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. Chris says:
    December 3, 2015 at 9:11 pm

    Hi Takeshi,

    Thanks for all the great info on your webpage. I’ve used the JR pass before and found it a great deal. However, I am coming back to Japan for two weeks and I can’t figure out whether it is a good deal. Any thoughts?

    December 8 => land at KIX (Kansai Airport) and take train to Horoshima.
    December 9th=> Miyajima day trip
    December 10=> Hiroshima to Kyoto.
    December 14=> Kyoto to Takayama.
    December 16th=> Takayama to Kanazawa
    December 17=> Kanazawa to Tokyo.
    December 20=>Tokyo to Osaka

    Would the pass actually save me money?
    Thanks,

    Chris

  2. Janet says:
    December 3, 2015 at 6:37 am

    Hi, I’m planning a trip to Hokkaido. This is my itinerary:
    Day 1: Sapporo
    Day 2: Hakodate
    Day 3:noboribetsu
    Day 4:Asahikawa
    Day 5:otaru
    Day 6: Sapporo
    Can you advise me which pass suit my plan. Do I need to buy JR pass. Thanks.

  3. Kuan says:
    November 29, 2015 at 12:10 am

    Hi again,
    Would like to know if I can buy single tickets and reserve seats online?
    Should I be worry that I may not get the tickets and reserved seats for 4 people if I only buy them over the counter on the day itself?
    If not online, can I buy from the airport?
    Is Dec16-Dec21 peak seasons for the places in my itinerary?
    Thank you very much for your great advice.

  4. Kuan says:
    November 28, 2015 at 9:32 am

    Hello! Thanks for the great resources from your site, but I would like to confirm with you which is better for my travel, JR pass or single trip tickets? Here’s my itinerary:
    Day1 – Arrived at New Chitose Hokkaido Airport -> Noboribetsu
    Day2 – to Lake Toya (Day Trip) – what is the best transport?
    Day3 – Noboribetsu -> Asahikawa
    Day4 – Asahikawa -> Biei (Day trip)
    Day5 – Asahikawa -> Otaru
    Day6 – Otaru -> Sapporo
    Day10 – Sapporo -> New Chitose Airport

    Are there services to keep luggages in the airport, as I would like to shop at Chitose Rera Outlet Park when I arrive, and I think I have to go back to the airport to depart to Noboribetsu?

    Thanks in advanced for your advice.

  5. Nattoo says:
    November 27, 2015 at 2:04 pm

    Hello, could you please help me decide if getting a JR Pass is worth it? I have a family of four – three adults, one teenager. Please provide us with some recommendations, as we are not particularly familiar with Japan’s railways.

    16 Dec to 20 Dec – Arrive at Narita airport on 16th Dec, Tokyo sightseeing/accommodation, take a train to Takayama on the 20th (4 nights)

    20 Dec to 22 Dec – Takayama accommodation/sightseeing; take a train to Kanazawa on the 22nd (2 nights)

    22 Dec to 24 Dec – Kanazawa accommodation/sightseeing; take a train to Kyoto on the 24th (2 nights)

    24 Dec to 27 Dec – Kyoto sightseeing/accomodation; take a train to Osaka on the 27th (3 nights)

    27 Dec to 30 Dec – Osaka sightseeing/accommodation; take a train back to Tokyo on the 30th (3 nights)

    30 Dec to 31 Dec – Tokyo sightseeing/accomodation; leave Japan on 31 Dec (1 night)

  6. Angelina Pui says:
    November 20, 2015 at 1:35 am

    Hi there

    I will be traveling with my partner 22nd April 2016. Below is our brief itinerary.
    Day 1 (22 Apr) – Arrive Osaka Kansai Airport night at 9pm.
    Day 2 (23 Apr) – Sightseeing around city.
    Day 3 (24 Apr) – Osaka to Kyoto and sight seeing around
    Day 4 (25 Apr) – Early train from Kyoto to Nagoya and spend the day there
    Day 5 (26 Apr) – Nagoya head to Hakone
    Day 6 (27 Apr) – Sightseeing at Hakone
    Day 7 (28 Apr) – Leave Hakone for Tokyo
    Day 8 (29 Apr) – Sightseeing around Tokyo
    Day 9 (30 Apr) – Shopping around Tokyo
    Day 10 (1 May) – One full day in Disneysea
    Day 11 (2 May) – Leave for Haneda Airport in the late afternoon

