The BEST Japan Rail Pass Alternatives in 2024
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ย. 2024
- Visiting without a Japan Rail Pass? Want to know how to travel Japan without breaking the bank, but without spending all your time on slow transport options? What are the best cheap alternatives? I look at 3 common scenarios - long distance travel, exploring all over Japan and staying in Tokyo/visiting Kyoto, and pick out the best transport alternatives.
/// GET YOUR RAIL PASS
Japan Rail Pass: bit.ly/KLOOK-J...
JR West All Area Pass: bit.ly/KLOOK-J...
JR Tokyo Wide Pass: bit.ly/KLOOK-T...
JR Kansai Wide Pass: bit.ly/KLOOK-K...
JR East South Hokkaido Pass: bit.ly/KLOOK-J...
JR West Kansai Pass: bit.ly/KLOOK-J...
/// WAYAWAY CHEAP FLIGHT FINDER (works with Peach, Jetstar, etc)
bit.ly/WAYAWAY...
/// MORE LINKS
Smart-EX: smart-ex.jp/en...
/// POCKET WIFI / SIM CARDS
Pocket Wifi + Powerbank Rental: bit.ly/KLOOK-P...
eSim from Airalo: airalo.tp.st/E...
Unlimited Data 4G SIM Card (Multiple JP Airport Pick Up): bit.ly/KLOOK-D...
/// USEFUL TRANSPORT PASSES
TOKYO SUBWAY PASS: bit.ly/KLOOK-T...
OSAKA AMAZING PASS: bit.ly/KLOOK-O...
OSAKA METRO PASS: bit.ly/KLOOK-O...
KYOTO ONE DAY BUS PASS: www2.city.kyot...
KYOTO SUBWAY AND BUS PASS: www2.city.kyot...
/// VPN SERVICE
NORDVPN: ref.nordvpn.co...
*There are some affiliate links in this description and using them helps to support this channel.
CREDITS
/// PHOTOS
中央高速バス岡谷線となるアルピコ交通17053号車: 江戸前鰻 (cc:4.0)
commons.wikime...
Peach Aviation / ピーチ・アビエーション Airbus A320-214 JA815P MM153, Departed to Fukuoka: lasta29 (CC BY 2.0)
commons.wikime...
Mirroring plane - coniferconifer (cc-by-2.0)
www.flickr.com...
![[UNCUT] The Loyal Pin ปิ่นภักดิ์ EP.8 (1/4)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/7OwUsMs0M5s/mqdefault.jpg)
There is one more thing I would add. Trains in Japan (or at least in Tokyo) don’t operate from approximately 12 to 5 AM. So if you’ve reserved one of these cheap early morning tickets, there might by no way of getting to the airport on time. This happened to me. I had a flight to Sapporo at 6:45 AM and there were no trains early enough, so I had to go with the latest train previous day and spend a night at the airport trying to have a sleep on a chair.
That's a shame. Although the trains aren't running yet, there are most definitely early morning buses available. For example, for Narita Aiport: tyo-nrt.com/en/timetable You really don't need to go sleep in a chair!
Hi there! Thanks for all your videos! They are great, SO much relevant information. You are really helping me plan my travel through Japan. I am taking loads of notes and if you can make your titles linger a bit longer in the screen that would be great! 😉
That's good to hear! Thanks for the suggestion!
Thank you for the video. My son and I are landing on July 5th in Tokyo and staying for a week before heading towards Osaka, Kyoto and other spots south. We skipped JR passes as we staying almost a month (August 1st). Hadn't thought about budget airlines but will look into them. Honestly, I would be happy to burn a day traveling by bus. I'm the type of nut that thinks 3 days cross county in America is doable :)
Glad it was helpful! Yeah, definitely look into the budget airlines. Enjoy!
good evening, you uploaded outstanding editing~ 🌟
Thanks for your kindness!
