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Is it worth it for me to purchase a 7 day JR Pass?

mirestige
mirestige
almost 8 years ago
3 responses

First of all, I would like to apologize for asking a question which is being asked to death over here. Trust me I have done some searching on this topic but I have not found one which suit my particular context, so please bear with me and please provide me with some advise.

I will be traveling to Japan from 23rd September to 8th October, for a total of 16 days. 23rd September to 1st October (9 days) I will be at Tokyo. 2nd October to 4th October (3 days) I will be at Kyoto. 5th October to 8th October (4 days) I will be at Osaka.

I am flying in from Haneda and leaving from Kansai. Initially I am planning to purchase the 7 day JR Pass and activate it on 2nd October, the day I am to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto, the pass would expire on the day I make my trip from Osaka to Kansai.

The Pass is highly recommended for people who make a round trip from Tokyo to Kyoto/Osaka, however for my case I am basically only making a one way trip. If I buy the JR Pass I can pretty much use the Pass for some traveling in Kyoto and Osaka and from Osaka to Nara.

Conducting some research I calculated that my total utilization of the JR Pass in terms of fees will fall short of around 7000+ yen from the cost of JR Pass. In short if I purchase individual tickets I can save upwards of 7000+ yen compared to buying the JR Pass.

However I am worried that I have done my calculation wrongly, thus the posting of this question here.

The following is a simplify version of my itinerary starting from the day I depart for Kyoto;

Day 1: Tokyo-Kyoto, Gion
Day 2: Eastern Kyoto
Day 3: Western Kyoto
Day 4: Kyoto-Osaka, Minami
Day 5: Nara
Day 6: Traveling within Osaka
Day 7: Traveling with Osaka follow by train to Kansai airport

Should I get a 7 day JR Pass or not?? Thanks in advance!

avatar
Daniel-san
18835 posts
almost 8 years ago
Expert

Hi there,

From having similar calculations frequently, I can tell you that it would be more economic to buy normal tickets for the route. We have a great tool, our Fare calculator that you can use to find the cost of your itinerary.

I realise its a bit of a short answer but covers your question.

Let me know if I can help with anything.
Daniel

mirestige
mirestige
3 posts
almost 8 years ago

Thank you for the fast reply. The one other advantage of buying a JR Pass is the convenience it serves, I do not have to buy individual tickets etc. However the amount of monies saved by buying individual tickets is too much to ignore!

My other question is how do I go about buying the individual tickets? I.E Tokyo-Kyoto, Kyoto-Osaka, Osaka-Nara.

I can just buy the tickets over the respective rail operator's counter on the time of departure, or do I have to reserve and purchase in advance?

Once again thanks for the help. Very much appreciated.

avatar
Daniel-san
18835 posts
almost 8 years ago
Expert

You can buy the tickets at any JR station, either at the ticket window or a ticket machine. You can do so on the day of departure, or a couple of days in advance if you prefer to have your tickets already.

mirestige
mirestige
3 posts
almost 8 years ago

Thanks! I understand for these cross cities train they run on a specific timetable. When I buy the tickets do I have to select my preferred departure time or the ticket is valid for all time.

avatar
Daniel-san
18835 posts
almost 8 years ago
Expert

If you want a reserved seat then yes, you can also buy a non-reserved ticket and get on any train and queue up beforehand for a non reserved seat.


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