Is the JAPAN RAIL PASS worth it? - A guide to the JAPAN RAIL PASS
Short answer: It All Depends.
Before we landed in Japan, we ordered a 21-day JR pass to our accommodation in Korea and this ticket allows us to exchange this ticket for a Japan Rail Pass.
We ordered our pass through klook.com - it was the cheapest option we found and they had it safely delivered to us (gave us a tracking number as well!) in less than a week! It is currently on sale for (with currency exchange rates from April 2023):
7 Days ¥ 29650 ($227 USD) > ¥ 50000 ($374 USD)
14 Days ¥ 47250 ($361 USD) > ¥ 80000 ($598 USD)
21 Days ¥ 60450 ($462 USD) > ¥ 100000 ($747 USD)
*** There will be a price INCREASE starting OCTOBER 2023. A price increase of up to 77%!***
If you download the Klook app, they will give you 5% off your booking!
Click here to buy your JR PASS!
You will have to get your JR Pass activated in Hakata Station (If you are in Fukuoka) or any of the major JR Stations. We went during the weekend so lines can be incredibly long. There will be several employees from the railway that make sure that you are on the right line, have your passport, and have any trains you want to reserve ahead of time. We waited for about two hours to get our JR Pass activated.
At the office, you are able to choose the date when to start your first day of the JR Pass. There is also a form where you can write out your preplanned train reservations. It is possible to not book ahead of time, however, there may not be any seats left on certain trains, especially if you are going to touristy areas or traveling during peak season.
The employees at the ticket counter speak English fairly well so, if you have any other questions, please ask them!
Have your ticket (the paper to exchange for your JR pass), passport, and a sheet of train reservations (not a requirement) ready. The employee will check if you are a temporary visitor to Japan and your name (it has to be exactly like your passport).
The JR Pass looks like a business card. It feels like a smooth card stock. REMEMBER! if you lose it, you won’t be able to get another one. Please make sure you don’t lose it as you travel through Japan! Olivers bent halfway through the trip and he had to show it to the station master each time he had to pass through the gates.
During your trip, you can go to the counter to reserve train seats or you can use the self-service counter to book your seats ahead pf time. We did this quite a bit and it was extremely helpful knowing we had a seat already reserved for us. (See below on how to fill out the sheet to reserve trains)
After traveling to Japan with the JR pass for 21 days, we think the pass was absolutely worth it. If we didn’t have the JR Pass we would have paid, ¥63,530 (for both Reserved and Unreserved tickets) for all our transportation. A total of 33 train rides on the JR LINE!
in the end, ¥60,450 ($462 USD) was worth it for us.
BUT, if you are traveling slowly and are not taking the Shinkansen (bullet train) a majority of the time, then it will be worth it to just pay as you go. Especially if you are not a planner and decide to stay in an area a little longer.
We also think it gives you some peace of mind. You don’t need to go to the ticket booth and constantly pay for a train ticket. It’s all done! We think you are paying for the convenience as well.
Our best advice will be to:
if you are a planner: plan your train trips through the JAPAN OFFICIAL TRAVEL APP. Calculate how much you will be spending on each train and see if the JR Pass pays for itself.
if you are not a planner: wing it. travel slowly. no plan is the best plan.
There are a ton of options regarding sightseeing buses, unlimited subway ride passes, and you can also purchase sections of the JR PASS (EAST, WEST, etc.) Do not limit yourself to the JR Pass! Explore options.
