Tobu Railway Limited Express “Spacia” (C) Sonic Rail Garden
These trains connect Shinjuku in Tokyo and Nikko, Kinugawa-Onsen. These trains run on JR line and Tobu Railway line. That means you have to pay extra if you use JR Pass. JR Pass cover JR line portion only. But if you use JR East Passes, such as JR East Pass Nagano Niigata, Tokyo Wide Pass, JR East Pass Tohoku, both JR line and Tobu Railway lines are covered. This may be complicated for you.
In this post, I will tell you about the limited express Nikko and Kinugawa. I also show you the extra fare on top of JR Pass.
The limited express Kuroshio connects Kii peninsula, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka and Tennoji. This is the train which you take to get Shingu, Kii-Katsuura, Shirahama, Kii-Tanabe. These places are known as the gateway to UNESCO World Heritage site, “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range”.
This train is covered by JR Pass, Kansai Wide Area Pass, Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass and Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass.
I will show you more information about this train in this post.
257 series runs for Odoriko (C) Rsa / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
Odoriko and Saphir Odoriko are limited express trains to Izukyu-Shimoda or Shuzenji in Izu peninsula from Tokyo and Shinjuku. As probably you know, Izu peninsula is one of most famous hot springs resort area in Japan. These express trains take you to many places, such as Atami, Ito, Kwazu and Izu-Kogen, in Izu hot springs resort from Greater Tokyo area.
Saphir Odoriko was introduced on March 14th, 2020. This train offers high-end train service. This train does not have any ordinary class seat. All seats are Green seat (business class) or Premium Green seat (first class).
In this post, I will show you the interior, timetable, trip times and other trips of Odoriko and Saphir Odoriko.
Limited express Kamome is operated by one of the most updated train, JR Kyushu 885 series.
This limited express train connects the gateway city in Kyushu, Hakata with very historical port city Nagasaki. Some of trains are operated between Hakata and Saga, Hizen-Kashima. When you go to Nagasaki, take Shinkansen to Hakata and change this train to Nagasaki. Unzen Amakusa National Park from Isahaya.
This limited express train is one of most popular limited express train that is serviced by JR Kyushu. This connects Hakata and Kokura with Oita and Saeki. If you go to the popular hot springs resort, Beppu, this train is that you need to take after you get off Shinkansen at Kokura or Hakata. Of course this train is fully covered by Japan Rail Pass.
When you go to southeastern Hokkaido, The limited express Super Ozora and the limited express Super Tokachi take you there. Super Ozora connects Sapporo and Kushiro. Super Tokachi connects Sapporo and Obihiro. These trains are very popular and the reserved seats are sold out often.
Both trains are fully covered by JR Pass and Hokkaido Rail Pass. If you have a plan to take these trains, I strongly recommend you to reserve your seat.
I would like to share the information about these trains information and the timetable.
The limited express Okhotsk is passing over Jomon Pass.
The limited express Okhotsk and Taisetsu take you to Abashiri from Sapporo and Asahikawa. Abashiri is well known as the place to see a drift ice viewing tour in the winter time. And also when you go to the world heritage site, Shiretoko, you may use this train for Abashiri and transfer to a local train to Shiretoko-Shari. If you need the information about the access to Shiretoko, please see one of my posts, “How to get to Shiretoko“.
You can ride on this train by Japan Rail Pass with no restriction. I would like to show you the information about the limited express Okhotsk and Taisetsu.
Wide View Hida by KIHA85 series at Toyama station (C) JP Rail
Wide View Hida is suspended until further notice due to Takayama line closure by heavy rain storm. Please see Train Operation Status to get the detailed information.
I took “Wide View Hida 6” from Toyama to Nagoya on Apr 27, 2010. This express train is operated mostly between Takayama and Nagoya. Only 4 of 20 round trips are operated between Toyama and Nagoya. Hida 6 is the first departure from Toyama to Nagoya.
I had an ordinary reserved seat at a third raw on the 8th car. This train will combined some more cars at Takayama station. My car number is eight but this was the first car between Toyama and Takayama.
Overnight train Hamanasu runs between Aomori and Sapporo. It is very useful train to get Hokkaido. But it may be discontinued when Hokkaido Shiknansen open.
Limited Express Hakucho connect Honshu island with Hokkaido island.
Super Hakucho and Hakucho is no longer running after Hokkaido Shinkansen opened in March, 2016. Now Hokkaido Shinkansen connects Tokyo and Hokkaido directly. Please see the following link to see the details of this Shinkansen line.
Hakucho/Super Hakucho is operated between Shin-Aomori (新青森) and Hakodate (函館). These trains go through the longest tunnel in Japan, “Seikan Tunnel” and connect the main island in Japan, “Honshu” (本州) and Hokkaido (北海道). All these trains are scheduled to be connected with Tohoku Shinkansen at Shin- Aomori station and Limited Express “Hokuto” and “Super Hokuto” to Sapporo at Hakodate. These trains used to connect Hachinohe with Hakodate via Aomori. But Tohoku Shinkansen was extended to Shin-Aomori on December 4, 2010. Departure location had been changed to Shin-Aomori instead of Hachinohe.
