JR Pass

[warr]

Hi,
where is the best place to buy JR Pass? JR Hokkaido Pass in particular.
Thanks.

 

[saffronsatire]

i prefer to buy (the vouchers) online but note, there's a minimum spend for free courier. think overall still worthwhile with dcc charges, given credit card cash back.

 

[deodorant]

where is the best place to buy JR Pass? JR Hokkaido Pass in particular.
Thanks.

I bought JR East Pass from JTB before, they emailed me a PDF exchange order, ownself print out and bring to exchange at JR Midori counter.

 

[Perisher]

Try klook by using shopback combo with cc. Should be quite some discount.

 

[Perisher]

I bought a Tohuku region JR pass and was able to use it from airport to Tokyo and all regions within Tokyo that runs JR lines, and upwards to Tohuku region. It's a flexible pass and so you can decide which day to use the pass and which day to skip.
I skipped 1 day of my 5 day pass then use on the 6th day.
The person manning the station will chop on the day you use the pass.

This is my pass
http://www.jreast.co.jp/E/eastpass_t/
Flexible five-day pass (any five days within 14 days of issuance, including the day of issuance)

I bought using Klook and the printed the eticket from the email they send me.
The eticket reached me within 24hrs, so no need to collect it physically.
It's also cheaper if you use Shopback to purchase the eticket using Klook. Combine with any CC can earn even more. Mine was CIMB mastercard which recognises Klook as online travel. Got 10% discount for that.

The printed eticket can then be exchaned for a JR pass at the service counter when you arrive at the airport. The queue took me an hour though.

 

[evilerniex]

does Japan JR Pass covers every trains/buses that can be used by other JR passes? i.e. whatever JR trains/buses that can be used with Hokkaido JR pass are also covered by Japan JR pass?

thinking of buying 14 day Japan JR pass which is cheaper than getting two 7 day Hokkaido JR pass.

not necessary.
so regional pass includes routes that are not covered by 7-day JR pass. for example, JR tokyo wide pass covers fujikyu line to lake kawaguchi, but the 7-day pass doesnt. but generally it shld be the same... so just check if the route u are taking is covered

by the way, how many day are u going? coz typcially a 7-day pass will suffice coz JR pass are mainly to cover the expensive rides on shinkansen and limited express train. for example, a 2weeks trip to tokyo and osaka can be covered by a 7-day pass coz u only need if to cover the trip between tokyo and osaka. so u can use if to go from tokyo to osaka, then finish visiting osaka within 7 days and travel back to tokyo.

 

[only_lonely]

Try klook by using shopback combo with cc. Should be quite some discount.

Changing recommendations selling cheaper. Klook after applied promo code still expensive and have to go their office collect.

 

[WJY]

possible to reserve seats on shinkansen before collecting the JR Pass?

 

[Perisher]

Changing recommendations selling cheaper. Klook after applied promo code still expensive and have to go their office collect.

No need to go collect liao, they will send you a etix. print that out to exchange for JR pass in Japan. I did that. The etix is send within 24hours to your email. Very convenient. As for Changi Recommend is cheaper, I dunno, but I doubt it.

I use cc to get 10% off + shopback another few % off + klook's price. Total cost for my JR pass Tohuku region is only $200 or even lesser.

The way to do it is use shopback app to look for Klook, then within klook, look for the JR pass you need, then combine with CIMB mastercard to get 10% off. Shopback will give another few % off.

 

[koohansen]

possible to reserve seats on shinkansen before collecting the JR Pass?

Not possible

 

[hereforhome]

Is it cheaper to buy the pass in SG?

 

[Perisher]

Is it cheaper to buy the pass in SG?

It's cheaper to buy outside of Japan.

 

[tjkb230]

possible to reserve seats on shinkansen before collecting the JR Pass?

Don't think so. Because by doing this, you will be issued with a train ticket at the same time.

Then again not to worry too much because their shinkansen is built to carry a lot of people at one go and the frequency is very high.

 

[sereneong19]

one question.

i am still confused if it's worth to get one if i taking shinkansen to and fro between tokyo and osaka. i tried calculating with most possibilities like...taking plane + shinkansen, taking train alone (nozomi)...etc...i get myself confused instead.

night bus is no no.

