19th - Flying into Tokyo
23rd - Train from Toyko to Hiroshima
26th - Train from Hiroshima to Kyoto
29th - Train from Kyoto to Tokyo to fly out
First, is the JR Pass worth it? I mean, are these routes spendy enough that I would save money buying the pass?
I just want to make sure I'm understanding all this right. If I buy a JR Pass for 7 days, basically the idea would be exchange it on the 23rd for the first train to Hiroshima, so that it would still be valid through the 29th when I wanted to take the train to Tokyo. I may also take a train or two during my trip for sight seeing locations more distant from the cites I'm staying in.
For all of these routes, are there trains that offer direct routes (with no transfers)? And most importantly, for the final leg (Train to Tokyo to fly out), is there a direct JRPass eligible train to get me from Kyoto to Tokyo? I fly out at 5:35, and in my initial research it looks like there's a HIKARI train I could take in the morning that'd get me to the airport in plenty of time. Does that sound right?
Thanks,
Evan