This train was discontinued on March 13, 2015. Hokuriku Shikansen has started to run on March 14, 2015. You can get Kanazawa and Toyama by Shinkansen from Tokyo without any transfer and much faster. If you need an access to Kanazawa from Tokyo, please find more info at the post, Hokuriku Shinkansen, direct access to Kanazawa, Nagano and Toyama from Tokyo.
If you need to transfer between Toyama/Kanazawa and Niigata, you have to take Hokuriku Shinkansen and transfer to limited express Shirayuki at Jouetsu-Myoko station. Unfortunately there will be no choice to take direct train service between Kanazawa/Tokyo and Niigata. Please find more info at the post, Limited Express Shirayuki. Intercity express between Joetsu-Myoko and Niigata.
Hokuetsu (北越) is operated between Niigata and Kanazawa. If you go to Kanazawa or Toyama from Tokyo, you may take Joetsu Shinkansen and transfer to this train at Nagaoka station.
Hokuetsu is fully covered by Japan Rail Pass. But if you are hurry, you have a choice to take Hakutaka. But Hakutaka is operated on both JR lines and Non JR lines. That means you need to pay the extra. I would like to show you the details about Hokuetsu and the difference between Hokuetsu and Hakutaka. Continue reading Intercity train between Niigata and Kanazawa. Limited Express Hokuetsu
Wide View Hida runs between Osaka and Takayama by this 3 cars train set.
Wide View Hida is the limited express train which connects Nagoya, Takayama and Toyama. This train equips very huge windows. It offers very scenic view through this panoramic window along the route. That is why this train is called “Wide View”.
This train is a primary way to get Takayama. This has been very popular for the tourists from overseas in these days. This train is fully covered by JR Pass. Takayama Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass covers between Nagoya, Takayama and Toyama. I will explain about this train in this post.
Timetable and Route
Wide View Hida runs once an hour between Nagoya and Takayama. A few trips are extended to operate to Hida-Furukawa and Toyama. It takes 2.5 hours to get Takayama from Nagoya and 4 hours to get Toyama from Nagoya.
And also one round trip runs between Osaka and Takayama. If you take this Osaka departure Wide View Hida, you can get Takayama directly from Osaka, Shin-Osaka and Kyoto.
This train departing from Osaka is coupled with the train from Nagoya at Gifu.
Please find the train operation route in the map below:
The limited express Wide View Hida operation route map (click to view large)
Accommodation
You can find the interior of this train and the scenery from this train in my YouTube movie below. Please watch to find more information:
Wide View Hida is serviced by KIHA-85 series. This train has huge glass windows which give you the spectacular scenery along Takayama line. “Wide View” is a worthy of the name.
This series has two types of Green car that are 2+2 seat configuration and 2+1 seat configuration. 2+1 seat configuration is wider and has a bigger leg space. The leg space is 1,160mm on 2+2 seat configuration and 1,250mm on 2+1 seat configuration. 1,160mm is the standard. So 2+1 seat gives you a great deal! If you want to take this seat, try to reserved a seat on car#10. 2+2 Green car is always at the middle of the train. 2+1 is always at the front of the formation. And also Ordinary class is good too. The leg space is 1,000mm. This is bigger than the other train’s ordinary seat.
When you take this train at Nagoya, the seat is set with the back toward. Because this train change the direction at Gifu. It takes only 20 minutes from Nagoya to Gifu. You can change to the front toward if you want by yourself.
*Sonic Rail Garden has copyright for all images of accommodations below.
There are many train formations. Some Wide View Hida do not have Green car.
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Car#1-4 operate from Nagoya to Takayama. And Car#8-10 operate from Nagoya to Toyama
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Car#1-3 operate from Nagoya to Takayama/Hida-furukawa, Car#8-10 operate from Nagoya to Toyama
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In car #2, there are ordinary reserved seats and Green seats.
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This formation is used for Osaka departure and Nagoya departure combination. Car #1 to #3 run to/from Osaka and the rest of cars run to/from Nagoya. These two train sets are coupled / uncoupled at Gifu station and run together between Gifu and Takayama. In car #6, there are ordinary reserved seats and Green seats.
Images
Green seat 2+2 configuration
Green seat 2+1 configuration
Ordinary seat
Sanitary space
Suggested deal
JR Pass covers this train. But if you visit Takayama, Shirakawago, Toyama and/or Kanazawa from Nagoya, Osaka or Kyoto, Takayama Hokuriku Area Touirst Pass is recommended. Please find more informaiton in the link below:
As I mentioned above, JR Pass covers the limited express Wide View Hida fully. This is only deal to cover this train fully.
Takayama Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass covers between Nagoya, Gifu, Gero, Takayama, Hida-Furukawa and Toyama. This pass does not cover between Kyoto and Gifu.
Hokuriku Arch Pass, Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass and Hokuriku Area Pass covers between Toyama and Inotani only. You cannot get Takayama by these passes.
