7 day pass for 6 day trip?

Hi Ollie,

Lets take a look at your JR ticket costs. If they are more than that of a 7 day JR Pass then a rail pass will be worth it for you:

1. Takamatsu(kagawa) > Kyoto: ¥9,000 (152mins, 291km)
2. Kyoto > Nara: ¥690 (44mins, 41km)
3. Nara > Hiroshima: ¥10,590 (167mins, 393km)
4. Hiroshima > Takamatsu(kagawa): ¥7,110 (121mins, 233km)

JR ticket cost: ¥27,390 for 4 legs

As you can see, the JR ticket costs are slightly less (¥910) than the cost of a 7 day JR Pass. It very much depends on your plans as to whether a rail pass will be a good option for you I think. As an alternative, perhaps you could also consider a JR-West pass which will cover much of your plans (Kyoto and Nara are not included) for a slightly reduced price but over a 5 day period.

If you do purchase a 7 day rail pass, you can either purchase online, or purchase via a travel agency in Shanghai.

Hope this helps!

Mari - fantastic - thanks for your help.