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. Dusit Staworn says:
    February 1, 2017 at 8:30 am

    Hello
    I would like to ask for you kind advice.
    My family , three adult and one 12 years old daugther , will travel in Hokaido between March 5-11, 2017

    March 5, arrived New Chitose airport
    Take the trains to Hakodate
    March 6 ,travel in Hakodate
    March 7, Take the trains from Hagodate to Otaru
    March 8, travel in Otaru
    March 9, Take the train from Otaru to Sapporo
    March 10, travel in Sapporo
    March 11 , Take the train form Sapporo to New Chitose airport
    1) Should I buy JR pass or Single Tickets?
    2) If I buy JR pass , can I use it on super Hokuto train ?
    3)Can I use JR pass on rush hour? I need to take the train on rush hour.

  2. Sam Wong says:
    January 30, 2017 at 6:15 pm

    Hello JR Rail

    I am going to travel Kyushu and looking for your kind advice The literacy are shown below:

    1. Which is the best way to travel? Buying Northern Kyushu area JRPass or Buying ticket for each trip of train?
    Day1, from Hataka to Yufuin
    Day3, from Yufuin to Beppu
    Day6, from Beppu to Hataka
    2. In http://www.hyperdia.com about “Fare + unreserved seat/reserved seat fee”, What is “Green Seat” meaning?

    3. Could I book train services in advance before I arrive Japan? If I cannot book overseas, which moment in advance I book reserved seat ticket is the best?

    Thank you very much for your advice in advance.

    Best Regards

    Sam Wong

  3. Sarah says:
    January 29, 2017 at 12:05 am

    Hello!

    My boyfriend and I will be visiting Tokyo in May. We will only be in the major Tokyo tourist spots and will be using the Narita airport. We are wondering if it’s cheaper to get a JR pass or just use a Suica card to get around, especially since a JR pass will expire before the end of our trip.

  4. Cez manese says:
    January 27, 2017 at 6:56 pm

    Hi! Im planning to do this itinerary; fukuoka- osaka- kyoto- tokyo. Is jr pass advisable? Thank you

  5. Lee Jia Hui says:
    January 16, 2017 at 6:17 am

    Hi,
    My parents and i will be travelling to Japan in July and i can’t decide if i should get the JR pass or just purchase single tickets. We will be staying for 8 days, and the itinerary is:
    1: Narita airport to Tokyo
    2: Tokyo to Mt Fuji
    3: Mt Fuji to Osaka or Mt Fuji to Tokyo, then to Osaka
    4: Osaka to Tokyo
    5: Tokyo to Narita airport

    i found a shinkasen package online that includes return tickets and hotel stay, but the JR pass is really attractive since i’ll be doing some travelling within Tokyo as well… Could you check my itinerary and give me some advice?

    Thank you!
    Jia Hui

  6. Debbie Mayo says:
    January 15, 2017 at 3:20 am

    Greetings Takeshi,

    Perhaps you will be able to advise me on which pass I need to purchase:
    I shall be traveling with my 20 year old daughter, landing at Narita around noon 16/4/16.
    From there would like to go directly to Kanazawa for 2 nights,
    So,
    16/4-18/4 Kanazawa
    18/4-23/4 Kyoto, including day trip to Nara
    23/4-25/4 Neoshima, Teoshima
    25/4-26/4 hakone
    26/4-30/4 Tokyo
    30/4 depart from Narita airport

    Thanking you so much in anticipation of your kind attention to my request.
    Best regards,
    Debbie

  7. Trang LUU says:
    January 2, 2017 at 9:11 am

    Hi,
    Thank you for all your post and advice.
    I would be grateful if you can help my with one question.