    My question is, is it more worthwhile to get JR Rail pass or to buy a single ticket? I read some information on single ticket which I could stop over as long as I don’t go back but I think the validity of single ticket for stopover from Osaka Airport all the way to Tokyo is only valid for 4-5days? (the last i check it showed 400-500km) I tried the hyperdia website for single fares however there are various prices available for same destination and thus I am having difficulties trying to figure out which one is more value for money. Appreciate your comment on what would be the best value for money train tickets? Also, based on my itinerary, does it mean I will only need the Tokaido shinkansen? Do I get Nozomi train for shortest travel time?
    Thank you in advance for your comments.

  7. ayu says:
    November 17, 2015 at 7:04 pm

    hi,
    i’ll be arrived at haneda airport on 26 nov 15 and will be staying at yokohama until 1 dec 15. i am planning to travelling around tokyo. what are the routes and pass that i can buy?

  8. Ganesh says:
    November 17, 2015 at 8:15 am

    Hello Takeshi,
    I am bit confused abt the type of passes I have to buy. Let me put my itenary here,can you plz suggest me the best pass(es) which suit me well?Plz note trip starts on Nov 20.
    Nov 20.Landing in Narita by 6.30 PM ; 2. Travel to Asakusa ; Stay at Asaskusa
    Nov 21.Asakusa to Hakuba (Asakusa-Tokyo-Matsumoto (all by train);then from Matsumoto to Hakuba by express bus).Stay at hakuba
    Nov22.Hakuba to Omachi – Alpene route (Ogizawa-murodo-ogizawa)Stay at hakuba
    Nov 23.Hakuba to Takayama (If time permits,go for shirakawago trip);Stay at Takayama
    Nov 24.Shinhotaka Ropeway – Takayama to Kyoto – Stay at kyoto
    Nov 25 – Kyoto sightseeing-Stay at kyoto
    Nov 26 – Kyoto sightseeing;Stay at kyoto
    Nov 27 – Kyoto sightseeing;then travel to tokyo ; stay at Tokyo (koto-ku)
    Nov 28 Mt.Fuji tour (Mt.Hakone) – Stay at Tokyo
    Nov 29 – Tokyo sightseeing – Imperial palace,Rikugien Garden, Koishikawa Korakuen Garden ,Skytree – Stay at Tokyo (koto-ku)
    Nov 30- Early morning – Tokyo (koto-ku) to Narita

    Also, is there any baggage size limit that we can carry in buses/trains ?

  9. Amber says:
    November 15, 2015 at 2:06 am

    I’m going to travel from fukuoka to tokyo on 3rd January2016 early in the morning by using JR pass . And the only train i could use is hikari and then sakura at shin osaka. Is it possible for me to take nozomi ? How much is the surcharge if i take nozomi ? I want to reach tokyo as fast as possible because there will be a concert at budokan in chiyoda . May I know Which station will the sakura train stop at once i reach tokyo ? Tokyo station ?

  10. James says:
    November 13, 2015 at 11:24 pm

    Hello! I’m trying to work out whether I should buy the rail pass… I need to go from Osaka airport to Kyoto. Then from Kyoto to Tokyo. Then I am visiting an onsen near Jomokogen. Is it worth it to get the pass..? Or just buy individual tickets?

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      November 13, 2015 at 11:41 pm

      Hi James,

      Single ticket is cheaper but if you go back to Tokyo after Jomokogen and complete whole part of your trip, Osaka-Kyoto-Tokyo-Jomokogen-Tokyo in 7 days, 7 days JR pass is cheaper.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

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