Need help using jrpass with my itinerary

Hi there,

1.) Before you can travel you will have to activate your JR-Pass. The office at Haneda opens at 11.00 a.m., seeing your arrival time, the best thing you can do is go to Tokyo station and activate your pass there. The ticket office at Tokyo station opens at 7.30. Here's the best way to get from Haneda Airport to Tokyo station. Once you have activated your pass there you can take the Bullet Train from there directly to Kyoto.

2.) The best way to Narita from Kyoto or Osaka is by Bullet Train to Tokyo and from there use the Narita Express to Narita Airport(both are fully covered by the JR-Pass) Here is an example for the journey on your day of travel.

3.) When you are in Kyoto and want to make the most of your JR-Pass, consider a day (or two) trip to Hiroshima and visit the peace museum, if you want to travel a little less far Himeji is a great place too! You can view the castle there, right now they are renovating it but you can still enjoy a lot of it.

Hope this helps!
Daniel

This is awesome! Thank you thank you so much! I also plan to just use one of the visa prepaid cards while in Japan. I'll have some cash but would you recommend I take yen instead of dollars?

I believe visa is more accepted internationally, but I wanted to just use one of the prepaid ones :)

Hi there,

In Japan credit cards are accepted by most big restaurants, hotels, department stores and the like. Still it is a very cash based society. So I would always bring enough cash too. You can exchange your Dollars from Yen in Japan but they are not accepted as local payment method.

Enjoy your trip!

Thank you!!! :)

Turns out that from Haneda airport, I need to get to Osaka (not Kyoto). What would be the most efficient way to do that? I arrive 5:20am at Haneda. I understand I would have to go to Tokyo station to activate the jrpass.

Also just as an alternative.....
If I exchange my jrpass at Haneda (i understand that exhange for jrpass opens at 11am),
what's the best way to get from Haneda to Osaka?

Hi again!

Osaka is the next stop with the Shinkansen, so take the same route as for Kyoto but stay in the train for 1 more station and you are there!

From Haneda with the JR Pass: Take the Monorail to Hamamatsucho, here you can transfer to the Yamonote-line. Get out on Tokyo station and from here you can ride the Shinkansen to Osaka (and/or Kyoto).

Hope this helps :)
-Daniel

thank you! :)