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When you think about buying Japan Rail Pass, you may compare the price of Japan Rail Pass and a single fare. But it is very hard to get an exact fare because the fare rule of Japan Railway is so complicated. So I will give you some examples and consider which way has greater value.

Narita airport to Kyoto for round trip

Base Fare: 18060yen
Surcharge: 3220yen (Narita Airport-Tokyo), 10480yen (Tokyo-Kyoto)

Total Cost: 31760yen

As long as you travel within 7 days, Ordinary 7 days pass (28300yen) is cheaper than a regular fare.

Narita airport to Sendai for round trip

Base Fare: 13660yen
Surcharge: 3220yen (Narita Airport-Tokyo), 9620yen (Tokyo-Sendai)
Total Cost: 26500yen

Ordinary 7 days pass (28300yen) is more expensive, but I go for the pass. Because the pass can be used during staying in Tokyo and Sendai. And also there are some popular sightseeing spots, such as Matsushima or Yamadera, around Sendai. You can use your pass to travel to these spots.

Narita airport to Hakata (Fukuoka) for round trip

Base Fare: 25320yen
Surcharge: 3220yen (Narita Airport-Tokyo), 16560yen (Tokyo-Hakata)
Total Cost: 45100yen

It is exactly same price as Ordinary 14 days pass. If your trip is in 7 days, of course 7 days pass is a great deal!
Even if you travel more than 8 days, the pass is much easier to handle. And also you may have an extra trip.
Anyway if you go to Kyushu island, the pass recover your cost easily.

Narita airport to Sapporo for round trip

Base Fare: 25880yen
Surcharge: 3220yen (Narita Airport-Tokyo), 12000yen (Tokyo-Hachinohe), 2400yen (Hachinohe-Hakodate), 3030yen (Hakodate-Sapporo)
Total Cost: 46530yen

Ordinary 14 days pass is much better choice obviously. If you have an itinerary that includes Hokkaido island, choose the pass.

Fare standard of major sections

I show you some base fares. Please use these fares to compare to the price of Japan Rail Pass. But this is just standard fare. If you have Multi-city travel, the fare may be cheaper. These following fares are based on Shinkansen and daytime limited express trains. (As of April 2012)

station	Tokyo	Osaka	Nagoya
Sapporo	23270	32400	30180
Aomori	16870	26110	26250
Akita	16810	26250	24030
Sendai	10390	21390	19170
Yamagata	11030	21830	19930
Niigata	10720	21390	19170
Nagoya	10580	6180	-
Takayama	13300	10310	5870
Kanazawa	12710	7440	8280
Osaka	13750	-	6180
Hiroshima	18050	9950	13430
Fukuoka (Hakata)	21720	14590	17530
Kumamoto	24750	18320	20450
Kagoshima	28030	21600	23730

station	Hakodate	Kushiro	Abashiri	Asahikawa
Sapporo	8590	9120	9640	4520

station	Nagasaki	Yufuin	Beppu/Oita	Kumamoto	Miyazaki	Kagoshima-Chuo
Fukuoka	4580	4430	5420	4990	9140	10170

You may also like these posts:

• How to use Japan Rail Pass to its maximum! The keys to find the right duration and type.
• The newest JR West rail pass for Sanyo, Kyushu and Shikoku, JR Sanyo Shikoku Kyushu Rail Pass
• Compare many rail services and shuttle bus. How to get downtown Tokyo from Narita airport.
• Kyushu Rail Pass. The best deal for rail trip in Kyushu for oversea visitors.
• Hokkaido Unlimitd Train Ticket and Southern Hokkaido Unlimited Train Ticket for resident in Japan

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38 Comments to “Compare Japan Rail Pass and regular fare. Which one has a greater value or cheap?”

1. Jan says:

   May 13, 2013 at 12:51 am

   Hi,

   My husband and I will be arriving late May via Kansai airport, our rough itinerary is:

   Day 1 Evening arrival to KIX airport, transfer to Kyoto overnight
   Day 2 Kyoto whole day, transfer to Toyama overnight
   Day 3 Tateyama Alpine route from Toyama to Shinano-Omachi, transfer to Tokyo for overnight
   Day 4 Mt. Fuji, Lake Ashi & Owakudani Hell Valley (might get local tour since I can’t find directions if were going at it alone)
   Day 5 Asakusa Kannon, Imperial Palace, Tokyo Skytree, visit Akihabara, Odaiba or Ginza
   Day 6 Tokyo Disneyland
   Day 7 Tokyo DisneySea
   Day 8 Tokyo Shopping Shinjuku, Shibuya area, transfer to osaka overnight
   Day 9 Early departure from KIX

   Is the JR Rail pass worth it? as I will be using it only from Day 2 to 8, and the whole Tateyama Alpine route is not covered also as I understand are the subways which we will be using for our Tokyo stay. Am I better off buying single fare tickets?

   Coming from a country without such an extensive train & subway system, Im feeling overwhelmed planning for this trip.

   Would appreciate much any help, Thanks.

   Reply
   • JPRail says:

     May 13, 2013 at 6:54 am

     Hi Jan,

     Your choice is right. Use 7 days pass for Day 2-8. That gives you the greatest value.

