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Most cost effective way to travel

ChristineG
ChristineG
over 11 years ago
2 answers

Hi,

My family (3 adults and one 11yr old) are in Japan for 15 days and need help on how to travel. We arrive on Sat 5 Oct and need to get to Shibuya Excel Hotel that day. We then will travel in Tokyo before taking an organised day trip to Hakone, we stay there one night and need to from Hakone to Kyoto on Thursday 10 October. We stay in Kyoto and need to travel back to Tokyo on Sunday 13 October. We will stay in Tokyo until leaving for the airport on Sat 19 October. Unfortunately our travel spans 15 days so I'm not sure whether it is better to purchase separate tickets for Airport-Tokyo, Hakone-Kyoto, Kyoto-Tokyo and Tokyo - Airport. Any information would be very much appreciated and also whether I need book these trips (if not getting a pass) beforehand.
Thanks.

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Daniel-san
18919 posts
over 11 years ago
Expert

Hi there!

Looking at ticket prices and the price of the JR Pass, you are around even if you would buy a JR Pass. I do think however that a JR Pass could pay of quickly if you did a little more travel from Tokyo, for instance by making a day trip or two.

The current total for tickets is:
Odawara (Hakone) - Kyoto ¥ 11,950
Kyoto - Tokyo ¥ 13,420
Tokyo - Narita Airport ¥ 3,140

This adds up to ¥ 28,510 the 7 day JR Pass is ¥ 28,300 so you would save ¥ 210 for now (kids pay half price for both normal tickets and the JR Pass). However any additional travel you make at this point basically would be free. Assuming that you start using the JR Pass at the 13th of October.

I hope this helps!
Daniel

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ChristineG
ChristineG
2 posts
over 11 years ago

Hi

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately the dates we need to do our major travel fall outside a 7 day period. Travelling on 5, 10, 13 and 19 October so I presume in this case we are best to buy individual train tickets. Do we need to prebook the airport train and trains from Odawara to Kyoto and Kyoto to Tokyo? Do we do that on this website or can we just buy tickets on the day we wish to travel?

Many thanks again
Christine

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Daniel-san
18919 posts
over 11 years ago
Expert

Hi Christine,

Yes in that case I think that it would be best to buy the tickets as you travel. You can buy the tickets in advance at any JR Station or you can just go to the station and buy them when you wish to travel up to 5 minutes before departure. Either way you will be fine.

Have a great trip!
Daniel

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