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. cindy says:
    March 12, 2015 at 7:02 am

    hi, we wish to fly return/ to Osaka on may 3o arriving 31 May, we wish to go Shirakawa-go houses and visit the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine route, I know I can buy 5 days Takayama-Hokuriku tourist pass but it does not cover shinkansen. it take me extra 2 hrs Osaka to Tateyama and to Nagoya.

    Could you please suggest a pass that can best used for my travel plan? Does JR pass 7 days cover all? but if I only use for this part seems not worthwhile, how about JR pass west combines with regular ticket?

    Can I pass ticket on shinkasen for Osaka to Tateyama from Osaka train station? then I only activste my tourist pass when I return t to kanazawa from Tateyama?

    • Takeshi / JPRail says:
      March 12, 2015 at 7:29 pm

      Hi Cindy,

      First of all, Takayama-Hokuriku Tourist Pass does not cover Tateyama. Even the segment between Kanazawa and Toyama is not cover by this pass. You can use this pass for getting Kanazawa and Shirakawago from Osaka. But you cannot use it to get Tateyama from Kanazawa.

      JR Pass 7 days is way too much for your trip. Tateyama Hokuriku pass + single fare is much better choice. As you know, Shirakawago can be accessed from both Takayama (via Nagoya) and Kanazawa. In trip time, Kanazawa route is much shorter than Nagoya-Takayama route. If you want to go to Nagoya, I understand you want to take Shinkansen. But if you want to go to Shirakawago and Tateyama, Nagoya is not important.

      If you can complete Osaka-Shirakawago-Tateyama/Kurobe-Osaka in 5 days, you can use Takayama-Hokuriku pass and adding single fare for Kanazawa-Toyama-Tateyama/Kurobe. This is the best option for you.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

  2. Ellyn says:
    March 11, 2015 at 4:58 am

    Hello Takeshi,

    We are 2 adults and 2 kids travelling from Narita Airport – Nagano – Tokyo – Narita.

    The whole trip is 7 days however we’re thinking of purchasing the 5 days JR EAST rail pass and just to use it to cover the shinkansen Narita-Nagano, Nagano-Tokyo, Tokyo- Narita, and the other 2 days use it for Disneyland and just general sightseeing around Tokyo. It will cost me AUD1000 for all of us with the JR EAST as one of my kids is 12 years old and considered as an adult.

    My question is, is it worthwhile to get the JR EAST or would it be cheaper to get individual tickets?

    Thanks so much for your help!

  3. Raymond says:
    March 10, 2015 at 4:47 am

    Hi Takeshi

    My family (2 adults + 2 children) will be traveling to JP during Easter holiday. Need some advice on traveling by rail please, and if it is worthwhile buying JP Rail passes.

    Our plans are
    1) 4 days in Tokyo – will like to do a day tour, Disney land, some city based sight seeing and maybe a day tour to Mt Fuji
    2) 2 days in Kyoto and surrounding areas
    3) 2 days in Osaka and surrounding areas
    4) 2 days in Nagoya and surrounding areas, could move the Mt Fuji day tour here from Tokyo
    5) back to Tokyo

    Thanks in advance.

  4. Amika says:
    March 8, 2015 at 9:06 am

    Hi, Takeshi.

    I will be travelling to Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo next month. Can you kindly advise whether it would be practical for me to get a JR Pass? My itinerary is as below:

    1. Day 1 – arrive Kansai Airport, Osaka Tour
    2. Days 2 to 3 – go around Kyoto
    3. Day 4 – Shinkansen to Tokyo
    4. Days 5 – travel to Mt Fuji
    5. Day 6 – Travel to Hakone
    6. Day 7 – Travel to Tateyama Kurobe
    7. Day 8 – Disneysea
    8. Day 9 – Go around Tokyo
    9. Day 10 – Narita express to Narita Airport.

    Thank you so much for your help.

    – Amika

  5. MiraNova says:
    March 6, 2015 at 8:21 pm

    Hi, Takeshi.

    I will be travelling to Tokyo and Osaka next month. Can you kindly advise whether it would be practical for me to get a JR Pass? My itinerary is below:

    1. Day 1 – arrive Haneda airport
    2. Days 2 to 5 – go around Tokyo
    3. Day 6 – Shinkansen to Osaka
    4. Days 7 and 8 – travel to Nara and Kyoto
    5. Day 9 – Shinkansen to Tokyo

    I need to go back to Tokyo from Osaka since my exit flight is from Haneda.

    Thanks in advance.