Your suggestion of flying in one city and out the other is a really good idea. I think a very common route for people would be Tokyo -> Kyoto/Osaka -> Hiroshima -> Tokyo (it's what I did on my first trip, and no doubt plenty of others). If you're flexible enough to not require departing from Tokyo, then I think a good combination would be:
- Fly into Tokyo
- Single Shinkansen ticket to Kyoto
- Buy Kansai + Hiroshima Area Pass (5 day pass) for 15,000 yen or JR-West All Area Pass (7 day pass) for 23,000 yen - your regional pass includes Shinkansens for day trips to Himeji Castle and Hiroshima, including the ferry to Miyajima.
- Fly out of Kansai International in Osaka
Or flip it the other way round and start from Osaka first and depart from Tokyo.
Yes, absolutely! It's an excellent alternative if you can get a good deal on an open-jaw ticket. Another way of course is to concentrate on touring a specific region - like flying into Fukuoka, seeing Kyushu - and then flying out of there. Excellent comment!
thanks for all your vids man! Im taking so many notes!!
Glad to hear it!
My wife and I will fly into NRT late, hang out in the airport and take the first flight to Sapporo ($36!) the next morning. We will then activate our 14-day JR passes when we leave Sapporo.
Great plan! Enjoy!
Dang you guys are troopers for having a super long flight and then just hanging out until morning
Yes, without a Pass, it's impossible to travel in Japan at reasonable prices & reasonable timings. Using normal trains, it's 10 to 20 stops & hours. Mostly, there's only a limited express train or Shinkansen for acceptable time but unacceptable prices. Because budget domestic airlines have tight luggage weight control, it's not an option for me & too troublesome to find the airport.
Thanks!
Even prior to price increase JR Pass is already quite expensive and now with 75% increase in fare, it may not be a good option. In the past, I used Fly Peach to travel between main cities, cheaper. Mainly Tokyo-Osaka-Hokkaido route.
Yeah, Peach is such a good alternative, along with all the other LCCs there aren't that many places you can't reach by plane for cheap.
Yes, but Shinkansen is more exiting than the plane.
I'm flying into Narita, then going to Hiroshima, Okayama, Kyoto, Kanazawa (for 14 days), then back to Tokyo. What's the best pass for this trip?
Depends a lot on the actual itinerary, but the JR West All Area Pass might work well for all of that except the Tokyo bit.
Thank you for the vid. I'm currently planning my trip to Japan and decided to include a detour to Okinawa between my stay in tokyo & osaka rather than a direct line between them. It seems all the Low cost flights take off from Narita (for my tokyo departure). do you think it's worth it to pay a little extra to catch a flight from Haneda with Soleseed?
That's a really good idea and much better than just going straight to Osaka like everyone else! If the difference is fairly small, probably worth it, yes. It takes a lot less time to get to Haneda.
Hi Andrew, love your videos. My husband and I are travelling on our honeymoon to Japan this spring.
I'd like your suggestions please: we are spending 5 days in Tokyo = we would like to visit the snow monkeys but it is a little far.
Then off from Tokyo to Fujiyoshida for 2 nights: What is our best alternative from Tokyo to Fujiyoshida?
Then from Fujiyoshida we are travelling to Kyoto where we will stay for 7 days. What is our best alternative to travel from Fujiyoshida to Kyoto?
And being 7 days in Kyoto, we are planning a couple of day trips from there.
Then we are travelling to Mijaku Island, so I think it is best for us to go from Kyoto to Osaka to fly from there?
Finally, we will be flying from Mijaku Island to Tokyo.
Lastly, do you think we shall benefit from a JR Pass?
I would very much appreciate your thoughts on our itinerary, in the meantime I am enjoying very much your other content on packing tips, phrases, Kyoto, etc! :) Arigato gozaimasu!
There's a direct train from Shinkuku to Fujiyoshida aka Lake Kawaguchi. I think there's more details on my Tokyo Wide Pass video.
From there to Kyoto, either go back to Tokyo and take the Shinkansen, or take bus+train down to Mishima and get the Shinkansen from there. You can also take a bus to Nagoya if you really want to, and get the Shinkansen there.
