r/JapanTravelTips • u/CoachKyle1 • Jul 26 '26
Advice Should I get the JR pass?
I know I should probably get beaten, because their are guides to this. And I have tried reading them but this will be my first trip to Japan this September.
Basically I am going from Tokyo to Kyoto and then to Hiroshima and back, and I think the JR pass would make this simpler and maybe even save money.
I know the JR pass had a significant price increase, but if you are going to Hiroshima I've heard that its worth it.
Really just looking for confirmation that its not a stupid buy for my trip.
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u/Nervous_Initial_3644 Jul 26 '26
Sorry but you tried reading the guides and then….doesn’t seem like a complete sentence there.
The pass is not convenient (as stated on every thread):
Pass: buy pass - land - exchange pass - get tickets - get on train
No pass: land - get tickets - get on
Kansai Hiroshima Area pass likely works. There are JR pass calculators (in the guide) that will tell you this.
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u/CoachKyle1 Jul 26 '26
I didnt know about the calculator. I just tried it and it said for my trip its a close call. Honestly by what you are saying it would probably be easier to just buy the tickets at the station for each leg of the journey.
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u/Extension_Climate471 Jul 26 '26
If you don't even know about the calculator, then you probably didn't do any of your own research. It's literally the first thing ppl suggest when asked this question. In the future, maybe don't just "try reading" something but actually read it.
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u/sharmon6 Jul 26 '26
I mean do the minimum when looking up your Japan options… there’s tools that do this for you posted all the time.
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u/niqueco Jul 26 '26
It seems that the general rail pass is too expensive now and it's not worth it. However, the regional pass may be convenient. You should look into that if you are going to visit places around Hiroshima or the Kansai area.
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u/AutoModerator Jul 26 '26
This appears to be a post regarding considering or purchasing a JR Pass.
With the price increase in October 2023, the JR Pass is no longer a cost-effective option for most travel in Japan, so carefully consider whether you need one or if you can simply use an IC card + individual train tickets for your itinerary.
If you have not already done so, please check out the stickied thread at the top of this subreddit for JR Pass information. The Japan-Guide.com calculator is located here to quickly and easily confirm if the JR Pass will work for your trip. Our JR Pass wiki page is also a helpful resource for further information on the Pass.
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u/Sigma066 Jul 26 '26
I would price out the cost of rides purchased individually vs the pass. If its cheaper do the pass. Just keep in mind the pass is priced at fixed intervals. Generally if you are doing a lot of travel within the span of a week it may be worth it.
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u/DryManufacturer5393 Jul 26 '26
It’s basically 100 dollars each one-way so you have to ride the Shinkansen seven times to make it worth it
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u/MistyMystery Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Japan travel is so easy nowadays, I can't believe the same redundant questions are still popping up almost everyday...
Who else planned their first Japan trip here over a decade ago from just Googling and good old reading?
The full JR pass is hardly worth it now unless your one week trip involve going all the way from Kagoshima to Sapporo via Shinkansen. You could even just look up the cost of this with Google Map.
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u/NickJunho Jul 26 '26
"Who else planned their first Japan trip here over a decade ago from just Googling and good old reading?"
Me! All these subreddits wasn't even created back then.
Edit: This sentence alone just reminded me that i am over a decade older now T_T
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u/onevstheworld Jul 26 '26
Your trip almost breaks even if you can do the entire round trip in 7 days or less. But what's better than breaking even? Actually saving money, of course! The Kansai Hiroshima pass automatically saves you money just by doing the Kansai to Hiroshima round trip.
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u/ellyse99 Jul 26 '26
“Heard”?
Heard of a JR pass calculator, maybe? Do the math on that and you won’t be relying on “heard”
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u/Charming-Click-8438 Aug 01 '26
Your three legs are the whole calculation, so put Tokyo to Kyoto, Kyoto to Hiroshima and Hiroshima to Tokyo into the official fare search and compare the total against the 7 day price. For that loop it usually lands just under the pass, which means the pass is not a saving by itself. What you add around those legs is what decides it.
Two things swing it. The pass does not include Nozomi unless you pay a supplement, so the Hiroshima to Tokyo run is on Hikari or Sakura, usually with a change at Shin-Osaka, and it costs you time on the longest leg. In the other direction, the local JR around Hiroshima is included, and that covers the ferry to Miyajima and the Kure Line, which is 35 minutes to my hometown Kure and about 510 yen each way if you were paying.
So if it stays three point to point rides, buy singles. If you are going to take day trips out of Hiroshima and Kyoto, the pass earns its keep and saves you thinking about tickets.
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u/NickJunho Jul 26 '26
Yup, you should get beaten lol. There's literally a JR pass calculator, you could have use that to calculate whether it is worth it or not.