     Cheers,

     Takeshi / JP Rail

     Reply
2. A. Rami says:

   May 12, 2013 at 7:51 pm

   Greetings,

   Very informative website. Thanks for maintaining it.

   Our itinerary is to fly into KIX (May 17) and go to Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima (1 night/day, May 17/18) to Kyoto (1 night/day May 18/19) to Tokyo (2 nights/days May 19/20/21) to Osaka (1night May 22) and fly out of KIX (May 22).

   I looked at the basic fares for all travel on JR and it comes to 28,250 Yen compared to 28,300 Yen for the 7 day Rail Pass. I don’t think that the 7 day rail pass will cover the KIX to Shin-Osaka route, so I am thinking that we do not need to purchase the 7 day rail pass.

   Do you have any advice?

   Thanks again

   Reply
   • JPRail says:

     May 12, 2013 at 9:13 pm

     Hi A. Rami,

     I don’t think that you added limited express surcharge. Your total fares (basic fare+surcharge) will be roughly more than 40,000 yen. And JR Pass will cover basic fare and surcharge for all part of you trip, even Shin-Osaka to KIX. 7 days pass will give you a huge value.

     Cheers,

     Takeshi / JP Rail

     Reply
3. Mattias says:

   April 23, 2013 at 1:40 am

   Hi

   Thanks for a great website that gave me some answers that I needed, but could you please give me some suggestions on train tickets/train pass for our trip that I will describe below?

   It’ll be the first time in Japan for me and my fiancee and this is our itinerary:

   Arriving at Kansai Airport the 24th of may and staying in Osaka over the night near Osaka station.

   25th – 30th of May: Staying in Kyoto near JR Nijo station but vill also visit Nara during our stay.

   30th of may – 5th of June: Tokyo, Hotel Asia Center in the Akasaka area. Return flight from

   5th of june: Tokyo – Return flight from Narita International

   Greetings from Sweden / Matt

   Reply
   • JPRail says:

     April 23, 2013 at 12:53 pm

     Hi Matt,

     Thanks for your comment about my website.
     I recommend you to use these following ticket/pass for your trip.

     Arriving at Kansai Airport the 24th of may and staying in Osaka over the night near Osaka station.
     25th – 30th of May: Staying in Kyoto near JR Nijo station but vill also visit Nara during our stay.

     Use ICOCA and Haruka from KIX to Shin-Osaka-Osaka. This ticket cover for transfer to Nijo from Osaka and trip to Nara.
     http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/travel-information/pass/icoca-haruka/
     ICOCA e-money is included. You can use it for Nara trip and even subways and buses in Kyoto. But if you take bus or subway more than 5 times a day, city pass may be cheaper.
     http://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/rail-pass-for-visitors/how-to-choose-discount-railway-ticket-and-pass-in-kansai-area.html

     Single ticket for Shinkansen. You can book it at Nijo station. You can find the schedule at several ways. Please see the following link:
     http://jprail.com/travel-informations/basic-informations/japan-railways-timetables.html

     30th of may – 5th of June: Tokyo, Hotel Asia Center in the Akasaka area. Return flight from
     5th of june: Tokyo – Return flight from Narita International
     Maybe subway pass will be cheaper. But it depends on how much trip you have a day.
     http://jprail.com/travel-informations/tips-for-japan-rail-pass/subway-in-tokyo.html
     You can find other passes at the following site too.
     http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/index.html

     Before you decide to purchase passes, make sure which part of Tokyo you want to go. That will be key to decide it.

     Cheers,

     Takeshi / JP Rail

     Reply
4. Lis says:

   February 10, 2013 at 5:19 pm

   Hi Takeshi,

   This is my rough itinerary:

   Day 1 Kansai airport – Osaka
   Day 2 Osaka
   Day 3 Osaka – Kyoto
   Day 4 Kyoto
   Day 5 Yamaguchi
   Day 6 Yamaguchi – Osaka
   Day 7 Osaka – Kansai airport

   Based on my itinerary,
   is it worth to buy a jrpass?

   Thank you.

   Reply
   • JPRail says:

     February 10, 2013 at 8:51 pm

     Hi Lis,

     It will be almost same amount as 7 days pass price. If I were you, I will buy a pass.

     Cheers,

     Takeshi / JP Rail

     Reply
5. hwtan80 says:

   February 3, 2013 at 8:25 pm

   Hi

   First of all, love your site! Very informative!

   It’ll be my first time in Japan and here is my itinerary:

   Day 1: arrive at narita, a sleep in shinjuku
   2 – 4: kawaguchiko
   5 – 9: tokyo
   9 – 10: kyoto
   11 – 12: osaka
   13: return via kansai international airport

   From what I can see it’s best to buy n’ex + suica upon arrival and start using 7 day JR pass on day 7, which allows me to finish my JR pass on Day 13.

   Please advise.

   Thanks!

   Reply
   • JPRail says:

     February 4, 2013 at 8:54 pm

     Hi hwtan80,

     Thanks for your comment about my website.