  6. Mr. Robert says:
    March 2, 2015 at 1:31 pm

    Takeshi-san:
    We have hotel reservations in Kanazawa 2-5 May. I know this is “Golden Week” so everything will be very busy and crowded. However, we want to buy 2 tickets on the new Hokuriku Line departing from and returning to Tokyo Station. Questions:
    (1) Do we have to wait until 2 April before we can buy tickets?
    (2) What would you recommend is the best way to get the tickets?
    (3) We will be arriving in Okinawa on 23 April—questions:
    (a) Because it is Golden Week do you think that is too late to wait to buy tickets?
    (b) Can we buy tickets for the shinkansen while we are in Okinawa??
    Your answers to these questions will be most helpful. Thank you—Mr. Robert

    • Takeshi / JPRail says:
      March 2, 2015 at 4:19 pm

      Hi Robert san,

      1) Yes. Tickets will be on sale one month before.
      2) Just try to book it as soon as possible.
      3a) It’s hard to say. Especially Hokuriku Shinkansen will be popular just after open. Usually Shinkansen is not hard to book even for golden week.
      3b) There are only two places in Okinawa, JR Kyushu Okinawa branch and Nippon Travel Agency Okinawa branch. You can find the location in google map below:
      https://goo.gl/maps/mR5J5
      https://goo.gl/maps/8Y0dB

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

  7. Wai Yee says:
    February 25, 2015 at 3:56 pm

    Hi,

    I will be staying near Oshiage Station, from Friday til Tuesday (depart to Narita Airport Terminal 2). For the few days, I will be planning to go to places like Ueno Park, Skytree, and surrounding area in Tokyo to check out sakura. We are travelling 2 young children. Will it be good to buy JR Pass or daily ticket or per trip ticket.

    Thank you.

  8. Yuki says:
    February 23, 2015 at 7:22 pm

    Hi Takeshi,

    I have been reading your posts to plan my trip to Japan in 2 months, but I am still really confused as to if I should purchase a JR Rail Pass.

    Day 1 – Arrive in Japan -> Travel to/ stay in Ginza Tokyo
    Day 2 – Explore Ginza & Akihabara
    Day 3 – Gotemba -> Hakone Yumoto
    Day 4 – Hakone Yumoto -> Shinjuku
    Day 5 – 13 Will most likely explore places in Tokyo for the rest of the trip

    Based on this, do you think a JR Rail Pass is necessary?
    As this is my first time to Japan is there any suggestions/changes you would make to the itinerary?

    Thank you so much for you help.

    -Yuki

  9. Fong Mee Lan says:
    February 17, 2015 at 5:45 pm

    Hello Takeshi

    Greetings to you and hope you are doing well. I will be travelling to Japan next month and I would like to seek your advice whether should I buy the 7 day JR Rail pass or single tickets.

    My itinerary is as follow :

    22/3/15 – Osaka
    23/3/15 & 24/3/15 – Kyoto
    25/3/15 – Takayama (to visit Shirakawago by joining a half day tour)
    26/3/15 to 28/3/15 – Tokyo
    29/3/15 – Narita
    30/3/15 – Home

    If I get the JR Rail pass, I will only activate it on 23/3/2015. I am a bit worried about travelling from Kyoto to Takayama and from Takayama to Tokyo as it involves changing trains at different towns/stations with limited window period to rush for the connecting trains. I will only be reaching Tokyo late at night and I still need to find my way to my lodging in Asakusa. I have also checked alternative transport (by bus) which is cheaper and less complicated but I not sure on their reliability and the traffic involved. Do you think I should get any other pass for the 2 days I will be travelling around Tokyo?

    Hope you can advise me on this, appreciate it very much.

    Thank you.

    Regrds
    Fong

  10. Denise says:
    February 8, 2015 at 11:52 pm

    Hi

    i’ll be travelling to Hokkaido in May for a week.
    Would it be better for me to buy the 4-day flexible JR pass or to purchase single trip tickets.

    Day 1 – New Chitose Airport to Sapporo on the first day.
    Day 5 – Toya to Hakodate (JR)
    Day 7 – Hakodate to Sapporo
    Day 9 – Sapporo to New Chitose Airpore

    • Takeshi / JPRail says:
      February 9, 2015 at 1:07 am

      Hi Denise,

      Single fare is slightly cheaper than 4 days flex pass. But the difference is roughly 2000 yen. If you want to have easy trip, flex pass is much easier to handle. If you are very sensitive with budget, go for single tickets.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

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