The JR Pass most likely WON’T save you MONEY or TIME.
- Visiting for 10 days or fewer, or 5 cities or fewer?
- Using the bullet train only a fewer times?
- Most staying in places longer than just 3 days at a time?
Then you’ll probably save money and time by NOT buying the pass. I mean it! Please do not be fooled by endless blogs and affiliate links encouraging you to buy the pass. It is not the safe option!
The big gotchas of the JAPAN RAIL PASS
We think of “passes” as a pay once and use it as much as you want type of agreement. But the JR Pass is anything but. It’s too limited and ends up being more of an inconvenience than a convenience!
1. It’s expensive.
You’re paying way too much for it and now have to justify it’s cost by exhausting yourself to take more trains when you could have just spent more time to really enjoy each city. This becomes more of a problem when you realize there are many 3rd-party sites selling the pass at different price points and with long confusing/conflicting verbiage. Some of them are shady and rip you off with added fees.
2. The rail pass doesn’t cover every train and transportation type.
This will be the most infuriating part. There are trains that go between cities, and then from within the city. To make it simple, your JR pass doesn’t cover all of them. You’ve already paid for an expensive pass and now find yourself still having to pay much more money for many trains still.
And furthermore, the JR Pass only covers transportation by JR railways. That means certain trains and certain local buses. Everything else, you still have to pay for. Metros (outside of Tokyo Yamanote line), many buses, and many trains are not covered.
3. You don’t save time.
This is frustrating too. When you first arrive at the airport. You have to go to the office to pick up your pass. It’s easily a 90-minute wait and feels like a whole day has gone by just to pick up the pass.
Then after you pick up your pass, you’ll find out it doesn’t cover all trains. You soon realize the trains that run more often are not covered, so you end up waiting around losing more hours of your life because of these limitations. Or you have to plan ahead more carefully not to miss certain trains. For the added stress and loss of time alone, I see the JR ticket being totally not worth it…even looking at it as a major inconvenience (that you paid extra for *facepalm*).
The pass also doesn’t save time in booking or buying tickets. You still have to book online or buy in person, and/or print and pickup tickets like usual. It’s not like you buy a pass and never have to book anything else.
4. You only get your money’s worth if you go often and far distances on the Shinkansen bullet train.
Generally most trains are cheap enough, so the pass only makes sense if you’re using the Shinkansen trains a lot.
- The first question is are you going far enough? If you’re just staying around the central Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka, my answer is a definite no.
- The other question is are you flying in and out of Tokyo? Having to return to Tokyo probably means extra trains used.
Helpful calcualations:
- The pass costs $335 for 7 days, $540 for 14 days, $675 for 21 days.
- Even at the cheapest price of $675 for 21 days, it still works out to about $100 for every 3 days.
- Tokyo to Kyoto/Osaka is about $100 (common route).
- Tokyo to Hiroshima is $135 (farthest common tourist route).
- Tokyo to Fukuoka or Sapporo is $160-180 (the farthest southwest and northeast).
So are you going to travel the distance of Tokyo to Kyoto every 3 days? I highly highly doubt it. And even if you did, does it mean the pass covers the most ideal trains you want? Still no.
5. Flying might be a better alternative.
Do you really even want to be on a train for long distances? A flight may be a faster AND cheaper alternative. Personally, I hate having to go to the airport early, dragging luggage and going through checkout. But if I only had carry-on…it’s not a bad idea.
You really don’t need the JAPAN RAIL PASS
That’s correct. You don’t need it. Just buy tickets as you go.
This is for sure the easiest, fastest, and probably cheapest way to get around Japan’s railway system. Just for easiest and fastest alone, I would have been happy to pay more for that! There’s no reason to stress yourself extra standing around in long lines trying to read Japanese characters and explain to Japanese-accented customer service what you want.
Is there ever a scenario to buy the JR Pass?
Sure, if you’re staying 21 days…and traveling to the farthest ends of Japan (far southwest and northeast). Like say, to Fukuoka and Sapporo. And with a couple stops in between, I could see it being a great deal. But also too…you could just fly from one end to the other for a cheaper price.
I was in Japan for 21 days the first time I went and despite going as far southwest as Hiroshima, and visiting about 10 cities…it still didn’t justify a JR Pass.
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