I wanted to talk to you about an essential element that must absolutely not be missing if you intend to move to the various cities of Japan, the Japan Rail Pass.

Japan Rail Pass

Absolutely friends, it is a very useful pass if you want to move especially from a city like Tokyo a Kyoto or vice versa, even within the city itself we used the means of transport through the pass, the cost is substantial, but if you do two calculations, only the Tokyo-Kyoto return route costs the same as a JRPass. Obviously this is my personal opinion based on how I found myself having the pass, as we often found ourselves going back and forth for one thing and another without having to pay anything, we felt very elastic in our programs, and the portfolio was not affected.

You can choose different passes depending on your stay in Japan:

in UK:

  • 7 days ………… 193 £
  • 14 days ………. £ 308
  • 21 days ………. £ 394

The reference prices shown above come from the website: https://www.japantravel-centre.com/transportation/japan_rail_pass/ which you can find here . I myself bought the pass through this site two days before leaving, if you put the option: – collect directly from their offices -, after 24 hours it will be available.

in Italy:

  • 7 days ………… 222 Euros
  • 14 days ………. 356 EUR
  • 21 days ………. 456 EUR

There are several sites that sell passes, look for which is the best bidder, the amount changes by a few euros. The pass itself is expensive, and again, if you intend to move from city to city, it’s all worth it.

You cannot buy the pass directly in Japan, they only sell it to travel to Japan for tourist purposes.

EXCHANGE

Once you arrive in Japan you will need to exchange your Voucher for Passes at the jr ticket office.
  • The Voucher can be exchanged for a period of 3 months.
  • To exchange the Voucher for the Pass you will need your passport.
  • Once the Pass has been obtained, the activation date can no longer be changed.
  • You can change the voucher directly at the airport.
At Narita airport we were able to exchange Vouchers for Passes.

VALIDITY’

The Japan Rail Pass is valid on all JR lines in Japan (except Nozomi and Mizuho Shinkansen ).

  • It is valid on local JR buses
  • JR Hokkaido Bus;
  • JR Bus Tohoku;
  • JR Bus Kanto;
  • JR Tokai Bus;
  • West Japan JR Bus;
  • Chugoku JR Bus;

Narita Express to Narita , Tokyo’s main airport;

  • JR shuttle buses to and from the airport;
  • The Pass is also valid on the JR Miyajima Ferry;
  • You can move around the city without problems with these lines the Yamanote Line and the Chuo-Sobu Line, included in the JR Pass.

IT IS NOT VALID

  • The Japan Rail Pass is not valid on private (non-JR) lines such as: Hakone-Tozan, Nankai Koya, Fujikyu, Kitakinki – Tango. Although some of these lines are operated by JR trains, you will have to pay a supplement.
  • It is not valid for metro rides. (for that you will have to take the ticket in the machines, the tickets vary in price depending on the distance you have to travel, for more information on the cost of the route to be paid, ask the clerk at the counter, to avoid wasting money).

Each time you have to access the toll booths, you will have to go to the operator’s side and show your pass. (This has never happened to me, but you may be asked to show your passport).

At any time within the vehicles you may be asked to show it.

Keep it with care as if it were your passport, once lost there is no refound, or reissue of the pass.

About this:

CANCELLATION

Some important points are listed below for greater awareness of the Japan Rail Pass rules.

  1. The Voucher is non-refundable for a period of one year.
  2. The pass can be refunded if it has never been used.
  3. Refunds are not possible for Passes whose validity date has expired.
  4. Refunds are not possible in the event of loss or damage to the Pass.
I recommend to take the pass in advance, at least a week in advance to be sure, but eventually it is possible to have it in a short time.

The express courier takes about 1-2 working days to deliver the vouchers (in the islands 2-3 days).

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