Usage of JR Pass

Hi Bryan

Before Daniel-san replies...
It looks like u know which trains u want to take.
At Narita, just go to JR office and exchange your JR pass and reserve your bullet train tix. Smoking, non- smoking cars, seat preference...let them know. They are so nice that they impress me each time.

If u need to change the train later, u can do so as well ree of charge.

Have fun!!!

Free of charge, that is...

Hi there!

Geishagirl does a great job on explaining how to reserve your tickets at Narita Airport! Once you land head to the JR Travel Center (there's signs everywhere, so you can't miss it) and activate your JR Pass, you can make seat reservations at the same time, so just tell the staff what trains you wish to travel on and they will reserve the seats for you. It's as easy as that.

You can make seat reservations at every JR station in Japan, simply go to the staff, show your JR Pass and the JR Pass will print the tickets for you. Also read our blog post on seat reservation for more information.

Hope this helps!
Daniel

Hi~
Thanks Geishagirl & Daniel-san for answering my query .. Can't wait to be in Japan! :)

Cheers~
Bryan

Let me add something here if I may...

Bulllet trains have reserved seats and non-reserved seats.
You don't have to reserve seats ALL THE TIME. If it's a normal weekday, you can just hop on and sit anywhere on non-reserved seat.
If you do reserve seats, when you enter the station just flash the pass and find your seat. When the trainmaster come check your tix, show your JR pass and your reserve tix.
Same with exiting the station, just flash the pass to the trainmaster at the window.

I feel for the first time visitors to Japan and that's why I feel the need to reply to their questions they might have.
I was telling my American husband that he has it easy because he can just follow me and not have to think!!!

When I use my JR pass, I shall make a "How to" video !!!

Thanks for the additional info :) ~ geishagirl
Your husband is really lucky to have you along ~ haha

Do you meant that I don't need to have any ticket if I decided not to reserve seat, what i need is only my JR Pass?

How about those tickets required for normal trains? like ' LTD. EXP NARITA EXPRESS 10 ' and 'JR Kyoto'

From NARITA AIRPORT TERMINATE 1 to OSAKA

[ROUTE] [LOCATION] NARITA AIRPORT TERMINAL 1

[TRAIN] LTD. EXP NARITA EXPRESS 10

[LOCATION] TOKYO

[TRAIN] SHINKANSEN HIKARI 509

[LOCATION] SHIN-OSAKA

[TRAIN] JR Kyoto Line Local

[LOCATION] OSAKA

THANKS~ AGAIN & AGAIN

Cheers~
Bryan

Hi Bryan

For bullet trains there's non-reserved cars as well as reserved seats so if you want to be flexible or don't have time just show the pass and hop on.
In your case, you already know which train you want to take so you can go ahead and reserve at Narita.

Narita Express is ALL RESERVED SEATS so you must reserve. Trainmaster will come see the reserve tix.

For all other trains, just flash the JR pass(with the date page open) and hop on.

That's the advantage for having the pass; you don't have to buy tix each time you ride. Just hop on.
This pass is only for people living abroad; my fellow Japanese friends are very jealous when I get to travel all over Japan with the pass.

Have fun!!!

Noted, geishagirl.

Sorry for asking so much questions :p

Do i need to pay extra to reserve a seat?

Will there be time schedule available for each type of trains? and map of stations?

So for other trips like 'Kyoto to Tokyo' and 'Tokyo to Nartia', will be similar ... going to JR Pass Center of each station to reserved seat or similar board the train for non reserve seat. Right?

Thanks~

Bryan

Hi All,

This is becoming a very interesting topic!

Here's a little more that I can add to it. First seat reservations are great, especially since they are free of charge with the JR Pass and you can do so at every JR station. I would absolutely recommend getting a reserved seat, even if your train will be departing soon. One reason is that you don't have to line up on the platform before the train arrives, in order to secure a non reserved seat (it's pure convenience). An other reason to make seat reservations, which is especially nice when you travel alone - is that reservations are made in such a way that you will often have two seats for your own (unless it is very busy of course), or you have guaranteed seating together.

The Narita Express is indeed reserved seats only, so when you make seat reservations for it, you may as well and reserve the Hikari at the same time :)

For train scedules and other route information I would certainly recommend using Hyperdia and comes with a couple of hidden features that will give you all the information you may want. Take this route for example. When you press Station timetable you get the full time table for all trains departing from that station on that day. When you press Train timetable you get the exact route information of the train and all stations and times where it will be stopping, in addition when you press Interval timetable you get an even more detailed time table.

As for station maps, it depends on the JR part that you are traveling with but JR East offers a great collection of English station maps which includes all the major station in Tokyo as well as Narita Airport, for Kyoto see our blog post here.

Enjoy!
Daniel

In Europe, they charge for reserved seats. If you have JR pass in Japan, it's all included. So NOTHING EXTRA.

You said "JR pass center at each station" ...well you can do it at ANY JR station will issue tix, change your reservation, make reservation, etc.

I hope that clears everything!

Great~! :)
JR PASS really make things easier, just need to plan with routes using JR lines

Yup, been using Hyperdia to search for the routes from place to place and seeing their time schedule.
But this will need internet connections, which I might not have when I am in Japan.
Having a paper type time schedule will be great.

Cheers~
Bryan

If I bought a reserved ticket for NEX from Tokyo Station at 8.30 am to Narita Airport and if I arrive early at Tokyo Station, can I use my 8.30 am reserved ticket to board an 8 am NEX train ?

Hi ucsych,

You are allowed to change your departure time once without having to pay extra. If you arrive eurly simply take your tickets to the JR counter and ask the staff if you can take a train sooner. They will then rebook your ticket and make a new seat reservation for you.

I hope this helps!
Daniel

If last minute I quietly board the 8 am train without changing the ticket, will the ticket conductor fine me when conduct ticket checking on board ?

If last minute I quietly board the 8 am train without changing the ticket, will the ticket conductor fine me when conduct ticket checking on board ?

Hi Again,

Tickets are always checked when you travel so the conductor may ask when you are on board. I don't think that it will be a big problem if you have a valid ticket for the next train but I would certainly not recommend sneaking aboard.

Thanks for your information. The reason why I ask is because when I was waiting for the coming soon 8 am NEX at Tokyo Station on 26/09/2013, an American businessman came to ask me on whether he could go on board the coming soon 8 am NEX with his 8.30 am ticket. I did told him that I was not sure but I don't think can be done because all coaches for the 8 am NEX were for reserved seats as told by the ticket counter when I purchased the tickets a day before, However, he still boarded the 8 am NEX with his 8.30 am ticket but in different coach from me. So I just wondering what will happen to him. But I guess the ticket conductor cannot be chasing him down the NEX. Your valuable replies are for my knowledge so that I know what to do for my future Tokyo trips. Thanks.

Haha, I guess the conductor must have thought ''yet an other strange foreigner''. I don't think that he got into trouble though as he had a ticket.

Thank you for sharing the story!
Daniel