JR Pass - A must have when traveling in Japan
October 20, 2008 by Jeff
Let me just say that the Japan Rail Pass or JR Pass is a must have when traveling in Japan. The added convenience, amount saved and amount of time saved is definitely worth it.
Cost
The JR pass will save you money. Plain and simple. The normal return ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto on a Shinkansen costs approximately 13220 on a Hikari car. You can only book the Hikari or Kodoma cars with the JR Pass. The Nozomi (the fastest) costs extra. This is approximately the cost of a 7-day JR pass ticket. If you're planning to travel past Kyoto or around other places then you'll definitely pay off your ticket quickly.
Convenience
While traveling around the number of times that we picked the wrong gate, wrong direction or just wanted to leave the gate for a few minutes was almost countless. It's so easy to just jump back and forth between the gates with your pass. In Hiroshima we stopped in for a quick 4 hour visit and went through the JR gates probably around 20 times.
Train to the Airport (Narita Express)
Another nice thing about the JR Pass is that you can get a seat on the Narita Express Train. This is a reserve only train so you HAVE to reserve. However, this train is free with your pass and will get you to the airport quickly and efficiently.
Additional Thoughts
As well, if you ever change your mind and want to visit somewhere else it's no big deal. We were traveling to HIroshima and decided to continue along to Fukuoka. No big deal. We simply moved to a 'non-reserved' seat and kept on going. You can also do this without a JR pass but you'll have to deal with Fee corrections and additional costs when you arrive to your destination. This isn't a big hassle but it is really nice having the flexibility to extend (or shorten) your trip depending on your travel plans
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[...] I mentioned in my last post the Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) is a must have traveling in Japan. In this post I’ll discuss how you must go about getting, [...]