For non JR pass travellers. Guide to use JR single ticket, basic rules, validity and stopover

Fare table
2013.07.04
This is not a regular JR ticket but a typical JR train ticket looks like this.

I have received many inquiries about Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka one way trip. I always recommend to use a regular ticket for this one way long distance train ride, such as from Tokyo to Kyoto, from Osaka to Tokyo. Because this one way trip is not enough to get the worth of JR Pass 7-day. I have written the post about the fare calculation before.

Guide to plan your trip. Fare Calculation
This post explains you the information about the fare calculation of the trains in Japan.
jprail.com
2010.08.29

But I think this post was not enough to explain the fare rule. JR single ticket rule is very complicated for the tourists from oversea. But you do not need to know everything. If you understand some basic rules, single ticket is more useful and it gives you a trip at more affordable rate.

In this post, I will show you some basic rules of the regular ticket for the long distance train ride and how to use and purchase it.

How to purchase it

Simply you can purchase it at the station. If you make a short distance trip in the city or city to just outside city, you can purchase a ticket at the vending machine.

e.g.
Ueno to Tokyo (inside city)
Tokyo to Yokohama (city to just outside place)
Osaka to Universal City (inside city)
Osaka to Kyoto (city to outside place)

If you make a long distance trip, you still can buy a ticket at the vending machine. But the ticket window may be easier to purchase a long distance ticket for the foreign travelers. Especially if you intend to make a stopover on the way, you have to buy a ticket at the ticket window. Because you have to explain your trip plan.

If you want to take a limited express train, you have to purchase a limited express surcharge ticket too. Even if you want to take a non reserved seat on a limited express train, you have to purchase it. You can purchase both a reserved and a non reserved ticket for a limited express (the Shinkansen as well) at “Midori no Madoguchi”. Midori no Madoguchi is the name of JR reservation ticket window. You can purchase a base fare ticket at Midori no Madoguchi too. Please get the detail about reservation at the post below.

How to reserve a seat of Japan Railway trains at the station and online
Japanese train seat reservation is a bit tricky. The online reservation is very limited and you have to book it in most cases. This post explains you how to manage the booking.
jprail.com
2009.12.30

In the case of purchasing both base fare ticket and limited express surcharge ticket, you can purchase it in advance. An express surcharge ticket is on sale one month prior to a departure date.

e.g.
Tokyo to Kyoto travel on Dec 1
You can purchase the tickets after Nov 1.

You also can purchase the tickets at any JR stations if you buy both base fare and limited express surcharge at same time. For example, if you start to travel from Tokyo station, you can purchase it at Narita airport station on the day of arrival.

Base fare ticket can be purchased at any JR stations where station staff is on duty. There are many station without station staffs in remote area. In major cities and major stations, there are station staff. Even if you take a train at the station without station staff, you can purchase it from the conductor in the train.

How to get a fare

You can use Hyperdia to get the fare quite easily.

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
Click to enlarge.
Click to enlarge.

As you see above capture image of Hyperdia, you can get base fare and seat fare (includes surcharge). In this image, total fare is the following:

Base fare – 9560 yen
Shinkansen Nozomi (Tokyo – Shin-Osaka) – 5740 yen (reserved seat)
Ltd Exp Haruka (Shin-Osaka – Kansai airport) – 820 yen (reserved seat)
Total – 16120 yen

*The above image was captured in 2013. The fare was raised in April l, 2014 because of consumer tax was increased to 8% from 5%. The actual fare is different from the fare in the image above.

The price of Japan Rail Pass 7 days ordinary is 28300 yen. (New price is 29110 yen.) Total single fare is more than 10000 yen cheaper than 7 days pass price. This is the reason why I recommend to use single fare for Tokyo – Osaka one way transfer.

Validity

Please see the above capture image of Hyperdia again. You also can find a distance at Hyperdia. This is a key to use single ticket. Actually long distance ticket can be used in multiple days.

DistanceValid days
101 – 200 km2 days
201 – 400 km3 days
401 – 600 km4 days
601 – 800 km5 days
801 – 1000 km6 days
  • From 1001 km and up, add 1 day every 200 km.
  • If you travel more than 101 km but it is in Tokyo or Osaka zone only, ticket valid in one day only.

So in above capture image, distance is 613.4km. This ticket valid in 5 days.

