Guide to plan your trip. Fare Calculation

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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:

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.

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. Hi Takeshi,
    We need your advise.
    5 of us are planning to visit japan 18/12/2015 until 02/01/2016.

    Itinerary:
    18/12 to 22/12 tokyo
    22/12-23/12 aomori
    23/12-26/12 tomamu resort, hokkaido
    26/12 go back to aomori
    27/12 to kyoto
    27/12-29/12 kyoto
    29/12-02/01 osaka

    Is the JR pass for 7 days suitable for us to cover the journey.?
    Thank you

  2. Sammi Tan says:

    Dear Takeshi,

    Below is my Itinerary, can you please advise me for the transportation? And roughly how much I need to spend on transportation? for certain places by bus or by train? Need to purchase JR pass or not?

    Day 1 Haneda airport (10.30pm reach)
    Day 2 Tokyo to Kyoto
    Day 3 Kyoto to Osaka (universal studio), osaka back to kyoto
    Day 4 Kyoto
    Day 5 Kyoto to Hakone
    Day 6 Hakone to Tokyo
    Day 7 Tokyo
    Day 8 Tokyo
    Day 9 Tokyo
    Day 10 Tokyo to Haneda airport(11.45pm back)

    Thanks
    Sammi

  3. robin says:

    Hi,pls advise for my itineraries on which type of passes suit best..thks
    Day 1 arrived at KIX airport to Namba
    Day 2 USJ (whole day)
    Day 3 Namba to Kyoto (back to Osaka)
    Day 4 same as day 3
    Day 5 Osaka castle,shinsheki area
    Day 6 Nara, Osaka aquarium

  4. jon h says:

    I plan to travel with my wife from tokyo to osaka (i also plan to visit kyoto). as we may fly out of osaka on the way to manila, how much is a one-way fare bullet train fare from tokyo to osaka? will it be advisable to buy a kansai pass?

  5. Nicole says:

    Hi, Takeshi,

    I have re-plan my Itinerary, can please advise on the transportation? And roughly how much I need to spend on transportation?

    Day 1 – Kansai to Kyoto – staying near Karasuma Station, visit
    Day 2 – Kyoto sightseeing – Visit Arashiyama, Kinkaku-ji, Gion, Kiyomizu Temple
    Day 3 – Kyoto to Nara – Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine in the morning on the way to Nara
    Day 4 – Kyoto to Osaka – staying near Namba Station, Visit Den Den Town, Namba Park
    Day 5 – Osaka to Universal Studios
    Day 6 – Osaka sightseeing – Visit Osaka Musuem Housing & Living, Shitennoji Temple, Osaka Castle, Sumiyhoshi-Taisha Shrine
    Day 7 – Osaka to Kobe – Day trip to Kobe
    Day 8 – Osaka to Kansai Airport

    Thank you.
    Nicole

  6. Nana says:

    Hi Takeshi,

    Came across your site, and it’s really wonderful to have so much helpful advise here. Would you be able to help us out by recommending what’s the best and most economical way to travel from Kansai International Airport to Kyoto, from Kyoto to Kobe, and from Kobe back to Osaka Namba Station? Many thanks in advance for your kind help.

    Warmest Regards,
    Nana

  7. Eric Yeo says:

    Hello Takeshi,

    Thank you for the info oaths website. However, I’m still quite confuse on the ticket purchasing and how to fully utilise the JR pass.

    I’m travelling from Singapore to Tokyo on 2nd November and plan to travel to Kyoto on the 8th and then Osaka on the 9th before flying back to Singapore on either 11th or 12th November.

    As my trip will be mainly focused on traveling around Tokyo to nearby attractions such as Disneyland, Mount Fuji, Shinjuku, Asakusa etc, while the purchasing the JR pass be better than getting single fare tickets? I understand that you can get around Tokyo via Metro which is not covered under JR pass. Hence I’m not sure which is the better option.

    For mt trip from Tokyo to Osaka with a stopover at Kyoto, if I travel using the JR pass, can I stopover at Kyoto for a night before resuming my trip to Osaka? If not, should I purchase single way train ticket?

    Thank you,
    Eric

  8. Hannah says:

    Hi Takeshi

    Thanks for the info on the single tickets. I hadn’t realised this was possible and one of our party has temporary working visa so would not be eligible for JR pass anyway.

    If we booked the single fare tickets do you have to specify which exact trains when booking? Or can we buy the base fare and then buy the express/seat reservations a day or so before?

