Posted: 1/9/23 | January ninth, 2023
Japan is certainly one of my favourite international locations on the planet. The serene great thing about the mountains and temples, the hustle and bustle of the sprawling cities, the beautiful meals, and its lengthy historical past make for a captivating place to go to.
Nonetheless, Japan has a repute, particularly amongst funds vacationers, as being too costly. “Higher skip Japan and head to Southeast Asia, the place your cash goes additional,” they are saying.
But you may journey Japan on a funds. Meals, points of interest, and even lodging (it’s the land of capsule accommodations!) could be discovered for a comparatively low value if the place you look.
But one side of touring in Japan that does stay as much as its pricey repute is transportation — significantly practice journey.
Japan’s iconic bullet trains (known as shinkansen) are stunning, comfy, handy, and quick. They’re world-class wonders of transportation, racing round at speeds as much as 320 kilometers (200 miles) per hour. They run on particular tracks separate from the opposite trains and are a formidable feat of engineering.
They’re tremendous costly. There’s simply no method round that reality.
Fortunately, there may be one straightforward factor you are able to do to chop your practice ticket costs in half (or extra): purchase a Japan Rail Cross. You actually shouldn’t be touring across the nation with out one (and I’m fairly positive they worth the move and common tickets out in a method that actually forces you to purchase one).
On this submit, I’ll introduce the JR Cross and clarify the way it works, how a lot it prices, and reply frequent questions I get concerning the move.
What’s the Japan Rail (JR) Cross?
The Japan Rail Cross (also referred to as the JR Cross) was created to assist vacationers get across the nation (just like the Eurail move in Europe). JR is the most important practice operator in Japan, and the move gives limitless entry to all its trains for a set worth.
The move is available in 7-, 14-, and 21-day choices. Word that these are consecutive days, not journey days. So, if you wish to journey round Japan for 2 weeks, you’ll have to buy the 14-day possibility, despite the fact that you gained’t be taking the practice each day.
A number of JR trains are included within the move. The most well-liked is the shinkansen (bullet) practice, which is the quickest practice and goes to almost each vacation spot and area. The following quickest is the tokkyu (restricted specific). The kyuko (specific) practice comes subsequent, adopted by the kaisoku (fast) and kakueki-teisha or futsu-densha (native trains that make each cease).
Briefly, which means that there are JR trains that quickly journey between areas, some that go between cities with a number of stops, and native commuter-style trains which might be gradual (however low-cost).
Moreover, JR trains additionally serve some metropolitan areas, to allow them to be used inside cities. For instance, on my final go to, I used my JR Cross to get round Kyoto and Tokyo as an alternative of shopping for native metro tickets.
The JR Cross must be bought earlier than you arrive in Japan and it needs to be mailed to you so that you’ll need to order it nicely prematurely (extra under).
How the JR Cross works
The JR Cross could be very straightforward to make use of — you simply want to recollect to buy it beforehand, whereas in your house nation, because the move is simply accessible to guests. (Whilst you can buy it at choose ticket places of work in Japan till March 2023, in-person passes value considerably extra, so it’s higher simply to order it prematurely).
The move has a number of choices (every legitimate for consecutive days, not simply journey days):
- 7 days: 29,650 JPY (39,600 JPY for a Inexperienced Cross)
- 14 days: 47,250 JPY (64,120 JPY for a Inexperienced Cross)
- 21 days: 60,450 JPY (83,390 JPY for a Inexperienced Cross)
The Inexperienced Cross is the first-class possibility. Because the trains in Japan are already superb, you probably don’t want to purchase the Inexperienced Cross except you actually need some luxurious. Moreover, touring in inexperienced automobiles could be extra of a trouble for those who wish to be spontaneous, as you will need to at all times reserve a seat prematurely in inexperienced automobiles, requiring you to go to the ticket workplace or automated reservation machines forward of time to take action. In abnormal automobiles, you may simply hop on and take any accessible seat.
Along with the usual and inexperienced JR passes, there are regional passes in case you aren’t touring throughout the whole nation. These choices can prevent much more cash since they’re cheaper than the common JR passes. Every area has a number of move choices, often ranging between one and 7 days.
You should purchase JR passes for six areas:
- JR East (for the principle island)
- JR West (for the principle island)
- JR Central (for the principle island)
- JR Hokkaido (for the northern island)
- JR Kyushu (for the southwestern island)
- JR Shikoku (for the southeastern island)
For those who’re simply going to be specializing in one area of the nation, think about shopping for a JR regional move. If you would like entry to the whole nation, get the common JR Cross.
For those who’re a first-time customer to Japan, you’ll probably need the common JR Cross, because it covers all the foremost locations.
In sum, to get a move, you could:
- Decide the time period on your move (7, 14, or 21 days)
- Select your class (Inexperienced or normal — once more, normal is greater than ample for many vacationers)
- Determine what geographical space you need to go to (all the nation or a single area)
- Pay the charge and order the move earlier than you permit house
Getting and utilizing Your JR Cross
The best option to get a Japan Cross is by ordering it on-line (there are lots of official on-line suppliers however I like to recommend this one because it’s been promoting passes for the longest time).
As soon as you buy a move, you’ll obtain an “alternate order” within the mail, stamped with a date, that you just’ll flip in to choose up your precise move in Japan. Don’t neglect your alternate order at house, as you will need to convey this doc to choose up your move in Japan!
When you get to Japan, you’ll alternate your alternate order (therefore the identify) for a JR Cross at a JR workplace. Be sure you have your passport on you (not a photocopy) once you go to gather it, as they’ll examine to just remember to have a short lived customer stamp in your passport. The JR Cross is simply accessible to guests and they’re fairly strict about verifying you’re a vacationer.