     Suica and N’ex is a good choice. But 7 days pass is too much. Actually single ticket is cheaper. The price of 7 days pass is almost same as return fare of Tokyo-Osaka.
     So buy single ticket for Tokyo-Kyoto and maybe you can purchase other deals in Osaka/Kyoto.
     http://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/rail-pass-for-visitors/how-to-choose-discount-railway-ticket-and-pass-in-kansai-area.html

     Cheers

     Takeshi / JP Rail

     Reply
     • hwtan80 says:

       February 8, 2013 at 3:15 pm

       Hi Takeshi,

       Thanks for the reply. Sorry again for multi posting. I’m still deciding whether to make Kyoto or Osaka as a base for my Kyoto/Osaka trip. Based on your information, here is what I can see:

       1: arrive at narita, a sleep in shinjuku (n’ex + suica)
       2 – 4: kawaguchiko (suica)
       5 – 9: tokyo (suica)
       9 – 10: kyoto (Shinkansen single fare Tokyo -> Kyoto + Kyoto 2 day sightseeing pass)
       11 – 12: osaka (Kansai Thru Pass)
       13: return via kansai international airport (Kansai Thru Pass)

       Will this be the cheapest way of travelling?

       Cheers,
       hwtan80

       Reply
       • JPRail says:

         February 8, 2013 at 8:29 pm

         Hi hwtan80,

         You don’t need to purchase Kansai Thru Pass. As long as you visit the places in Osaka, single ticket is enough. You cannot get the worth for Kansai Thru Pass. Please see the following post:
         http://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/rail-pass-for-residents/how-to-use-kansai-thru-pass-compare-pass-and-single-fare.html

         Cheers,

         Takeshi / JP Rail

         Reply
         • hwtan80 says:

           February 9, 2013 at 6:25 pm

           Hi Takeshi,

           Thanks. I intend to stay in Kyoto for my travels in Kansai, does this mean that Kansai Thru Pass is still not worth it?

           Also might have plans to go Kobe/Nara/Himeji as well, will that make Kansai Thru Pass worth while? Also, on the last day I think that since I will be in Kyoto, Haruka is the best choice? From your info you have said that buying a JR West Kansai Area Pass just to tae Haruka is good enough.

           Revised:

           9: kyoto (Shinkansen single fare Tokyo -> Kyoto + Kyoto 1 day sightseeing pass)
           10 – 12: Kyoto/Osaka/Himeji/Kobe (Kansai Thru Pass)
           13: return via kansai international airport (JR West Kansai Area Pass)

           Cheers,
           hwtan80
         • JPRail says:

           February 9, 2013 at 10:13 pm

           Hi hwtan80,

           Regarding Kansai Thru Pass, it depends on how many trains are going to take. As I mentioned at the post that I put the link last reply, round trip to Osaka from Kyoto and to Nara from Kyoto are not enough. Only trip to Himeji makes you to get the worth. If you travel from Kyoto to a few places in one day, you may be able to get the worth. Please check your itinerary and check the cost. If you use 2 days pass, you have to spend at least 1900 yen for one day.

           I think ICOCA and Haruka is the best choice for the transfer to KIX.
           http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/travel-information/pass/icoca-haruka/

           It includes 1500 e-money also. You can use this e-money to get Osaka or Nara. This e-money can be used not only JR trains but also Osaka subway, Kyoto subway and other private train companies. This is another reason why you don’t need to use Kansai Thru Pass.

           Cheers,

           Takeshi / JP Rail
         • hwtan80 says:

           February 10, 2013 at 7:20 pm

           Hi Takeshi,

           Thanks for that. I had a look at the website and it seems that I can only purchase ICOCA and Haruka at KIX airport but KIX is my departure airport. Any ideas?

           Thanks,
           hwtan80
         • JPRail says:

           February 10, 2013 at 8:39 pm

           Hi hwtan80,

           Sorry for my mistake.
           Kansai Area Pass one day is the best choice for you.

           Cheers,

           Takeshi / JP Rail
6. Joyce says:

   July 4, 2012 at 11:21 am

   Hi
   I plan on going to Tokyo on Friday and I will be arriving at Narita Airport. If I want to go to Kyoto and Osaka on the 3rd and 4th day respectively, and then return back to Tokyo on the 5th day, which pass would you advice me to buy? And how much is the fee for the Narita express? Will luggages be troublesome on the trains?

   Thanks.

   Reply
   • JPRail says:

     July 4, 2012 at 12:53 pm

     Hi Joyce,

     Single fare is almost same amount of return transfer to Osaka from Tokyo as JR pass 7 days. But you can use JR Pass for Narita Express. As a result, JR Pass is cheaper than single fare. But you cannot purchase JR Pass in Japan. You need to purchase the pass before you leave your country.
     If you cannot get it before departure, your choice is single fare or Suica & N’ex pass.
     http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/index.html
     You need an exact fare, check it Hyperdia.
     http://www.hyperdia.com/en/

     For the luggage information, see the following post:
     http://jprail.com/travel-informations/managing-luggage-how-to-carry-your-baggage-on-board-and-how-to-store-your-baggage-at-the-station.html

     Cheers,
     Takeshi / JP Rail

     Reply