Guide to plan your trip. Fare Calculation

dentaku calculatorFare table
2010.08.29
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This website shows you a lot of the train passes. But some of you plan to buy a regular ticket. Even if you will use the rail pass, you may have to compare the price of the pass and the regular fare to make sure that you can get the worth of it or not.

In this post, I would like to share the information about the fare calculation with you.

Hyperdia

You can get a fare very easily. (click to view larger image)
You can get a fare very easily. (click to view larger image)

This is the easiest way to get the fare and the timetable of most trains in Japan. Please refer the link below to learn more:

Hyperdia perfect guide, train timetable and route search engine
If you want to build your itinerary by yourself, Hyperdia will help you a lot. This site is transportation search engine. You can search the timetables and routes of all trains, flights and airport shuttle bus. But this site is a bit tricky and too many functions and options to you. This guide will help you to find the way to use this site.
jprail.com
2013.11.26

Google map

Google map can show you the train and the public bus routes. It also shows you the fare.

JR’s rule on passenger’s ticket

JR companies have the biggest train network in Japan. If you travel between major cities, you will take JR train in most cases.

The fare rule is so difficult to understand for the tourists from overseas. Even some travel agents in Japan do not understand the rule completely.

I wrote about this rule as simple as possible in the post below. You can learn the rule of purchasing and using a regular ticket.

For non JR pass travellers. Guide to use JR single ticket, basic rules, validity and stopover
The train ticket rule is very complicated in Japan. But you may have to use the regular fare ticket because it is cheaper than the rail pass. This post explains you the basic ticket rule as easy as possible.
jprail.com
2013.07.04

JR company’s official site

Some JR companies have the timetable and fare search engine in their official sites.

JR Hokkaido official website

This website offers you the fare and timetable search of most JR trains.

JR West English website

This website offers you the fare and timetable search of most JR trains.

JR Shikoku English website

This website shows you the fare table of most of JR Shikoku lines.

Comments

  1. Lihui says:
    July 31, 2014 at 11:46 pm

    Hi Takeshi,

    My family bought return tickets to Osaka this October, we will be in Japan for 8 days, our plan is as below. I would appreciate if you could advise if we should buy JR Pass before arriving Japan.

    Osaka to Kanazawa
    Kanazawa to Shirawago
    Shirawago to Takayama
    Takayama to Osaka

    I was informed that it is not possible to buy JR pass in Japan (have to buy JR pass from our country before arriving Japan) and the minimum days is 7 days. Is that true?

    Appreciate your advise.

    Thanks
    Lihui

    • Takeshi / JPRail says:
      August 1, 2014 at 12:06 am

      Hi Lihui,

      You can’t purchase JR Pass in Japan. You have to buy it before you leave.
      But JR Pass is too expensive for your trip. Single ticket is much cheaper.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

  2. Joke says:
    July 29, 2014 at 9:29 am

    Hi Takeshi
    I and my family plan to visit Osaka on 15-12-2014. We will leave Osaka to Takayama on 19-12-2014. I plan to book LTD. Exp Hida (Wide view) direct from Osaka to Takayama. I would like to ask you about the ticket. Can I book on the day before travel? Because the train schedule is early morning (07:58 am from Osaka station) and I worrry about my children and mu luggage. Moreover, I search in this website and found there are on board sales in wide view Hida but not available on the route between Takayama???? Do I have to prepare the food before boarding? Because the train will arrive Takayama around 12 pm.

    Thank you very much
    Joke

    • Takeshi / JPRail says:
      July 29, 2014 at 11:47 am

      Hi Joke,

      The ticket is on sale one month prior to departure day. So it will be on sale on Nov 19 and you can book and purchase whenever you will be in Japan. I recommend you to book as soon as possible after you arrive in Japan. It will not be peak season yet. But try to secure your seat as much as earlier.

      In the train, there is no way to get any foods and drinks. I recommend you to get something to eat and drink.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

      • Joke says:
        July 29, 2014 at 11:31 pm

        Thanks Takeshi.
        One more question, my plan will be like this;

        15-16 Dec spend time in Osaka (Kaiyukan and USJ)
        17-18 Dec visit Kyoto – Nara – Kobe (or anywhere in Kansai, stay at Osaka 4 nights)
        19-20 Dec visit Takayama, Shirakawago (stay in Takayama 2 nights)
        21 Dec visit Nagoya, stay in a hotel nearby NGO.
        22 Dec fly back home (BKK)

        I plan to use Kansai Thru Pass for 2 days. What do you think for any more pass for this plan?

        Thank you very much.

        • Takeshi / JPRail says:
          July 29, 2014 at 11:40 pm

          Hi Joke,

          If you can drop by Nagoya or Gifu on the way to Takayama, you can purchase Hidaji Free Kippu.
          http://english.jr-central.co.jp/tickets/value/hidaji/

          But in this case, you can’t take direct train to Takayama. Gifu is located on the way to Takayama by direct Wide View Hida. But you have to exit Gifu station pucharse it. You can’t continue to ride Wide View Hida from Osaka. You have to take later train.

          Unfortunately this is only option to cover Takayama.

