Which is better, 7 day Kansai ticket, or pay for the ticket for each ride?

Hi there!

Where did you read about this Kansai Ticket? It may be a good deal depending on the price. in general travel around Kansai (the area where Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Nara are located) is not very expansive and buying normal tickets usually is the best way.

Most trains between these cities are local trains and do not require seat reservations. It's a bit different when you travel to Tokyo on the Shinkansen. All Shinkansen have reserved seats and non-reserved seats, you can take either one but I would recommend traveling on a reserved seat because you are sure of a seat and don't have to line up before the train arrives in order to secure a non reserved seat, making for a much more relaxed experience. Seat reservations are free if you have a JR Pass.

I hope this helps!
Daniel

Thank you! But where do I reserve a Shinkansen Ticket?

You can make ticket reservation at any JR station in Japan, simply go to a manned ticket counter and tell the staff where and when you would like to go. The Staff will than quote you the price and print the tickets for you.

Also see our guide on how to make seat reservations.

Thank you for your help!!!