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Originally Posted by morningflash
Hello! (I apologize for how long this is but I really hope someone can help)
So basically I would like some advice on weather or not it would be worth it for me to purchase a rail pass for my trip to Japan this January.
I will be arriving at Narita on the 3rd and staying in Tokyo for 3 days until the 5th. I will then be traveling to Nagoya and saying there for a few days, i'm not completely sure how long I'll be staying there, but I will have to be back in tokyo by the 10th for my flight home.
I was planning on taking the shinkansen to and from tokyo, and when I heard about the rail pass I thought It would be a good buy, for $364 I could get two rides on the shinkansen (right?) and I could use it on local trains and busses (with some exceptions I think?) but I'm reading about it and I'm a little confused, so I'd like to reassure myself about somethings, and to be corrected if I'm wrong.
I saw a caution on japanrailpass.net about times when it is hardest to reserve seats, and of course my travels dates fall within it :\ It also says that it is possible to reserve a seat with the rail pass, but I'm wondering if anyone knows how fast the seats will sell? Will it be enough time for me to reserve a seat for the 5th on the 2nd when I get there? Also would I be able to use the pass for N'EX train from narita to tokyo? Or would that be considered an express? I'm really confused about most of it, and I would really appreciate someone explaining it to me better, because there are just so many different lines and trains.. I'm very confused .. lol
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You will definitely lose money if you buy the Pass, period. You need to travel much more than what you described above to benefit from obtaining one.
Early January is high season (
the highest TBH) for trains with people going back home from their New Year's vacations. It will be difficult to reserve your seat only a day or two in advance. I hate to scare you but it will be pretty difficult even to get an unreserved seat.