We continue our countdown to Celebration Japan with our weekly series focusing on the different planning aspects of such a big trip.
Today, we look at the famous Japan Rail Pass.
On any travel video, blog, or documentary you see regarding travelling Japan, the rail pass always comes up. It’s only available to non-residents of Japan and there’s a few things to know before you hit the ‘buy’ button.
Firstly, if you’re heading to Japan and are only be attending Celebration and going for, let’s say, five or so days then the JR Pass isn’t for you. Even if you’re staying in Tokyo and heading to the convention centre each day then the cost of the rail pass won’t be worth the price as the tickets for such short journeys are relatively cheap. The cost of the train tickets won’t add up to the seven-day pass, and you won’t be needing any bullet trains.
The cost of a 7-day JR Pass is £273. 14 days is £437, and for 21 days its £547.
Now, if you’re going to Japan on an extended break/trip then the pass may very well be for you. My girlfriend and I are there for 14 days and we’ll be heading all over. Kyoto, Osaka and more before Celebration and then further north after Celebration. Ten destinations in total, not including Celebration.
When we were working out the cost of a train ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto then this was around £70-£80 all on its own. Factor in the umpteen journeys we’ll be taking for our trip and we would have spent £437 on single tickets alone before Celebration. So, working it out this way – the pass is worth it.
Passes can be ordered here – https://www.jrpass.com/
The pass needs to be in your hands before you leave for Japan. It’s valid for 3 months from your date of purchase so all is fine on that front. What will be sent to you is not the JR Pass itself but your voucher that will then need to be activated at the airport when you arrive. You’ll then be able to pre-book your seats on your required journeys from any of the hundreds of kiosks located around Japan.
There’s an offer to upgrade your ticket to a premium green pass, essentially first class, but it’s a lot steeper. It’s also worth noting that your pass is your pass, so there’s no booking fee to pick your seat each time – which in turn is highly recommended. From my research, don’t just arrive to the train station and hop on. You can, but getting a seat and luggage compartment might be a pain.
So, my recommendation is this. Take a bit of time and research all the journeys you think you might be taking to get a rough cost. Compare this to the JR Pass and see if it’s worth it for you.
But let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to ride on the bullet train just once in their life?
Join us next week as we look at ten of the most desired cultural attractions to see across Japan.