which Rail Pass should I get?

TotalJapanNoob · (#1 (**permalink**))

We will be in the country for 17 days (June 11 - 27) during which time we'll be going to Osaka, Kyoto, and hopefully Mt Fuji as well. As far as we see there are a couple different options for buying our rail passes:

1) buy a 14 day nationwide JR Pass for about $490. It will get us out to Kyoto and Osaka, and most of the way to Mt Fuji. Then for the last three days in Tokyo we can buy daily tickets. A nationwide should be able to get us to all these places, right?

2) buy a 10 day JR East Pass to cover the first 10 days of being in Tokyo, for $288 (youth price ages 12-25), then buy each ticket after that individually. We would need to buy tickets out to Kyoto/Osaka and back, which we could plan for after the first 10 days. Then once we return buy daily tickets for inside Tokyo.

Also, these prices are for the "ordinary" passes. Is it worth to buy the "green" passes for green class cars?

We're trying to figure out which would be the most cost effective but still get us to the places we need to go.

godwine · (#2 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by TotalJapanNoob

We will be in the country for 17 days (June 11 - 27) during which time we'll be going to Osaka, Kyoto, and hopefully Mt Fuji as well. As far as we see there are a couple different options for buying our rail passes:

1) buy a 14 day nationwide JR Pass for about $490. It will get us out to Kyoto and Osaka, and most of the way to Mt Fuji. Then for the last three days in Tokyo we can buy daily tickets. A nationwide should be able to get us to all these places, right?

2) buy a 10 day JR East Pass to cover the first 10 days of being in Tokyo, for $288 (youth price ages 12-25), then buy each ticket after that individually. We would need to buy tickets out to Kyoto/Osaka and back, which we could plan for after the first 10 days. Then once we return buy daily tickets for inside Tokyo.

Also, these prices are for the "ordinary" passes. Is it worth to buy the "green" passes for green class cars?

We're trying to figure out which would be the most cost effective but still get us to the places we need to go.

I'd say to get a 14 day pass for simplicity sake. Shinkansen ticket to Kyoto cost about 90-150 one way, so you are better off with the pass

An ordinary pass is enough......

TotalJapanNoob · (#3 (**permalink**))

Thanks Godwine! I was leaning in that direction.