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How do I find where to go?

Projektwelve
Projektwelve
over 8 years ago
7 responses

Hello. I already bought my pass from here and have received it. I will be in Japan from December 5th to the 21st.
I already have my hotels booked and everything. My questions are:

1- How do I find out what my closest JR Station is?

2- How do I know which train to take to certain places?

3- I heard that some trains have to be reserved, how do I do this?

4- How do I look these things up ahead of time so that I know which trains are faster and more convenient?

5- How do I know which trains to take inside the city, how much do they cost, and how do I find the right train for me?

Thanks, I'm staying in Tokyo, Kyoto (2 different hotels), Osaka and Yokohama, and I need to start planning my trips not only around the cities but also to trips like Nikko, Hiroshima, Kobe, Nara, etc.

Thank you so much!!

avatar
Daniel-san
18835 posts
over 8 years ago
Expert

Hi there,

1.) Generally I look at Google Maps, find the hotel you are staying at and zoom out until you see the closest station. Otherwise just ask your accommodation what works best.

2.) Here I recommend learning to plan with Hyperdia. This way you know exactly what the route will look like and you can plan like a pro.

3.) For seat reservation, please see this page. It has all the details for you.

4.) See Planing with Hyperdia for this as well, alternatively just ask the JR Staff at the station to find the best route for you.

5.) Same as 2,4. Also if you want to find the best route to a certain destination, just going a google search for [Place name + Access] goes a long way.

Hope this helps,
Daniel

Projektwelve
Projektwelve
7 posts
over 8 years ago

Hi Daniel, yes it does help, however, I have a few questions:

1- what are the best options for searching in Hyperia? Because it's giving me routes that cost like $200usd and I really wanna save money which is why I bought the pass. Like, I'm trying to go from Seibu-Shinjuku station to Kyoto, and I can't figure out how to go about it.

2- is there even a way to get from one major Japan city to another using only JR trains?

3- if you're familiar with Tokyo, my hotel is in Shinjuku and I will be in Tokyo for 3 days, what's the best itinerary STARTING in Shinjuku, to see all the famous bits of Tokyo?

Thanks so much for the prompt reply.

avatar
Daniel-san
18835 posts
over 8 years ago
Expert

Hi again!

I looked up the route Seibu-Shinjuku - Kyoto for you. As you can see, it suggests that you walk to Shinjuku station (for the JR) and get on there. The full route is covered by the JR Pass.

2.) Yes of course! All major cities have JR lines. We have a map here with all lines throughout Japan.

3.) For some cool ideas about Tokyo have a look at this itinerary.

Hope this helps,
Daniel


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