Question concerning Rail Pass

[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

[masaegu]

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

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.

[morningflash]

Originally Posted by masaegu

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.

oh godd ... ugh.

okay, so getting the rail pass would not be a good idea then. Is the only reason because I most likely won't be able to use it for the shinkansen, or are there other reasons? And will I just end up having to get a more expensive seat? Or do you think it could go completely sold out before I even get into the country? Would there be other ways to get to Nagoya like buses? Would that be practical? Or would that sell out just as fast?

Just for future reference if I wasn't going at such a busy time would it have been a good idea?

Thank you so much by the way. I think I waited to long to plan all this out. I still haven't even bought my plane ticket yet, just because I wanted to figure out all the travel inside the country first. So If traveling from Tokyo to Nagoya is gonna be kind of impossible I could just fly straight to Nagoya, I just wanted to see Tokyo while I was there.

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by morningflash

okay, so getting the rail pass would not be a good idea then. Is the only reason because I most likely won't be able to use it for the shinkansen, or are there other reasons? And will I just end up having to get a more expensive seat? Or do you think it could go completely sold out before I even get into the country? Would there be other ways to get to Nagoya like buses? Would that be practical? Or would that sell out just as fast?

You can use the pass for Shinkansen for sure. When there aren't seats left in the unreserved cars, you can still choose to take the train standing up all the way to Nagoya, or wait in line for the next train for the chance to get a seat. Sitting or standing, the unreserved cars will be super-crowded in early January. What I was trying to say in my last post is that the reserved seats for early January will be difficult to get unless you buy the ticlets weeks in advance. But the unreserved seats are a whole different story.　

The only reason that I cannot recommend the pass for you is that you are not traveling long-distance enough to "save money" by using the pass. Buying separate tickets in Japan will be cheaper. Had your itinerary included one or two more longer-distance train rides, the pass would have been perfect and you would have saved money.

There are bus services between Tokyo and Nagoya. It is a bit tiring but it is much cheaper than Shinkansen.

Just for future reference if I wasn't going at such a busy time would it have been a good idea?

Only in terms of more relaxed train rides, yes, but not really in any other aspects.
_________

In Nagoya, do not miss the world's largest planetarium (fact), Japan's finest acuarium (opinion) and the new railroad museum (rumor). The Toyota Automobile Museum is cool (opinion) and so is Japan's largest-scale underground shopping malls (fact).

[morningflash]

Thank you so much for your help!

Alright, so the pass is completely off my list now.

Can I just ask you what your opinion would be on weather or not I go to tokyo? Would it be a better idea to just fly into Nagoya and stay there? I'm traveling alone and my Japanese isn't very good, so the fact that public transportation will be so busy during my stay is a little intimidating :/

The only reason I thought of landing in tokyo was because the flight was cheaper, and I couldn't find a flight that would get me to nagoya overnight on that days I wanted (waited too long .. :/) and I did want to visit Tokyo, but now it seems like a little too much for me.

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by morningflash

Thank you so much for your help!

Alright, so the pass is completely off my list now.

Can I just ask you what your opinion would be on weather or not I go to tokyo? Would it be a better idea to just fly into Nagoya and stay there? I'm traveling alone and my Japanese isn't very good, so the fact that public transportation will be so busy during my stay is a little intimidating :/

The only reason I thought of landing in tokyo was because the flight was cheaper, and I couldn't find a flight that would get me to nagoya overnight on that days I wanted (waited too long .. :/) and I did want to visit Tokyo, but now it seems like a little too much for me.

This is strictly my personal opinion. Maybe you want to skip Tokyo this time for the sole reason of the foreseen difficulty just discussed above. I have nothing against Tokyo; in fact, I love it here.

One beauty of Nagoya is that it allows you an easy, hassle-free day-trip to Kyoto and Osaka (and many other places). You may want to take this geographical advantage while there.

[morningflash]

lol what is that?? ^^^ >_>

Anyway, sorry this is so late but thank you!

I have decided to skip Tokyo, and I bought a plane ticket arriving in Nagoya. I've always wanted to see Osaka and Kyoto so hopefully I'll be able to visit those places instead.

Thank you so much!

[Japean]

Hey MorningFlash,

Masaegu gave you great tips on visiting Japan but... why do you insist on visiting Nagoya so much?

I live in Nagoya and there's not much to see. Of course the world's largest Planetarium can be fun... but I guess Japan is not really about that.

As Masaegu mentioned, there's a great Aquarium too but still... that's not Japan!

Tell me what you want to do... how long you'll visit and maybe I can also give you some tips.

Japean

[morningflash]

Lol well this might sound crazy (at least thats what most of my friends think haha) but Actually the whole point of this trip is to attend a concert at Nagoya dome on January 7th. If it wasn't for this concert I probably would have visited Tokyo before I even step foot anywhere else in Japan.

So anyway, I'm arriving on the 2nd and I'll have like 4 days to myself to travel around. The fact that its during the new years holiday is kinda stressing me out though, since it'll be so busy.. I was hoping to maybe visit Osaka, maybe Kyoto. I would have tried for a day trip to Tokyo, but the whole Shinkansen thing during the holidays is a little intimidating.

Osaka is DEFINETLY somewhere I'd like to go though. I've been trying to figure out how to get there and I found a bus service but it doesn't seem like they sell round trip tickets... I'm not too sure though, I havent looked hard enough yet lol.

I would really appreciate any help you would be willing to give. Maybe there's some places you would recommend visiting in Osaka?

[Nyororin]

I really don't get all the Nagoya hate. It is a great city. There is plenty to see. It just doesn't cater to the level of tourists that other more well known cities get.
As far as being real Japan, Nagoya is certainly a lot closer than you would get shuffling from one tourist spot to another in Tokyo.