Hello we already have JR Pass for 7 days. We will start using it on April 24. Based on our itinerary, should I buy Tokyo subway ticket for 48 or 72 hours? What other pass or ticket is recommended ? Do we still need it even we have JR pass? Thanks a lot!
Itinerary:
April 22, 2023
Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
The Philosopher’s Path or Keage Incline
Nishiki Market, Maccha House
Fushimi Inari Taisha
April 23, 2023
Osaka Nara Park
Nakatanidou Mochi Shop
Dohtonbori
teamLab Botanical Osaka
April 24, 2023
Tokyo Akihabara , Don Quijote , Teamlab Planets
April 25, 2023
Tokyo Showa Memorial Park, Shibuya Park
Harajuku, Starbucks Roastery Reserve
Yoyogi Park
April 26, 2023
Tokyo Disneyland
April 27, 2023
Fuji Lake Bake Café
Oishi Park
Lake Kawaguchi
April 28, 2023
Fuji Oshino Hakkai
Strawberry picking
Yamanakako hananomiyak yamaNashi
Hana-no-miyako-koen-iriguchi
Lake Yamanaka
April 29, 2023
Fukuoka Ichiran Ramen Headquarter
3 comments
I haven’t found area passes to be cost-effective unless they include admission to someplace I was planning to visit anyways.
The JR pass is great for traveling across country, but I highly recommend you get a Suica or PASMO card for using the local subways and trains, especially in Tokyo. You can buy and reload them at any station and all you do is tap them as you go in and you’re set. All the different ones work everywhere, not just Tokyo. You can also use them to buy stuff from vending machines, convenience stores, and arcades. If you have iPhones, you can also put them in your Apple wallet so you tap your phone instead of the card, but be careful doing that because there’s a bug going around where you can’t reload the card if you put it on Apple wallet. The exception is that you can reload Suica specifically, but only if the card you’re using to fund it is a MasterCard
So my recommendation is to use the JR pass wherever you’re able, and then get a Suica card to use where you can’t. If you have a MasterCard and an iPhone get Suica 100% but if not, PASMO also works if you stick to using the physical card or preload it with enough yen to last the whole trip
If you do go with the Tokyo subway ticket (of if you get any Tokyo subway/Toei metro ticket valid for a day or more) check out chika toku! I’m planning to try it on my trip, but it shows you where you can get discounts or little free gifts by showing a qualifying ticket.