What's this Mijaku island? Do you mean Miyako? In Okinawa?
I think single tickets are best here. No need for JR pass.
Thank you Andrew! and yes I meant Miyako Island in Okinawa. We are thinking of flying from Osaka. What is your view from this part of Japan? meaning Miyako? there are so many islands it is hard to pick
@@japanunravelled
One of the few places I've not (yet) visited, but definitely a good pick! I can recommend Ishigaki, not far from there. It's a good base for seeing Iriomote and Taketomi islands. Also accessible from Osaka. The major plus point of visiting any of these islands in Okinawa is that far, far, far fewer tourists make it down here. And it's like visiting a hidden Japan that not even Japan remembers.
I am travelling to Japan in December. Currently there is a discount going on Peach airlines where I am able to book flights in way cheaper than train. But I have a jam packed schedule..Would you suggest to go ahead and book flights for all destinations within Japan?
Peach has been running campaigns pretty much non-stop for a few months now - the one you're talking about it great value. I mention in my budget airlines video that some airports are closer to cities than others, so it kind of depends on where you're going. Fukuoka Airport for example is a 6 minute subway hop from Hakata Station. However, Kansai Airport (Peach's hub airport in Osaka) is about 1 hour from Osaka. As long as you factor this in, you can still do a jam-packed schedule and save a bunch of money. So do a bit of checking before you book. Hope that helps!
Hi, i wonder if there a budget tickets from HANEDA airport to Sapporo!?
AirDo has you covered for this route.
@@japanunravelled thank you for the quick response..
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Hello, I’ve come across your channel and it’s quite helpful. I will be visiting for the first time in September.
I will be staying in Tokyo > Kyoto > Osaka. It is evident I can do without the JR Pass as I will not get proper value. My question is - how easy is it to get tickets while there OR is it optimal to do book ahead online?
I am not going until September but trying to do my homework!
Cheers
Thanks for subscribing! It's very easy to just buy tickets when you're here. Booking ahead (with smart ex) works to get you the discount I mentioned, the only problem is that you need to stick with that specific train. You can change it if your plans change, but then you end up losing that discount. Hope that helps!
When you are doing your calculations and comparison say for a 7-day pass, make sure you're calculating the costs to ride the Hikari Shinkansen.
I am also visiting for the first time in September as well! I decided to skip the rail pass because I will be there the whole month with the same itinerary as you lol I am just trying to figure out the best ways to travel around without breaking the bank now.
@@inusam15 Hope I gave you some ideas then!
@@inusam15 You can still consider getting the 21-days pass even if you were there for 30+ days. Plan your trip well and the pass with be worth it.
Hello fellow traveller's.... I am planning for a Dec Jan winter trip to Japan with my wife and infant of 14 months. I will fly from Germany and my plans are about 10 days in Japan:
Tokyo
Kyoto
Osaka
Sapporo
Tokyo
I am planning to use low cost airlines and Japan rail network (without JR rail pass).
So if we buy the regional pass does that cover all means of transport in that region eg. Kansai (will a Kansai regional pass cover all public transportation in Osaka and Kyoto) or I need separate local bus and subway tickets.
If anyone can help me in planning my trip considering the baby with us that would really help ❤
Thanks and have a lovely day.
Kansai Thru Pass will do everything except for JR lines (which often have the fastest trains). You'll probably want to get an ICOCA card if using JR in Kansai.
@@japanunravelled thanks for replying... I will watch all your videos to prepare myself 😊
@@japanunravelled Hi Andrew do you know about the Osaka Tokyo Hokuriku Arch Pass.. will this cover my local transportation within the cities of Tokyo Osaka and Kyoto?
Buses and subways are not run by JR, so no. Yamanote line in Tokyo and Osaka's Loop line are run by JR, and covered. But whether or not those lines will help you depends on where you're visiting.
Bro 10 days?? You'll be spending a lot of time just traveling between places. Perhaps you'd want to leave your baby with grandma so you and the wife could have a much easier time