You could have three months from the date printed on the alternate order to choose up your JR Cross, however you do not want to start out utilizing the move on the identical day that you just decide it up.
For instance, say that you just need to decide up the move when you arrive however you need to spend a while in Tokyo earlier than heading on to see the remainder of the nation. You possibly can choose any date inside one month of exchanging the order as your beginning date. (However as soon as the move is issued, you may’t change the beginning date.)
When you’ve acquired your move in hand, you don’t want to fret about getting tickets, as you merely use your move to go proper by means of the automated turnstiles.
Along with utilizing the shinkansen and different trains, the JR move offers entry to:
- Native buses operated by JR (such because the vacationer loop bus in Hiroshima or JR buses round Sapporo)
- Ferries operated by JR (such because the one from Hiroshima to the island of Miyajima)
- JR strains operating by means of metropolitan areas (similar to Tokyo and Osaka)
- Free seat reservations (in any other case, seat reservations value round 330-930 JPY)
The JR Cross just isn’t legitimate for:
- The Nozomi and the Mizuho shinkansen strains
- Japanese residents or residents, similar to foreigners working in Japan (solely these with a vacationer visa can use the move)
Is the Japan Rail Cross value it?
Completely! Although you may get sticker shock initially when buying a move, you’ll save a whole lot of {dollars} throughout your journey with one — even for those who simply go to 2-3 cities. For instance, with out a rail move, a ticket from Tokyo to Osaka prices round 27,000 JPY (round-trip), but you will get a seven-day rail move that features limitless journey on JR trains for simply 29,650 JPY. So for the value of 1 round-trip ticket, you get limitless journey. It’s a no brainer!
Listed here are some extra examples of one-way practice tickets on the shinkansen trains with non-reserved seats within the “abnormal” (non-green automotive) class:
- Tokyo-Hiroshima: 18,380 JPY
- Tokyo-Kyoto: 13,320 JPY
- Tokyo Fukuoka: 23,390 JPY
- Kyoto-Hiroshima: 10,570 JPY
- Kyoto-Osaka: 4,230 JPY
- Hiroshima-Fukuoka: 9,000 JPY
- Nagano-Kanazawa: 8,440 JPY
- Tokyo-Yokohama: 3,210 JPY
- Hakodate-Tokyo: 23,500 JPY
As you may see, it solely takes one longer-distance journey from Tokyo (similar to to Hiroshima or Fukuoka) to justify the price of the move. And also you’ll probably use it rather more than that!
And even for those who aren’t taking the bullet trains, the move nonetheless is smart. For instance, a visit on a neighborhood practice from Kyoto to Tokyo prices round 8,360 JPY — as an alternative of 13,320 JPY for the bullet practice. Nonetheless, the native practice journey takes 9 hours and requires a number of transfers, as an alternative of a direct three hours, making it a lower than excellent alternative for many vacationers (particularly for those who’re tight on time). It’s typically merely not value the fee financial savings.
You’re higher off utilizing the bullet trains and reveling within the high-speed expertise because it whisks you from one unimaginable vacation spot to a different!
Japan Rail Cross Incessantly Requested Questions
Is JR Cross just for vacationers?
Sure. Solely individuals visiting on a vacationer visa can use the JR Cross.
Can Japan Rail Cross be used on the Tokyo subway?
Yep, a few of the subway strains (although not all) in Tokyo are run by JR, which implies you may entry them free of charge along with your JR Cross. That is true for the whole nation. Metro strains and native subway strains are excluded from the move.
Can I modify the times on which I want to use the Japan Rail Cross?
No. As soon as the move has been activated, the dates are set in stone.
How do I activate the Japan Rail Cross?
To activate the JR Cross, convey your alternate order and your passport to a JR workplace in Japan. As soon as they confirm your identification and visa standing, they’ll activate your move.
Can I take advantage of JR Cross from Tokyo to Kyoto?
Yep! The space is 445 kilometers (283 miles), and the journey takes beneath three hours on the bullet practice.
Are buses included in JR Cross?
Sure, JR does run some bus strains, that are included within the JR Cross. Some locations the place JR has buses embody Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu.
Can I cancel my Japan Rail Cross?
You possibly can cancel your move so long as it has not been activated, however as soon as it’s activated, you may’t.
Practice journey is one of the best ways to see Japan. The trains are clear, quick, and the surroundings attractive. I like touring the nation by practice. Whereas shopping for a rail move may look like a pricey alternative, it would prevent a ton of cash — and it’s a uniquely Japanese expertise that you just gained’t neglect!
E book Your Journey to Japan: Logistical Suggestions and Methods
E book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner to discover a low-cost flight. They’re my favourite search engine as a result of they search web sites and airways across the globe so that you at all times know no stone is left unturned!
E book Your Lodging
You possibly can guide your hostel with Hostelworld as they’ve the largest stock and greatest offers. If you wish to keep someplace aside from a hostel, use Reserving.com as they constantly return the most cost effective charges for guesthouses and low-cost accommodations. A few of my favourite locations to remain in Japan are:
Don’t Neglect Journey Insurance coverage
Journey insurance coverage will shield you in opposition to sickness, harm, theft, and cancellations. It’s complete safety in case something goes unsuitable. I by no means go on a visit with out it as I’ve had to make use of it many instances prior to now. My favourite firms that supply one of the best service and worth are:
In search of the Finest Firms to Save Cash With?
Try my useful resource web page for one of the best firms to make use of once you journey. I record all those I take advantage of to save cash once I’m on the highway. They’ll prevent cash once you journey too.
Make sure to try the Japan Rail Cross for those who’ll be touring across the nation. It is available in 7-, 14-, and 21-day passes and might prevent a ton of cash!
Need Extra Info on Japan
Make sure to go to our sturdy vacation spot information on Japan for much more planning ideas!
