Going to Tokyo from Nagoya next weekend. How early in advance do I have to plan this train-wise? Are there discounts for getting tickets online & in advance via a site like スマートEX or others – any experiences here to share? Or should I just go in-person and buy them? Or should I look into discount ticket booths?
Finally, if anyone has experience on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen route, is the faster Nozomi vs. Hikari price difference worth it here, and should I be concerned about getting (and pay more for) a reserved seat ahead of time… or just buy it from the counter morning-of and take the next train?
Thanks.
12 comments
I always buy via SmartEx. Way easier to get assured a seat.
I link my ticket to my IC card, so I never need a paper ticket.
SmartEX with IC card. You can easily change reservation online if needed.
There is no price difference between Nozomi and Hikari. For Tokyo-Nagoya I usually go without seat reservation, but it’s always a gamble whether I find a seat or not.
I just buy the paper ticket from the machine inside the station, by the Kintentsu direct transfer, or when going the other way, I buy it from Ikebukuro station since it’ll cover my ride around the Yamanote too. There is no cost savings anywhere as far as I know.
I always buy at the machine in the station.
Another alternative would be Platt kodama which will be about 1500-2000 yen less than スマートEX but will take another hour on the Kodama trains.
Must also be booked at least a day ahead and cannot be changed though.
Smart Ex – I can sometimes get green car seats from Osaka to Tokyo for 15490 yen, that’s 4000 yen discount!
I always buy from e5489. I probably miss out on some smart-ex discounts, but I find it a lot less confusing to use than smart-ex (e.g. no english site with different membership numbers), and you can pick your tickets up at normal JR-east stations.
If you are also to book a hotel to stay, try checking packages (like [https://travel.jr-central.co.jp/top/dpsitetop/](https://travel.jr-central.co.jp/top/dpsitetop/)) by travel agencies. You can book a combination of a train at any time and a hotel of your choice. Sometimes you get great discount. I once got Nozomi tickets and a stay cheaper than a usual Hikari price (although it was before COVID)
is スマートEX better than Ekinet? Is it worth it just for a one-off ticket vs Ekinet?
Not sure about yall, but I’ve always just got tickets at the station a few minutes before. Just show up, figure out what direction I’m going, buy a ticket, hop on the next train leaving.
Ticket sales open up one month before departure date. Pro-tip: Select E seat for a view of Mount Fuji
If you don’t have a hotel yet, I often use [JTB](https://www.jtb.co.jp/kokunai_tour/) for a hotel and shinkansen ticket combo. The price for the whole trip is usually cheaper than just the shinkansen ticket.