15days?

ncgg07
ncgg07
about 9 years ago
6 responses

Hello,

My family of 3 will be traveling to Japan on April 3 for 15 days. We will be spending April 3-7 in Tokyo where we will be doing sightseeing which would include Mt. Fuji and Hakone. However, I am seriously considering getting a Fuji-Hakone pass for this trip. We will then be traveling on April 7 from Tokyo to Kyoto and spending 4 days there; April 10 from Kyoto to Osaka another 4 days and also considering Universal Studios while we're there and April 13 back to Tokyo where we will be staying until the 17th which is our last day in Japan. Seeing Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea may be an option during the last leg of our trip. Considering this itinerary, would you recommend a JRpass for my family for this trip? Would appreciate some advice since this would be our first time in Japan. By the way, our roundtrip tickets are from the Tokyo Haneda Airport. Thank you so much.

avatar
Daniel-san
18835 posts
about 9 years ago
Expert

Hi there,

I checked your itinerary for the best options. A 7 day JR Pass would be a good option if you could do the trip Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka within 7 days. As it is 8 now, it would be better to buy normal tickets.

A Hakone pass is indeed also very handy for travel within Hakone and to Fuji and would recommend it if you plan to explore Hakone.

Hope this helps,
Daniel

ncgg07
ncgg07
6 posts
about 9 years ago

Thank you for the speedy reply Daniel. I will definitely give that some thought. So getting a 15 day JRpass would just be a waste then for our itinerary? Does the JRpass cover travel within Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka?

avatar
Daniel-san
18835 posts
about 9 years ago
Expert

Hi again!

Yes a 14 day JR Pass would not give you the best value for this itinerary.

The JR Pass does cover the local JR network in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. This is enough to access most of Tokyo and Osaka and also for a limited extend in Kyoto.

We have some great map resources HERE, displaying all lines included.

ncgg07
ncgg07
6 posts
about 9 years ago

You're probably right Daniel. I just realized that I purchased a one-way trip to Kyoto via Nozomi which also came with accommodations for 4 days in Kyoto. Which means I won't be using the JRpass to Kyoto yet when we travel on April 7. I have another question though, if I purchase a 7 day JRPass and use it when we arrive from Haneda Airport to Tokyo, Ginza where our hotel is, will the 7-day countdown begin at that very moment? So if it does start at that time, My JRpass would probably expire before we even get back from Osaka to Tokyo on April 13? Should I just purchase tickets at the train station for that trip (Haneda Airport to Tokyo, Ginza) so I won't have to use the 7-day JRPass just yet?

Another question would be, If we intend to just use the JRPASS from April 10 which is our trip from Kyoto to Osaka until we get back to Tokyo from Osaka on April 13, would that be better since we will be staying in Tokyo until April 17? Thank you!

avatar
Daniel-san
18835 posts
about 9 years ago
Expert

Hi again!

The JR Pass starts counting from the 1st day of use. So it would expire within 7 days if you use it to travel from Haneda Airport.

Kyoto and Osaka are only 30 minutes apart by train and a ticket using normal trains is just 560yen! So there too you won't spend much. A 7 day JR Pass would be useful if you can make the return Tokyo - Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto) within 7 days, otherwise normal tickets work best. You can buy normal tickets at any JR station.

Hope this helps!
Daniel


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