Stopover

You can stopover as many as you want. Of course you cannot go back. Once you start to travel, you have to go forward. You have to care only one thing. When you depart/arrive to travel at the following areas, you cannot stopover in same areas.

  • Sapporo
  • Sendai
  • Tokyo 23 wards
  • Tokyo Yamanote line
  • Yokohana
  • Nagoya
  • Kyoto
  • Osaka
  • Kobe
  • Hiroshima
  • Kitakyushu
  • Fukuoka

These areas are same as city limit. I show you some examples.

1. Above ticket (Tokyo – Kansai Airport)
You can NOT – Stopover at anywhere in Tokyo 23 wards. For example, after you start to travel from Tokyo, you cannot stopover at Shinagawa.
You can – Stopover at Kyoto, Osaka and anywhere outside of Tokyo 23 wards.
By the way, you can start to travel from anywhere in Tokyo 23 wards.

2. Ticket from Narita airport to Osaka
You can NOT – Stopover at anywhere in Osaka city. For example, you cannot stopover at Shin-Osaka. Once you exit at any stations in Osaka city, your ticket will be expired right away.
You can – Stopover at Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya and anywhere outside of Osaka city.
By the way, when you travel through Tokyo downtown core, ticket will be calculated by the shortest route. For example, most typical route from Narita to Osaka via Tokyo, via Tokyo station and Shinagawa station. But if you want to go to Osaka via Akihabara and Shinjuku, you can take this route and stopover.

But in case of using limited express, you have to purchase limited express surcharge ticket for each segments.
ex) Tokyo – Osaka trip, stopover at Nagoya.
You have to purchase two Shinkansen tickets, Tokyo – Nagoya Shinkansen surcharge ticket and Ngoya – Shin-Osaka surcharge ticket.

Sample ideas

Please see above capture image of Hyperdia again. If you use this ticket, you can do the following itinerary.

Day 1 Tokyo – Kyoto (Stopover at Kyoto)
Day 2 Kyoto (no use single ticket)
Day 3 Kyoto – Osaka (Stopover at Osaka)
Day 4 One day trip to Kobe (purchase another single ticket.)
Day 5 Osaka – Kansai airport

When you arrive in Tokyo, you can use other deals, such as Suica & N’ex. And you have 5 days after you finish to see Tokyo. If you add Suica & N’ex one way ticket, total amount is 19620 yen. It is about 9000 yen cheaper than JR Pass 7 days.

I believe this is the perfect solution for Tokyo – Osaka one way travellers.

Comments

  1. Jane says:
    July 5, 2016 at 9:06 pm

    Hi, dear,
    I need to go from Hakone to Kyoto. Then stay in Kyoto for 2 nights, then go to Osaka for 1 night, and leave Osaka kensai airport. Pls advise what is the best travel ticketing option. Thanks,
    Jane

  2. susan says:
    June 16, 2016 at 6:25 pm

    hi,

    What is the best advice you can give to us for our trip this June? Is this advisable not to purchase JR Pass?
    june 26 fukuoka to hiroshima (how much more or less fare for bullet train)
    june 27 hiroshima to osaka(how much more or less fare for bullet train)
    june 28 osaka to kyoto
    june 29 kobe
    june 30 kansai

  3. Dee says:
    June 11, 2016 at 3:25 pm

    Hello:

    Any suggestions for Tokyo to Hiroshima with a stop in Kyoto for a day, with overnight in Kyoto or Osaka, then Hiroshima the next day, back to Tokyo that night (fast two-day trip total)? One family in our party of 15 arrived in Tokyo last night without their JR Rail Passes.

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      June 11, 2016 at 9:22 pm

      Hi Dee,

      First of all, there is no deals available other than JR Pass. Only single fare is your choice. But if you purchase round trip ticket to Hiroshima, you can make a stopover at Kyoto. And also you will get long distance round trip 10% off for both ways. This applies to base fare only. You have to pay regular amount for Shinkansen surcharge, Tokyo-Kyoto, Kyoto-Hiroshima and Hiroshima-Tokyo.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  4. Ellie Ng says:
    June 4, 2016 at 1:41 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    I’m planning to travel from:
    12 July – Osaka to Kyoto (Stopover)
    14 July – Hakone (Stopover)
    15 July – Tokyo Disneyland

    Is it advisable to purchase 1 way ticket from Namba Subway (12 July) to Maihama (15 July), so there are 2 stopovers in Kyoto and Hakone?

