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Value for money - JR in Tokyo

Miszak
Miszak
over 11 years ago
6 responses

Hi there,
We're off to Tokyo in a week (yay!) and we're trying to make up our mind whether it is worth to buy JR pass. We're landing at Narita and getting to Shinjuku from there. We're planning to stay in Tokyo as it is our first time in Japan. We were thinking of just focusing on using Yamanote line, getting to the main stations and sightseeing by foot.
It seems like we have it all planned but as we're going for the first time we need advice - whether it all sounds sensible and will a seven day pass be worth it.
Thank you in advance!

Very excited Ewa and Pete

avatar
mari
1950 posts
over 11 years ago
Expert

Hi there!

First time in Japan? yey! :)

If you're going to stay within Tokyo and use the Yamanote line only, then I do not recommend the 7 day JR Pass. For this trip, I recommend either purchasing tickets as needed (expect around ¥200 per trip), or purchasing the 2 day Tokyo Metro passes. This works out at ¥490/day and although it doesn't cover any JR lines, you can use the Tokyo Metro which goes to the vast majority of areas you'll need I think. Here's a map of the Tokyo Metro for reference. Note on the legend in the bottom right that the Tokyo metro lines are the right hand column colored lines only.

Hope this helps - ask if you need any more advice! :)

Miszak
Miszak
6 posts
over 11 years ago

Thank you.
Are there subway passes valid for more than two days? And silly question - when is the best time to use subway to avoid the crowds:)
Still very excited Ewa and Pete

avatar
mari
1950 posts
over 11 years ago
Expert

The maximum you can purchase is a 2 day pass, but you can purchase multiple metro passes which works out exactly the same on a per day basis.

These prices and passes are only available at Narita or Haneda airports, so be sure to purchase them when you land!

Here are the maps for the ticket offices in Narita:

Here are the map for the ticket office in Haneda:

To avoid crowds on the Tokyo metro, you should aim to travel outside of rush hours. While these times should be treated as a guide, it means avoiding 7am-9am and 5pm-7pm Mon-Fri. Don't worry if you have to travel during these times - it's all part of the experience :)

Hope this helps!

Miszak
Miszak
6 posts
over 11 years ago

Thank you.
That's very helpful.
Ewa and Pete


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