My brother is visiting me in japan in December. We’re planning on traveling around from Fukuoka to Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, and Nagoya from Dec 18-24. We will separate on the 24th. Everything’s been somewhat planned out already.
My only worry is that people might be traveling to and from for the upcoming holiday/school breaks. Especially worry about that 24th when I need to return back to Fukuoka.
Should I be worry about getting Shinkansen tickets beforehand? Has anyone has experience traveling during this time?
I know I can book Shinkansen tickets in advance, but obviously they’re not selling December tickets. And just being able to walk up to purchase a ticket is more convenient than restricting our time for a certain place.
Any information would certainly help!
3 comments
It will be busy on the Main Shinkansen and you should buy a reserved Ticket.
Sometimes it is easier and more relaxed in the local Shinkansen that stops nearly everywhere.
Probably just as busy as any other mid-month?
I don’t reserve seats ahead of time, but when I arrive at the station I usually have to wait until the 3rd or 4th train from my arrival to the station to get a reserved seat on the shinkansen, especially on the weekend.
Booking a couple days in advance and on the local shinkansen will be safest, but there will be seats available the day of.
In a worst case scenario, you can usually grab an unreserved ticket and take your chances on sitting together (or sitting at all lol). Also note that taking the shinkansen from Osaka to Kyoto is probably overkill and might take you longer, depending on where you start out from.