    I note from hyperdia that its roughly 19,000 yen in each direction which is less than 7 day JR pass. I had also thought another option would be to buy hakone pass to travel to and around odawara, then single fare to Kyoto and once there activate a 7 day JR pass until we return back to Tokyo. Travel in and around Tokyo would be paid for separately. I had worked out this at around 43,000 yen. Do you think the flexibility from JR pass would be better than the single fares above if price is less than 5,000 yen difference?

    Thanks again
    Hannah

    • Hi Hannah,

      You can purchase base fare ticket only at first and then add limited express reserved seat or non reserved seat ticket later.

      It’s a good idea to use 7 days pass from Kyoto to Tokyo via Hiroshima/Miyajima and Osaka. I didn’t realize this way of using JR pass. I think JR pass is better choice than single fare. 5,000 yen difference is not huge for me. As you thought, flexibility is the huge factor. If you start to use JR pass on July 16, you can make a trip to Nara by JR train if you have a time. If you start to use this pass when you depart from Kyoto, you will have two more days of JR pass in Tokyo. You can make day trip outside Tokyo if you want. Once you get a single ticket, it’s hard to change your plan. But JR Pass makes you more comfortable to change your plan in last minutes. 5000 yen difference may be smaller or maybe cheaper than single fare.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

  9. Hannah says:

    Hi – thanks for all the information on your website.

    I will be travelling around Japan in July and wondered if you could advise which tickets we should get. I don’t believe that a 14 day pass would be worthwhile but i’m unsure if we should combine the JR Pass with a regional pass?

    11th July Arrive into Haneda
    12th July Tokyo
    13th July Tokyo
    14th July Tokyo to Odawara (and then buy Hakone free pass)
    15th July Odawara to Kyoto
    16th July Kyoto
    17th July Kyoto
    18th July Kyoto to Hiroshima
    19th July Hiroshima
    20th July Hiroshima to Osaka
    21st July Osaka
    22nd July Osaka to Toyko
    23rd July Tokyo
    24th July Tokyo
    25th July Fly from Haneda

    i think the Hakone pass will be worthwhile as it includes the trip from Tokyo but with the ropewalk closed and us not needing the return part to Tokyo maybe not? We also plan to visit Miyajima whilst in Hiroshima.

    Thanks in advance
    Hannah

    • Hi Hannah,

      As you think, 14 days is too much. If you make one more long trip from Tokyo, like Nikko, Nagano, it may work. Or if you add another place, like Takayama, Kanazawa, it may work too.

      On the other hand, 7 days pass is not fit in your itinerary. If you make Odawara-Kyoto-Hiroshima-Osaka-Tokyo in 7 days, it works. But you will spend 8 days. it does not work too. You can use one long base fare ticket from Odawara to Miyajimaguchi with stopover Kyoto and Hiroshima, and another base fare ticket from Miyajimaguchi to Tokyo with stopover at Hiroshima and Osaka. Please find more info at the link below:
      https://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/for-non-jr-pass-travellers-guide-to-use-jr-single-ticket-basic-rules-validity-and-stopover.html

      And actually you can use 7 days pass without making change your itinerary. That is using overnight train from Himeji to Tokyo. In JR Pass rule, the pass covers until you exit station as long as you are on board. That means, if you catch overnight train before 23:59 on day 7 of the pass, you may get Tokyo without any extra. Sunrise Seto and Izumo runs Izumoshi/Takamatsu to Tokyo. These trains stop at Osaka but it’s after midnight. If you take this train, you have to go back to Himeji. You can find more info about this train at the link below:
      https://jprail.com/trains/sunrise-izumo.html

      I show you this technique in one of my sample itineraries.
      https://jprail.com/destinations/west-japan-7-days-kyoto-hiroshima-and-kyushu.html

      The problem is booking status. If this train is booked out, you have to take the last train to Tokyo on day 7 and find the place to stay in Tokyo. And also there is no way to book online. So you have to book after arrival. It’s very hard to find the availability. It’s risky but I just want to tell you another idea.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

  10. Clary says:

    Hi there,
    My family and I will be going to Japan on July 9th 2015 and Arrive at Kansai Airport on the next day, July 10th.

    Here’s the itinerary:

    Day 1- Osaka
    Day 2- Universal Studios
    Day 3- Osaka-Kyoto-Osaka
    Day 4- Osaka-Tokyo
    Day 5- Disneyland
    Day 6- Disneysea
    Day 7-Tokyo
    Day 8-Mt Fuji
    Day 9- Tokyo
    Day 10- Leaving Japan from Haneda Airport

    Now I have some questions:

    1. Do I need to purchase JR Pass?
    2. If I buy the JR Pass, will I save a lot of money?
    3. What’s the alternative way for transportation if I don’t purchase the JR Pass?

    I’m waiting for your answer. Thank you in advance!

    Cheers,
    Clary.

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