    Thank you

    Cheers,
    Ellie

  5. Ellie Ng says:
    June 4, 2016 at 12:36 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    I’m planning to travel from Kyoto to Hakone (Stay 1 night) then onwards to Tokyo Disneyland.

    Do you think I can buy a one way ticket which covers the travel from Kyoto to Maihama ticket?

    Thank you

    Cheers,
    Ellie

  6. B2 says:
    June 1, 2016 at 8:19 pm

    Hello Takeshi,

    I have the following itinerary. Tokyo = > Kyoto (Shinkansen Nozomi) => Kansai Airport (Litd. exp Haruka 37) Ticket works for my case? When I purchase the ticket, should i select the departure date of June 22 when i depart from Tokyo?
    What’s the economic way to purchase tickets for this case? Thanks.

    Jun 22 – From Tokyo to Kyoto
    Jun 26 – From Kyoto to Osaka (Namba station)
    Jun 26 – From Osaka (Namba station) to Osaka (Amami station)
    Jun 27 – From Osaka (Amami station) to Osaka (Osaka-Abenobashi)
    Jun 29 – From Osaka to Kansai airport

    Thanks.

  7. eileen says:
    May 22, 2016 at 12:25 am

    HI we are a family of 4 and JR passes gets very expenise
    we are going to Drive Hakone/Kyoto
    If we bough a standard ticket Kyoto/Narita – could be stop in Shinjku overnight? If we can then use to get to Narita the next day I am thinking this Is economical. The JYB travel agent in Australia told me you could not break up a single far ticket but your information indicates otherwise appreaciate the advice
    Thanks

  8. Shreya says:
    May 20, 2016 at 12:29 pm

    Hi — We will be landing in Osaka and spending a few days in kyoto, then to nagoya, then to fuji area and then to tokyo. In kyoto and tokyo, will want access to subways lines to get around. is it best to by JR pass or one way tickets?

  9. Jaron says:
    May 20, 2016 at 12:24 am

    Hi Takeshi. I do not quite understand how to get a single trip ticket. Maybe you can assist me.

    24-27 May: Osaka
    27 May: Leaving Osaka to Kyoto
    28 May: Kyoto
    29 May: Leaving Kyoto to Tokyo

    I checked Hyperdia and they offered me Limited Express train from Osaka to Kyoto and Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo for ¥13940 (unreserved seats). Is this worth it?

    Also, is there a need for reserved seats for both trains or will unreserved be enough?

    My initial plan was to buy two separate tickets:
    – JR Special Rapid Service from Osaka to Kyoto
    – Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      May 20, 2016 at 6:31 am

      Hi Jaron,

      You don’t need to take limited express train to Kyoto from Osaka. As you think, special rapid is okay because it’s only 30 minutes ride. And you can take the train by just base fare ticket.

      For Kyoto to Tokyo, I recommend you to use reserved seat. You may be able to get a seat on non reserved car. But if you travel with someone, it will be hard to find the seat side by side. If you want to save the cost, non reserved seat is okay but not very recommended.

      You can purchase two separate ticekt. In ticket rule, you can use one base fare ticket but it does not give you any saving.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  10. Emilie says:
    May 5, 2016 at 12:54 pm

    Hello Takeshi,

    Is it possible to use the Narita Express train as a part of one of these long distance stopover itineraries? I see that N’EX is included in a JR rail pass, but without a JR rail pass, would I be able to do something like:

    Buy Narita – Kyoto base fare ticket
    Travel Narita – Odawara (using N’EX and Shinkansen)
    Then travel Odawara – Kyoto (Shinkansen)

    Hyperdia lumps the N’EX and Shinkansen base prices together, so I’m hopeful. I know there will be added seat fees for each leg of course.

    Thank you!

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      May 5, 2016 at 10:09 pm

      Hi Emilie,

      You can do it. As you think, you will purchase one base fare ticket for Narita airport to Kyoto, three limited express ticket, Narita Express for Narita to Shinagawa, Shinkansen ticket for Shinagawa to Odawara and Odawara to Kyoto. Shinagawa is better to transfer than Tokyo. It’s much easier.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

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