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

Fare table
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.

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.

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.

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. Maritza L. says:

    Hi there! First I’d like to say thank you for such detailed and useful information!

    We are travelling to Japan for 15 days from April 28-May 13 (I didn’t realize it will be Golden Week… a little worried about that!) We had planned to get the 7-day JR pass as we wanted to visit the Kansai region, but wanted to confirm it is not a waste of money. Our plan is:
    Tokyo -> Hakone -> Kyoto -> Nara (day trip) ->Osaka->Nagoya (to travel the alpine route)->Tokyo for another couple of days.

    Is it cheapest to do this with the JR pass? We will activate from Hakone to Kyoto, as I understand it cannot cover Tokyo to Hakone.

    Initially we wanted to do Sapporo after spending a few days in Tokyo, but I’m starting to think that’s a little too ambitious!

    Any guidance you can provide will be much appreciated, as I know lodging will be expensive during our dates so we’re trying to save a bit on transportation.

    Thanks so much!

  2. ems says:

    Hi Takeshi,

    Saw this post after more than a week of reading itinerary for our japan tour but we only have 5 days. We will arive in manila-Osaka the going back is narita manila can you give us itinerary on this if we want to explore kyoto osaka and tokyo. but we are not going disneyland

    Can advise me also on the jr pass or the transportation because im having a hard time researching for this

    hope to hear from you soon

    thankyou

    Ems

    • Hi Ems,

      JR Pass is too expensive for your trip. Please see the link below:
      https://jprail.com/sample-itineraries/7days/basic-itinerary-of-osaka-kyoto-and-tokyo-in-7-days.html

      This is 7 days itinerary but you have only 5 days. So you have to give up some part of this itinerary. It depends on which city you want to see most.

      I think one night in Osaka, one night in Kyoto and two nights in Tokyo is most common choice.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

      • em says:

        Hi Takeshi,

        sorry to trouble you again this is the final itinerary

        Arrived tokyo 10:45am march 6 so we atay 2 nyts there then we 1 nyt osaka then kyoto we can go nara is it?

        from tokyo to osaka which pass we are going to take..

        then in osaka the kind of pass and same as kyoto..

        thankyou so much for the help..

        regards

        em

        • Hi Emz,

          You have left message at this post and other post. So please leave one of these.
          And please let me know your location to stay. I’m not sure you stay in Kyoto and go to Nara and Osaka, or stay in Osaka and go to Nara and Kyoto. I need these info before I reply your inquiry.

          Cheers,

          Takeshi / JPRail.com

  3. Etlin says:

    Hi Takeshi,
    We plan to visit japan in April 2017 and here is our itinerary:
    4/1 arrived tokyo through narita
    4/1- 4/6 tokyo
    4/6-4/7 hakone
    4/7-4/10 kyoto
    4/10-4/13 osaka
    4/13 KIX
    We want to buy hakone 2 days pass as of 4/6 at shinjuku than single ticket from odawara -kyoto. Kansai 3 days pass during in kyoto. Since on 4/12 we visit universal studio japan, we plan to buy single ticket. Do we need kansai 2 days pass from kyoto to osaka on 4/10? Is it okay if we use only kansai pass in kyoto and osaka?
    Thanks

  4. Fransiscus says:

    Hi Takeshi San,

    I plan to visit Osaka for 1-2 days, Kyoto for 2 days, and Tokyo for another 3 days (my flight to Osaka and Tokyo are fixed, 7 days apart from 1st Dec – 7 Dec 2017).

    May I know whether it’s best to buy base fare ticket from Kansai Airport – Tokyo directly or from Osaka – Tokyo?

    Is there any place you suggest to visit between Osaka – Tokyo for my trip?

    Thanks!

  5. Diana says:

    Hi Takeshi, thank you so muchfor the info you wrote.
    We will have our first time in Japan this month and we need your advice.
    We will stay for two days in Elsereine Hotel in Osaka, and We plan to travel to Tokyo (Roppongi) by train. We don’t plan to buy JR Weeky Pass for tourists as we will only do Osaka and Tokyo.
    Could you advice us on how to get to tokyo from our hotel without JR Pass?

    Many many thanks in advance.

    Best,
    Diana

  6. Nathalie says:

    Dear Takeshi,

    I would really appreciate some advice on our below itinerary in regards to what transport is best to take for each destination. I am quite overwhelmed and confused with all the information online…

    From 24th Dec to 28th, hotel is in Namba, Osaka; 28-29 Hakone; 29 to 2nd jan Tokyo-

    24th dec- fly into Kansai, Osaka
    25th- day trip to Kobe
    26th- day trip to Kyoto
    27th- day trip to Kyoto
    28th- leave osaka in the early morning to travel to Hakone, staying in a ryokan overnight in Hakone
    29th- leave Hakone late afternoon for Shinjuku, tokyo
    30th – tokyo
    31st- tokyo
    1st jan- Tokyo
    2nd jan- Fly out of Narita airport midday

    I was initially thinking that it is better for us to travel from osaka to tokyo first then buy the odakyu 2 day hakone pass with return to Shinjuku, however I now think it is best for us to simply travel from osaka to odawara directly and purchase the hakone 2 day pass there? it will be cheaper and saves travelling time for us? i read your other post about the fuji hakone 2 day pass which can only be purchased in Shinjuku, however as we do not plan to visit the fuji 5 lakes area but only the hakone loop, going directly from
    Osaka to Odawara is better?