    My itinerary is:
    2 days in Tokyo + Nikko + Kamakura +Fujigoko
    then
    4 days in Kyoto
    then
    Day 7 to 12: Kumano Kodo
    Day 13: Back to Osaka from Kii-Katsuura station
    Day 14: Osaka – Nara
    Day 15: Osaka – Hiroshima
    Day 16 : Hiroshima & Mijiyama
    Day 17 – 18: Hiroshima – Beppu (Oita)
    Day 19-20: Beppu – Fukuoka
    The JR Pass (whole country) won’t be the best choice for my first 6 days in Tokyo area and Kyoto area.
    I think that Kansai-Hiroshima Area JR Pass might be a great option for the second half of my trip.I would activate my pass on Day 13, after Kumano Kodo. Then I will use the pass until Hiroshima and Mijiyama (less than 5 days)
    I’ve made some tries on HyperDia website to evaluate my trip cost.
    It seems to me less costly to buy Kansai-Hiroshima Area JR Pass because the Osaka – Hiroshima train is quite expensive. However, I received this warning “The search results below may contain some routes not suitable for Japan Rail Pass. Please make inquiries to railroad companies or travel agencies regarding actual fares, actual seat-fees and whether you are able to use Japan Rail Pass or not”
    So I am not sure that the Kansai Hiroshima Area pass fits my need. That’s why, I would like to have your advice.
    Thank you in advance
    Trang LUU

  8. Matt says:
    December 27, 2016 at 12:02 pm

    Hi,

    I’m trying to figure out if a JR Pass is worth it as my wife and I will be travelling for 2 weeks . We’re a bit nervous as we’ve never traveled internationally before and read that JR Passes are really convenient.

    Travel Itinerary:
    Trip 1 – Narita Airport to Tokyo
    Trip 2 – Tokyo to Tokyo Disney
    Trip 3 – Tokyo Disney to Mt. Fuji (Kawaguchi)
    Trip 4 – Mt. Fuji (Kawaguchi) to Osaka
    Trip 5 – Osaka to Kyoto
    Trip 6 – Kyoto to Tokyo
    Trip 7 – Tokyo to Narita Airport

    Thank you,

  9. Kim says:
    December 22, 2016 at 9:27 pm

    Hi,
    I am trying to decide if I need JR pass or single tickets.
    My 18 year old son and I will be in japan in January 2017 arrive on 6th, in Tokyo and head for Kyoto for 2 nights then to Shikoku to some temples (still working out best spiritual places to visit but start of 88 temple pilgrimage sounds wonderful) before heading to Nazowa Onsen prefer inland route to possibly stop at Magome and Nakatsugawa. Staying 3 nights at Nazowa Onsen then heading to snow monkeys, maybe short visit there, then back to Tokyo, hopefully squeeze in Disneyland before flying out on 18th.
    I am trying to work out best option. A 14 day JR pass even though we only use for probably 7 days out of 14? Or do single train/bus options. JR Pass seems convenient for different options but might not be cost effective for the 12 days we are there especially if we need extra connections not covered by pass.
    I previously found a fare calculator site that you put the itinerary into and it calculated if a JRPass was value for travel plans or not, I think through hyperdia but I can no longer find it.
    Can you offer any advice for me please?
    Thanks, Kim

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      December 22, 2016 at 11:14 pm

      Hi Kim,

      I think 14 days pass will work. But I’m not sure 100%. Because at this point, I (and may be yourself too) cannot find how many times you make train trips in Shikoku.
      But as you think, if you use single fare ticket, you have to prepare many things and will be very inconvenient. JR pass makes your trip be much easier and you will feel comfortable. And also it gives you flexibility too.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  10. Lisa says:
    October 29, 2016 at 4:52 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    My family of 5 people are thinking of buying a 7 day JR pass but we will be here for 8 days. My question is which route is the best from Shibuya to Narita Airport because the JR pass will be expired.

    Reason why I can’t delay using JR pass is because as soon as we arrive at Haneda airport, we are catching a bullet train to Kyoto.

    Itinerary:
    Day 1 – Haneda airport to Kyoto
    Day 3 – Kyoto to Nara to Kyoto
    Day 4 – Kyoto to Tokyo (Shibuya)
    Day 8 – Shibuya to Narita Airport

    Thank you.
    Kind regards,

    Lisa

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