Q. Rail pass or single tickets?
Is it worth to buy a rail pass or single tickets? I will be visiting Tokyo/Kyoto/Nara/Osaka and Hiroshima. I will fly out from Osaka-Kansai airport.

Single ticket price
Tokyo – Kyoto: JPY13,320 by Nozomi
Kyoto – Nara: JPY690 x 2 by JR Nara
Kyoto – Hiroshima: JPY10,890 by Nozomi
Hiroshima – Osaka: JPY9,950 by Nozomi and JR rapid service
Osaka – Kansai airport: JPY1,160 by JR Kansai Airport Rapid Service
Q. Day trip to Kyoto from Tokyo.
Is it possible to plan a day return to Kyoto from Tokyo with rail pass? How far?

Sample train schedule,
Outbound
08:03 | Tokyo |
---|---|
[164min] | Shinkansen HIKARI 463 |
10:47 | Kyoto |
Inbound
19:29 | Kyoto |
---|---|
[164min] | Shinkansen HIKARI 534 |
22:10 | Tokyo |
Q. Is the Japan rail pass really worth to buy?

I activated 7 day-ordinary pass at Narita on 04Nov and used following route.
( There are local train between Omiya-Tokyo, but as changing to Shinkansen is easier, so I just pop on Shinkansen rather than normal train.)
04Nov: ¥3,680
From Narita to Ikebukuro by Narita Express -¥3,110
From Ikebukuro to Minamifuruya by JR local train – ¥570
05Nov: ¥23,820
Minamifuruya - Omiya by JR local train – ¥230x 2 = ¥460
Omiya – Kanazawa ¥11,680 x 2 = ¥23,360
06Nov: ¥3900
Minamifuruya-Omiya by JR local train –¥ 230 x 2 = ¥460
Omiya – Tokyo - ¥1,580 x 2 = ¥3,160
Omiya – Toro - ¥140 x2 = ¥280
07Nov: ¥28,910
Minamifuruya-Omiya by JR local train -¥230
Omiya – Tokyo -¥1,580
Tokyo – Shin Osaka -¥13,550 x 2 = ¥27,100
08Nov: ¥22,570
Tokyo – Nagoya -¥10,380 x 2 = ¥20,760
Tokyo – Omiya - ¥1,580
Omiya – Minamifuruya by JR local train: ¥230
09Nov: ¥360
Minamifuruya-Kawagoe by JR local train: 180yen x 2 = ¥360
The total cost for single tickets will be ¥83,240 but I paid only ¥23,800 for 7day ordinary pass!!
It depends how much you will travel within the pass validity but for my case it’s definitely worth to buy a pass!Q. Twilight Express - between Osaka and Sapporo

Extra express surcharge: 3,150 yen (between Osaka or Shin-Osaka or Kyoto and any stations in Hokkaido)
Q. Can I take Mizuho shinkansen?
Am I allowed to travel on the Mizuho Shinkansen or is it just the Nozomi trains that I cannot use? I am planning to travel to Fukuoka and Oita from Osaka.

But you can take ‘Hikari’, ‘Kodama’ and ‘Sakura’ bullet train using Japan rail pass.
For example,
From Shin-Osaka to Hakata (Fukuoka): take Hikari or Sakura
From Hakata to Oita: take Sakura or Tsubame and change to Limited Express Sonic at Kokura (or direct to Oita by Sonic. Its depends on the time you travel)
Q. Tokyo to Kyoto by Nozomi
How can I travel from Tokyo to Kyoto if I cannot take ‘Nozomi’ train?

Q. Can you confirm japan rail pass is valid on those routes?
5Apr: Arrive Fukuoka Airport, move to Kumamoto (stay Kumamoto 2nights)
6Apr: Explore Kumamoto & Asi
7Apr: To Yufuin area (Stay Yufuin Onsen!)
8Apr: to Fukuoka (stay Fukuoka)
9Apr: To Hiroshima (Stay Miyajima)
10Apr: To Kyoto (stay Kyoto 3nights)
11Apr: explore Kyoto
12Apr: probably day trip to Nara?
13Apr: move to Kanazawa (stay Kanazawa 2nights)
14Apr: Kanazawa
15Apr: Kanazawa to Osaka (stay Osaka)
16Apr: depart from Kansai to UK

Day1: Fukuoka (Hakata) to Kumamoto: ¥5,190
Day2: Kumamoto to Aso (return): ¥4,360
Day3: Kumamoto to Yufuin: ¥7,360
Day4: Yufuin to Fukuoka (Hakata): ¥4,430
Day5: Fukuoka (Hakata) to Hiroshima: ¥8,900
Day6: Hiroshima to Kyoto: ¥10,990
Day7: explore Kyoto
Day8: Kyoto to Nara (return): ¥1,380
Day9: Kyoto to Kanazawa: ¥6,910
Day10: Kanazawa
Day11: Kanazawa to Osaka: ¥7,640
Day12: Osaka to Kansai airport: ¥1,160
Total Price: ¥58,320
All the above route are covered by 14day Japan rail pass: ¥45,100.
Please note you can only exchange your pass at JR Hakata station and need to purchase the single ticket from Fukuoka airport to JR Hakata station which will cost you ¥250.
Q. Osaka to Kyoto
I arrive at Osaka and want to travel to Kyoto, which pass is good for me?

Q. Sanyo pass or single tickets?
I want to travel from Osaka to Hiroshima and coming back in 3 days. Is it better to buy 4 day Sanyo pass? Or just 2 single tickets?

Q. Tokyo – Hakone by rail pass?
We are thinking of going to Hakone. Can we use our rail pass to get there from Tokyo?

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