Hi ! I am going to japan from france october the 1st. I wanted to know if i should take a jr pass or not. I need to do tokyo-kyoto, kyoto-osaka, osaka-tokyo, a trip to fuji and a trip to nara. Secondly, how do i get a shinkansen ticket ? A website or there ? Thank you for your help
by Eneru_san
7 comments
Google maps shows you how to get places.
Shinkansen tickets are bought at the station as the easier option. [Video](https://youtu.be/IpSMSn0DzgA?si=iimUPaTUSCs77i4j)
Obviously no on the jr pass. Here’s a [calculator](https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/).
Ic card for all other trips.
If you know your exact days and times, you can book ahead on smart-ex. It allows you to check various services on the day to make sure that the oversized luggage area is available, but that’s only relevant if you’re travelling with your luggage and you don’t want to be squeezed up against it in your seat.
No JR pass. Buy tickets here.
In the sticky at the top of this thread is a link that takes you to all the info you need on JR Rail including calculators to determine if any of the available passes is worth it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/advice/transport/jrpass/#wiki_is_the_jr_pass_worth_it_for_my_itinerary.3F
Including:
https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/japan-rail-pass/
According to https://daisuki.com.br/jrpass_calculator.html#acalctop
Not including your excursion to Mt Fuji (from where?), it would seem your other travel adds up to be pass worthy, if your travel dates fall within the time limits.
Total JR: ~¥53.430 (Estimated JR Metro: ~¥750)
Total Non-JR: ~¥0
GRAND TOTAL: ~¥54.180
Worthy Passes: JR-7, JW-K-2, JW-K-4, Kin
We got JR-7 passes as the numbers added up easily: we’re doing NRT-Tokyo-Kyoto for five nights then day trips to Osaka, Nara (or alternative), Hiroshima (long day), Osaka then back to Tokyo for four nights and one possible longer day trip on our first full day there as it will fall within the 7 day pass lifespan.
You can use the Smart Ex website to book Shinkansen online. You’ll need to use the QR code at the machines to pick up physical tickets.
The machine at the station was a little confusing, there was a sign saying I needed to buy 2 separate tickets. But the machine gave me one. I ended up asking 3 workers if I only needed the one ticket (I only needed the one). For my other tickets I just went to the counter to make sure I was doing things right.