          Cheers,

          Takeshi / JP Rail

          • Joke says:
            July 31, 2014 at 6:38 pm

            Hi Takeshi,
            Thanks for your kindness reply. For my first day in Osaka, I plan to use Osaka Kaiyu ticket “Nankai version” (my hotel is around Dontonbori) and I wonder if I can use the Nankai express train “Rapi:t” to Namba? Like Kansai Thru Pass, if I want to use “Rapi:t” I have to pay 500 yen for seat reservation, can I do that with Osaka Kaiyu ticket “Nankai version”?
            Thank you

  3. Belinda says:
    July 28, 2014 at 7:22 pm

    I had booked to arrive in Osaka in Dec’14, then go to Arashiyama stay 1 night and then got to Kyoto. From Kyoto will go to Mt Fuji, stay 1 night and go to Tokyo and fly off from Narita airport. The whole period will be from 16/12 to 26/12. Can you tell us what is the best way to travel by train &, shinkansen. Is it good to buy the JR Pass for 7 days?

  4. Jie says:
    July 27, 2014 at 1:07 pm

    Hi again Takeshi,

    My plan is to take the morning flight to Tokyo and 13th of September and then take the evening train from Tokyo to Hakodate the same day by railway and come back from Sapporo to Osaka on 20th of September by railway again.

    I understand that it is almost impossible to get the limited night train such as hokutosei and twilight.

    But do I have any chance to buy some other train after I have arrived in Tokyo on 13th of Sep without any reservation?

    Do you think if it is worth for me to buy 7 days railway pass in advance?

    Many thanks for your kind advice!

  5. Amin says:
    July 24, 2014 at 6:21 pm

    Hi Takeshi,
    I am planning to go to Japan on September 2014. I have several plans but still cannot decide which one I should do because I am still calculating the cost to travel around Japan. My plan would be like these,

    1. Land in NRT and take train to Nagoya. From Nagoya take train to Toyama and spend few days there. And then from Toyama take train to Tokyo again to take flight back to my country.

    or

    2. Land in KIX and take train to Nagoya and train to Toyama. Spend few nights in Toyama. then take train back to Osaka an spend few nights in Osaka. Take train to airport and fly back to my hometown

    I just want to know what is the best option for me? What are the price of train tickets? I appreciate your assistance. Thank you.

    • Takeshi / JPRail says:
      July 24, 2014 at 11:20 pm

      Hi Amin,

      Option 2 is cheaper. If you do option 1, you can use 7 days JR Pass at 29100 yen. Even though you have to use single ticket mostly for option 2, it’s still slightly cheaper, around 25000 yen. But as you see, it’s not huge difference. If you feel easy and comfortable, JR Pass is easier to handle if you can complete your trip in 7 days. Option 1 is cheaper. But you have to purchase many tickets. It might make you be confused.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

  6. Kitty says:
    July 17, 2014 at 7:27 pm

    Hi Takeshi,

    We have just booked our flight ticket to visit Japan from 20th to 30th of Dec14.
    We are planning to land at Osaka and move up to Tokyo and leave from there.
    Could you help with me what is the best plan to cover the cities in Japan and whether we should get a JR Pass and if so when to start to use it?
    We are considering maybe day trip to Kobe, Kyoto and Universal Studio, and some visit an Onsen along the way to Tokyo.
    Also where is the best area to stay in Osaka/Tokyo (not sure whether we should also stay in Kyoto/Kobe or some other cities?)
    Sorry I have no clue, could you please help! 🙂

    Thanks in advance.

    Kitty

  7. Trish Degnian says:
    July 9, 2014 at 5:15 pm

    Hi there,
    We are 4 adults and 2 children traveling to Tokyo and Nozawa Onsen in Jan 2015. We arrive in Tokyo on Jan 11 and stay 3 nights in Tokyo. We then get train/bus to Nozawa and stay there for 6 nights. We then get train/bus back to Tokyo and stay for 6 nights in Tokyo before leaving Japan. We are in Japan for two and half weeks. Is it going to be best to get a rail pass or buy individual fares?
    Thanks for your help,
    Kind regards,
    Trish

  8. joy says:
    July 3, 2014 at 6:34 pm

    Hi Takeshi
    I’m planning to go to Japan next year winter time :5 days Tokyo-5 days Osaka, then back to Tokyo to catch my flight back home,what is the best train ticket I would buy,since you mentioned that it is more cheaper to buy a one way fare from Tokyo to Osaka .
    Thanks.

    • Takeshi / JPRail says:
      July 3, 2014 at 7:18 pm

      Hi Joy,

      Tokyo – Osaka round trip fare by Shinkansen is almost same as JR Pass 7 days pass.
      So you can start to use 7 days pass when you stay in Tokyo on 4th day. Then 7 days pass will cover rest of your trip, Tokyo-Osaka round trip and your local trip in Osaka.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

  9. Angela Yeung says:
    July 3, 2014 at 3:20 am

    Hi Takeshi San,

    I’ll visit Unazuki Onsen/Gorge & Alpine route from Nagoya in August. Read that there’s package transport fee as follows:
    Hida course A type: 20,710 yen
    Hida course B type: 18,610 yen
    Shirasagi course A type: 23,800 yen
    Shirasagi course B type: 21,700 yen
    Are these still valid? Can I just buy them at Nagoya Train station?
    What’s the difference between Shirasagi and Hida line?

    Thank you in advance!

    Angela

  10. How To Get To Nagasaki Bio Park. It’s very easy. 長崎バイオパークへの到達方法。 | capybaraworld says:
    June 19, 2014 at 11:14 am

    […] Information about the Japanese Railways (JR) Pass and the Timetable can be found at this website.  It is hosted by a Japanese gentleman who is only too happy to answer in English your questions about the rail system:   https://jprail.com/travel-informations/fare-calculation.html […]

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