Japan Rail Pass Questions: 1 month in Japan, advice on itinerary please

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1 month in Japan, advice on itinerary please Hello, I hope I have come to the right website for help. I will be travelling in Japan for one month, starting from this October, and I just wanted some advice. I want to make sure it is possible to get to and from each place, or if I need to move things around a bit. I am thinking I will need to buy the 21 day pass. And is it worth getting the First Class pass? What happens if the pass expires but I still have a few days of travel to do? Here is my itineray. I appreciate any advice, thank you so much! OCT 1: Fly out from Australia OCT 2: Land in Tokyo OCT 3: Tokyo OCT 4: Tokyo (Disneyland) OCT 5: Tokyo - Minakami OCT 6: Minakami – Tokyo OCT 7: Tokyo – Kamakura - Tokyo OCT 8: Tokyo - Takayama OCT 9: Takayama - Kanazawa OCT 10: Kanazawa OCT 11: Kanazawa - Kyoto OCT 12: Kyoto OCT 13: Kyoto OCT 14: Kyoto – Himeji - Kyoto OCT 15: Kyoto - Nara OCT 16: Nara - Kyoto OCT 17: Kyoto – Naoshima OCT 18: Naoshima OCT 19: Naoshima - Hiroshima OCT 20: Hiroshima – Miyajima - Hiroshima OCT 21: Hiroshima - Matsuyama OCT 22: Matsuyama – Hiroshima - Osaka OCT 23: Osaka OCT 24: Osaka – Koya-San OCT 25: Koya-San – Osaka - Tokyo OCT 26: Tokyo - Nikko OCT 27: Nikko – Tokyo OCT 28: Tokyo (Disney Sea) OCT 29: Tokyo OCT 30: Tokyo OCT 31: Tokyo/Fly home to Australia	bambi 9ヶ月 ago 1881 views 2 posts
Hi there, Here are some answers for you: JR Coverage The vast majority of your locations are accessible with a JR Pass. The following 2 areas will need an extra fare to be paid as the route is not 100% operated by JR: Ferry from Hiroshima to/from Matsuyama (¥3500/6500 depending on ship type used) Naoshima. You'll get most of the way there, but will need to pay ¥300 for the ferry from JR Uno station to Naoshima itself. Here's a good forum post with more. Koyasan. You'll need to use non-JR operated Nankai railway to access Koyasan station. I recommend you aim to start from Osaka Nankai station. Here's a good blog post with more. Metro travel in Tokyo. You'll need to purchase separate metro tickets to use this system. I recommend you look into the Narita Express + Suica prepaid card deal giving you ¥1500 (6-8 trips) of free metro travel. You can purchase this on arrival at Narita. Basic savings with a 21 day pass A 21 day pass form the 7th to the 27th looks like it'll give you good savings: Tokyo > Kamakura: ¥2100, (47mins, 51km) Kamakura > Tokyo: ¥890, (54mins, 53km) Tokyo > Takayama: ¥14600, (275mins, 532km) Takayama > Kanazawa: ¥4380, (186mins, 148km) Kanazawa > Kyoto: ¥6910, (126mins, 224km) Kyoto > Himeji: ¥5330, (68mins, 130km) Himeji > Kyoto: ¥2210, (91mins, 130km) Kyoto > Nara: ¥690, (44mins, 41km) Nara > Kyoto: ¥690, (44mins, 41km) Kyoto > Uno: ¥8780, (130mins, 252km) Uno > Hiroshima: ¥6890, (107mins, 194km) Hiroshima > Osaka: ¥10820, (109mins, 345km) Osaka > Tokyo: ¥13950, (194mins, 556km) Tokyo > Nikko: ¥5630, (121mins, 150km) Nikko > Tokyo: ¥5630, (117mins, 150km) JR ticket cost: ¥89500 for 15 legs 21 day rail pass (¥57,700) saving: ¥31800 Green car It's always hard to advise on the Green car as so much depends on the type of traveller. Standard carriages is very comforable, however Green Car offers larger and more comforatble seating, quieter carriages and exclusivity :). Here's a post on the Green Car. If it was me, I'd save the money on the green car for a nice meal, hotel or onsen experience, but it is totally up to the individual :). If the pass expires but I still have a few days of travel to do? The JR Pass is non-extendible, so if the pass runs out you will need to purchase standard individual tickets as needed. Final words! It all looks like an awesome trip :). Please ask if you need any more help. You can look up precise train timetables and costs at the Hyperdia travel planning website and learn how to use Hyperdia for JR Pass holders through our video blog. Happy planning! 1 useful!	mari 9ヶ月 ago 463 likes 1933 posts
Wow, thank you mari, your response is so insightful and helpful! I truly appreciate it. I think I will go for the ordinary japan rail pass now, and use that money for a nice ryokan or something ;) thanks for that handy tip! I probably would have gone for the green pass, but I have since been reading a few forum posts on the comparisons, and by the sounds of it, the ordinary pass sounds just as nice! I think you have covered everything I need to know. If I have any more questions I will definitely come back. I'm going to bookmark this page because your info has been so useful. Thank you again, you're the best! :) 0 useful!	bambi 9ヶ月 ago 0 likes 2 posts
Not a problem :) Hope you have a great trip! 0 useful!	mari 9ヶ月 ago 463 likes 1933 posts
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