JR Pass

Rogozhin · (#1 (**permalink**))

I just purchased one yesterday (as in, the exchange order for one, a 7 day Ordinary). To those who've used a JR Pass before, was it worth getting?

I'll extend the topic by also asking:

What type of pass did you buy (7, 14, 21 day - Green/Ordinary) and where did you go with your pass?

kenmei · (#2 (**permalink**))

yes it's worth it if you plan on using it (lol who would have thought)

i only got a 7 day one because most of the other traveling i did was with the gf's parents by car, so it wasn't needed. i got the ordinary class and didn't really see a need for a green class one

ordinary class on shinkansen is quite nice, way better than economy on an airplane.

i loved that week of having it, you don't have to wait in line for regular trains and don't have to pay for anything.

i used it all over with local/express trains and the shinkansen from tokyo eki to kyoto and back

so i think it depends on where you are going and if you really plan on using it, i surely got my moneys worth with mine and loved the convenience of it.

emiluvsjmusic · (#3 (**permalink**))

Yes it was worth getting because I went to Tokyo and had fun. And it was an ordinary one.

hehe

Nyororin · (#4 (**permalink**))

I say it depends on the area, etc. If you`re going to be traveling over significant distances, then it`s great. If you`re going to be in one city, (particularly other than Tokyo), or one specific region... It really depends.
In this area, it is close to worthless because the JR line isn`t the main line, so stations aren`t that frequent and aren`t in convenient places - I say to look at where you place to go, and how you plan to go there... And how much it would cost without the pass to figure out if it is/was worth it.

I have never personally used one, but have calculated it out for visiting friends and about half the time it`s not worth it - but half the time it is.

blk180 · (#5 (**permalink**))

yeah it was worth it for me. i purchased a 7 day pass and used it to travel around tokyo on the JR lines and for the bullet train to kyoto.

ChisaChi · (#6 (**permalink**))

I went to Japan for 15 days and got a 7 day rail pass, which was definitely worth it for me. On the advice of people here I did the bulk of my traveling between cities in the 7 days I had the rail pass, and spent the rest of the time in Osaka and Tokyo where it isn't so useful.

Basically the bullet trains are quite expensive, so if you're planning to travel quite a distance multiple times in your holiday then it's definitely worth it. Using the rail pass I went from Osaka to Himeji, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Nara, Koka, Kyoto then up to Tokyo, then up further to Karuizawa. If you're just staying in Tokyo, for example, and not planning on traveling outside very far then it probably isn't worth it.

Housetek · (#7 (**permalink**))

prolly one of the biggest mistakes i see newcomers make in japan.

HOnestly if you use it alot then its worth it, if not then why bother?

some of my friends get scared to use the JR so they end up buying passes then just taking taxis the rest of the trip cuz they get confused.

i just got the 20k Yen Suicca Card and that lasted me like 2 to 3 weeks.

Mainly cuz i walk every where, or my friends drive.

Jidohanbaiki · (#8 (**permalink**))

Is there like a Tokyo version of the JR Pass, that you can only use in Tokyo, but is cheaper than the full JR Pass?

Rogozhin · (#9 (**permalink**))

Okay, thanks for your replies. I`ll be travelling a lot so this should be worth it.

spicytuna · (#10 (**permalink**))

Take some time to calculate your traveling expenses.

I used a 7 day JR Pass to travel from Tokyo to Kofu, then back to Ageo in Saitama and then down to Osaka with stops in Hamamatsu, Kyoto, etc. To my surprise, I would've saved maybe 3,000 yen if I didn't buy the pass.