    Thank you very much for your time in reading my post. I really look forward to your suggestions.

    • Hi Nathalie,

      Trip to Odawara from Osaka is better idea if you think about trip time and cost. If you go to Tokyo first, cost and trip time is higher. But you leave most of your luggage in Shinjuku station and pack small for the trip to Hakone. It makes your trip be much easier.

      If luggage is not your issue, you can go to Odawara and purchase Hakone Free Pass there. And you may add single fare for Odawara to Shinjuku. If you intend to take limited express, “Romancecar”, you can book your seat and purchase single ticket for Odawara to Shinjuku when you purchase Hakone Free Pass at Odawara station.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

      • Nathalie says:

        Thank you so much Takeshi! This is most helpful.

        • No worries, Nathalie.

          Cheers,

          Takeshi / JPRail.com

        • Nathalie says:

          Hi Takeshi,

          In regards to the first 4 days of my trip where my accomodation is in Osaka:

          24th dec- fly into Kansai, Osaka at 9am, explore Namba, Dotonburi and surroundings
          25th- day trip to Kobe and Himeji castle
          26th- day trip to Kyoto- Nishiri market, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Tenryu-ji Temple
          27th- day trip to Kyoto- Fushimi Inari Shrine ,Tofuku-ji, Gion area

          Would you recommend i get a tourist pass and which one will be the best? I have read about the Kansai 3 day thrupass Y5200 or the JRwest 4 day rail pass at Y6300?

          Do you think it will be cheaper for me to get one of the passes instead of paying all trips seperately or maybe a bus one day pass is better?

          thank you so much!

  7. adib-chan says:

    Hi Takeshi san,

    I would like to seek your advice regarding which pass suitable for my trip in Japan next year FEB.
    Below is our itinerary :

    16 Feb – Arrived in Haneda (night)
    17 Feb – City tour
    – Tokyo (Asakusa, Ueno, Akihabara, etc)
    18 Feb – Kawaguchi Lake
    19 Feb – City tour
    – Tokyo – Shibuya, Harajuku, Meiji Shrine etc
    20 Feb – Depart to Kyoto
    – Nishiki market, Pontocho, Gion,
    21 Feb – Day trip Arashiyama, Kinkakuji
    – Bamboo forest, kinkakuji temple, toei studio park
    22 Feb – Day trip from Kyoto to Shiga
    – Lake Biwa, Makino
    23 Feb – Depart from Kyoto to Osaka
    – Osaka (Osaka castle, Tennoji park, shitennoji temple
    24 Feb – Day trip to Kobe
    – Mt. Rokki, arima onsen
    25 Feb – Osaka tour
    – Dotonbori, shinsaibashi suji, Osaka living museum
    26 Feb – Flight back home from Kansai airport

    1. Is it worth it if we take JR PASS or single ticket is better option?
    2. If we take JR pass, Hikari was included so we can use it from Tokyo to Kyoto rite but from my understanding JR pass more worth it if you have return trip back to Tokyo. Is my understanding correct?
    3. If we use single ticket is it mean we can buy one way shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto?
    4. Can u recommend what other pass is suitable for this itinerary so I can further check on it?

    Thank you so much for your help.

  8. Moomoo says:

    First, thank you very much for the information! I think I understand how this works but would appreciate your input on buying a single ticket esp for 4/16 – 4/20 (we are flying into NRT; flying out of KIX) .

    My itinerary for 3 people is:
    4/15 overnight Tokyo
    4/16 Shinjuku to Hakone Area (will do the loop from Hakone Yumoto to Lake Ashi and back to Hakone Yumoto – via Hakone Free pass?); overnight Hakone (Ryokan in Gora or Hakone-Yumoto)
    4/17 Ryokan in Gora OR Hakone-Yumoto to Kyoto (via Hikari Train 507?)
    4/18 Kyoto
    4/19 Kyoto
    4/20 Kyoto to Kansai Airport (KIX)

    Looks like Hakone Yumoto or Odawara to KIX is btwn 400-600km so I think that means the single ticket is valid for 4 days? So, can I buy a ticket from Odawara to KIX on 4/17 but stopover in Kyoto on 4/17 then use the single ticket again on 4/20 to get to KIX from Kyoto?

    Thank you!

  9. Susan says:

    I cant find timetable for the Inaho Limited express..I would like to use it in April.. JR East site lists it and the map ,but nothing with timetable,etc…

  10. Roman says:

    Would there be a problem bringing luggage onto the Shinkansen? Me and my girlfriend would like to take the Shinkansen from Osaka to Fukuoka instead of flying back and we’ll have 1 piece of luggage each. We wouldn’t want to buy the tickets that day and find out we cannot bring the luggage with. Thanks.

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