For years, there was a golden rule for travelers going to Japan: Get Japan rail passIt was a No-Brener, a budget-loving hacked travel blogs and equally shared in guidebooks. After all, the price of unlimited, nationwide travel on JR trains was almost the same as a roundtrip ticket. Tokyo And OsakaSo simply can save money about any tourist beyond the capital.
But that once-wise advice is now old. In 2023, JR increased the price of the pass by about 70 percent. While he added some allowances, which included exemption in shops and tourist attractions, new prices make it a very few attractive options for most visitors. Once the last travel tool has become an expensive feature, and passengers now need to pay attention to whether it fits their journey at the event – or if it is worth it.
Passes 7-, 14-, and are available in the 21-day periods, priced for 50,000 yen (about $ 337), 80,000 yen ($ 539), and 100,000 yen ($ 674) for standard reserved category respectively. This includes theoretically unlimited travel on Japan rail-operated trains, buses and ghats. However, some regional lines are excluded, and the fastest bullet trains – nozomi and mizuho – require a heavy supplementary fee.
Suppose you are planning the Classic Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto route on a week off. The standard roundtrip fare for reserved seats on bullet trains nearby will be a total of 36,060 yen (about $ 243). This means that you will need to use an additional 13,940 yen (about $ 94) in JR transport. Not impossible, but if you are clinging to the centers of the city, it is unlikely.
And this is the place where another complexity arises: urban transit networks often rely on private or municipal metro and bus lines that are not covered by passes. Trying to stick particularly from JR routes can be uncomfortable and disappointing quickly. It is very little trouble (and often cheap), such as a rechargeable transit card, such as Suika or Pasmo, and wherever the day takes you, go there.
Japan Rail Pass can still offer a good price if you are staying for a long time or planning to cover a lot of land. Are also cheap, more limited Regional railway pass This can suit the better specific journey program. But the sad thing is that No-Mussal, No-Fus Era of Ekal Must-National Rail pass is over.