 

[tjkb230]

one question.

i am still confused if it's worth to get one if i taking shinkansen to and fro between tokyo and osaka. i tried calculating with most possibilities like...taking plane + shinkansen, taking train alone (nozomi)...etc...i get myself confused instead.

night bus is no no.

Don't understand you. I also confused by your statement:
Plane + shinkansen = tokyo-osaka route????

Got people travel by such means?

Anyway, Shinkansen proved to be so successful that it literally destroyed the air business between Tokyo and Osaka as the high speed rail has more advantages over aeroplane when we look at Tokyo-Osaka route.

I would much prefer Shinkansen than aeroplane if it's about 3-4 hours or less in travelling time.

Shinkansen pros/cons
+ Punctual, if not more punctual than aeroplanes
+ Stations are located near to city centre, though still lose out to conventional JR train stations
+ Can arrive as late as just 3-5 mins before departure
+ Combined with the above 2 points, you save a lot of time in getting to the train stations from your accommodation
+ Higher freq than planes
+ Leg room even in ordinary car is much much much better than aeroplane economy class
+ No weight limit of baggage
- Space could be a constraint if you have a huge luggage to carry and train is full house. Usually people put it behind the last row.


Plane pros/cons
+ Faster than Shinkansen
+ Baggage can be checked in
- Airports are located even further from city centre
- Need to check in much earlier than Shinkansen, esp the last 30 mins limit must be at boarding gate
- There is weight limit of baggage
- Disembarking usually takes longer time than Shinkansen

 

[evilerniex]

one question.

i am still confused if it's worth to get one if i taking shinkansen to and fro between tokyo and osaka. i tried calculating with most possibilities like...taking plane + shinkansen, taking train alone (nozomi)...etc...i get myself confused instead.

night bus is no no.

JR pass is worth coz the cost of shinkansen (14000yen x 2) to and fro between tokyo and osaka is already close to the cost of JR pass (29110 yen). add a few more rides within the cities and the cost of JR pass is justified.

note that JR pass cannot be used for Nozomi train though.

for plane + shinkansen, do u mean open-jaw air tickets, e.g arrive in tokyo, depart from osaka? if so, tt may be a good too coz u save some time travelling back to tokyo. however, it depends whether u can get cheap open-jaw air tickets coz these are usually more expensive.

 

[deodorant]

possible to reserve seats on shinkansen before collecting the JR Pass?

Possible for JR East, but I think not possible for JR West / Central. For JR East there's a website for booking.

 

[tjkb230]

Possible for JR East, but I think not possible for JR West / Central. For JR East there's a website for booking.

Is there a way to reserve a seat without receiving the actual JR pass?

 

[sereneong19]

JR pass is worth coz the cost of shinkansen (14000yen x 2) to and fro between tokyo and osaka is already close to the cost of JR pass (29110 yen). add a few more rides within the cities and the cost of JR pass is justified.

note that JR pass cannot be used for Nozomi train though.

for plane + shinkansen, do u mean open-jaw air tickets, e.g arrive in tokyo, depart from osaka? if so, tt may be a good too coz u save some time travelling back to tokyo. however, it depends whether u can get cheap open-jaw air tickets coz these are usually more expensive.

actually what i meant is departing tokyo to osaka via plane and coming back to tokyo by shinkansen (this would be more relaxing pace since i do not intend to cramp my itinerary). perhaps i was being too ambitious using this method and after a thorough calculation, it's more justifiable to take up a JR pass. oh well, i just have to wake up early to catch the train

 

[sereneong19]

Don't understand you. I also confused by your statement:
Plane + shinkansen = tokyo-osaka route????

Got people travel by such means?

Anyway, Shinkansen proved to be so successful that it literally destroyed the air business between Tokyo and Osaka as the high speed rail has more advantages over aeroplane when we look at Tokyo-Osaka route.

I would much prefer Shinkansen than aeroplane if it's about 3-4 hours or less in travelling time.

why not? If i have the time to spare and does not wish to be in a rush but wanna cut short travelling time? Flight to osaka probably takes 1 to 1.5hrs and there are flights almost every hour if i take ANA. I can arrive at Itami airport which is nearer to town (22 mins to namba station via train) which probably faster than arriving from Kansai airport.

upon returning back to tokyo and i opt to take a train, i can slowly waddle my way to the station, spend like 4 hours on traveling time back since the rest of my trip will be based in tokyo.

anyway, thanks for your input