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Sapporo - Hakodate - Tokyo

petebez
petebez
over 9 years ago
2 responses

Dear all

My fiancee and I are going to Japan for three weeks in December / January. For the first part of our trip (Kyoto, Nara etc) we have decided that we don't need the JRP. We are then flying to Hokkaido. However, we are considering getting the 1 week JRP to activate in Sapporo for the following journeys.

Sapporo - Hakodate 29/12/14

Hakodate - Tokyo (via Shin Aomori) 30/12/14

Tokyo - Hakone return 02/01/15

Tokyo - Narita Airport 04/01/15

My question is, would all these journeys be covered by the JRP? If they are, then price wise it certainly makes sense. I just don't want to get on a train and then find out it's not covered. Furthermore, I'm aware that New Year is a busy time. How far in advance will I need to make seat reservations?

Finally, when do I activate the pass? Do I do this immediately after arriving in Japan or the day I want to start using it? Can I make reservations before it's activated?

Many Thanks
Peter

avatar
Daniel-san
18835 posts
over 9 years ago
Expert

Hello Peter,

Yes all these routes are covered by the JR Pass and even better, you get the ride one of the fastest Shinkansen in Japan!

Travel around New Year does indeed get busy and I would advise reserving tickets 3 - 4 days in advance.

I would advise activating the moment when you travel to Hakodate, however you can exchange the JR Pass beforehand and reserve seats as of that moment. Giving you enough time to make the reservations.

Hope this helps,
Daniel

petebez
petebez
2 posts
over 9 years ago

Hi Daniel-San

Thanks very much for your advice, it's really useful. We arrive in Japan on 15th December in Nagoya. I am not going ton use the JR pass for the first leg of our trip as it isn't really necessary. However, could we exchange the pass as soon as we arrive and make reservations for the trains from Sapporo - Hakodate- Tokyo then? This would seem like the best idea.

Thanks

Peter

avatar
Daniel-san
18835 posts
over 9 years ago
Expert

Hi Peter,

Yes you may exchange the pass right away @Nagoya station and reserve all the seats for the validity period of the JR Pass. This way you are sure of seating, be sure to bring a printed list with routes, dates and times when you wish to travel. This will make the process go a lot quicker.

Hope this helps!
Daniel


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