Hi there Daniel!
I am going to be in Japan early April for a week and am debating between the 7 Day JR Pass or just purchasing individual tickets while I'm there.
Can you advise me on the most cost effective method?
Osaka Kansai Airport to Osaka (One-way)
Osaka to Kyoto (Round-trip)
Osaka to Nara (Round-trip)
Osaka to Tokyo (One-way)
Tokyo to Yokohama (Round-trip)
Tokyo to Tokyo Narita Airport (One-way)
Is the JR Pass valid on the metro systems in each of those cities?
Thank you!
Ken
Hi Ken!
Looking at your itinerary I would suggest buying normal tickets. The JR Pass is great if you travel longer distances - especially on the pricy Shinkansen - however your long distance travel is limited to just one way Osaka - Tokyo. Local travel around Kansai (area for Nara, Kyoto, Osaka) and to Yokohama is not very expansive in any event. Consider buying an IC card such as Suica or ICOCA to make your travel more convenient.
For reference: the JR Pass is valid on both the local JR network in Tokyo and Osaka, the commuter trains get you to most places in the city - so you generally don't have to use other kinds of transport such as the metro, unfortunately the metro is not covered by the JR Pass.
Have a great trip!
Daniel
Thank you for your help Daniel!
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