Hello Daniel-san,
I will be taking my elderly parents to visit Japan during the last 2 weeks of March 2024. I plan to buy the tickets independently using the Suica/Icoca card for the first 3 days and then the Osaka-Tokyo Hokuriku Arch Pass for the remaining 7 days.
Day 1-6 Kyoto: Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Maruyama Park, Kinkakuji Temple, Nijo Castle, Nishiki Market, Philosopher's Path, Gion Geisha District, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Fushimi Inari Shrine, (Thunderbird to Kanazawa)
Day 7 Kanazawa: Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle (Shinkansen to Tokyo)
Day 8-10 Tokyo: Sumida Park, Meguro River, Asakura Shrine, (Shinkansen to Mt. Fuji-Chureito Pagoda, Oishi Park, Oshino Hakkai)
Questions:
1. I'm a little confused as to which trains/busses are cover by the pass. Can you advise if the Hokuriku Arch pass will cover the shinkansen/train/bus for the destinations in the itinerary above and if it's worth it/cost effective?
Can I activate the pass for a future date or do I have to activate on the day of use? If I can activate ahead of time, then is there a place at Haneda or Itami Airport where I can activate it?
Does the pass cover for reserved seats and which website should I refer to reserve the seats ahead of time?
Can I use the Suica card anywhere in Japan or do I need to use the Icoca only in Kyoto and Kanazawa, and Suica in Tokyo?
Any feedback/advice is very appreciated. Thank you in advance!
Darya