February 2016

Hi SabApril,

I was looking at ticket prices to see what would work best for your itinerary and while there's plenty of travel in your itinerary, it would be more economic for your friend to purchase normal tickets during travel. This because Nagano - Kyoto (¥ 11,440) and Kyoto - Tokyo (¥ 14,110) cost less than the price of a 7 day JR Pass (¥ 29,110). That is unless you would do more travel with it, which should not be that hard as a one way Tokyo - Narita Airport alone is around 3,000yen using the Narita Express. Though you will go on to travel quite a bit more and here a 21 day JR Pass will work very well and will cover nearly all travel. Though additional fares/transport will be needed for Koya, Kawaguchi-ko and to Iya Valley, this however is all local and will be limited to a couple thousand yen.

Hope this helps,
Daniel

Hello Daniel,

Thanks for your help with the itinerary. I have made some small changes but I think it should still work.
A quick question about getting from Himeji to Kinosaki Onsen. The Kinosaki sites say there is a Ltd Express but I can't find the timetable throough Hyperdia. Is this still running?

1 Feb - Arrive Tokyo - 2 people
2 Feb - Tokyo
3 Feb - To Shiga Kogen
4 Feb - Ski day
5 Feb - Ski day
6 Feb - Ski day
7 Feb - Ski day
8 Feb - Ski day
9 Feb - To Kyoto
10 Feb - Kyoto
11 Feb - Kyoto
12 Feb - Kyoto
13 Feb - To Mt Koya
14 Feb - To Tokyo
15 Feb - Tokyo - Fly home for 1

Solo trip
15 Feb - Tokyo
16 Feb - Tokyo
17 Feb - to Nagoya
18 Feb - to Osaka
19 Feb - Osaka
20 Feb - to Iya Valley
21 Feb - Iya Valley
22 Feb - to Himeji
23 Feb - to Kinosaki Onsen
24 Feb - Kyoto
25 Feb - to Kyoto
26 Feb - to Kanazawa
27 Feb - Tokyo
28 Feb - Tokyo
29 Feb - Fly home

Hi again!

Yes this would work too!

And yes, the ltd. express train from Himeji to Kinosaki-Onsen is still running. It is the Hamekaze see example route here.

Thanks Daniel,

Can you help me find a timetable for the Ltd Express Shinano from Nagano to Nagoya?

Thanks Sabrina

Hi Sabrina,

The best way is to use www.hyperdia.com to look up the time table. I was unable to find it anywhere else.

Let me know if you need any help wit Hyperdia, unfortunately I can't link it directly.