Questions about Japan Rail Pass

Question

1. Can I exchange my order for JR Pass at the airport and use it right away for Narita Express to get to Tokyo?

2. Is reservation mandatory for Narita Express? If so, can I do it right after getting my JR Pass?

3. I need to go to Kyoto the next day after I get my JR Pass (right after arrival to Narita). Can I do the reservation at the time when I get my JR Pass?

4. If it will be too late to get a reservation, do you think I can get a seat on the shinkansen for Tokyo to Kyoto if I leave Tokyo at around 6:20 in the morning?

5. If I use my JR Pass on Sept. 30 for Narita Express. Is it still valid for use going back to Narita airport on the morning of Oct. 7? I will get a 7-day JR Pass. How do they count the days on this?

I appreciate the help. Thanks!

Answer 1

1. Upon landing, go straightaway to the JR exchange office and you can exchange it (unless your flight arrives after hours, which would be about 9pm or so). You can now use your JR rail pass to ride the Narita express!

2. It is said you do need a reservation for the JR narita express, but I've hopped on it without such. All I did was show my rail pass and that was it. Just make sure you don't jump in a green car. But make a reservation anyway. Yes, you can use your JR rail pass on ANY JR train/shinkansen (except Nozomi), busses and even the ferry to Miyajima.

3. It is better to just arrive at Tokyo station (or Shinagawa station) and make a same-day reservation ticket. However, go early in the morning so you can get a good seat on the shinkansen. If you do not make a reservation, that's ok! You can board certain cars without a seat reservation and sit where you want, no problem at all! Yes, you can use your rail pass, as long as it's not a Nozomi train.

4. The only time it is "too late" to get a reservation on the shinkansen is if by some RARE FREAK incident, they're sold out. but it's pretty unlikely as there's one every 11 minutes or so. Another reason it might be "too late" would be if the shinkansen is already at the tracks and leaving within 5 minutes. You'd have to book for the NEXT one. Don't sweat it! I've always booked my shinkansen tickets about 30 minutes before they depart. It's almost never too late. You might want to avoid that hour and avoid Tokyo station until after 9am. that's rush hour and there will be MAD JAMS everywhere. If you're not on a time constraint, wait till about 9. It takes 2 hrs 45 min to get to Kyoto.

5. If your rail pass is stamped to begin Sept. 30, it will count Sept 30 as one day already. It will last for 7 days until Oct. 6. October 6 is the last day you may use it, so now, you are going to have to pay for the Narita express on Oct. 7.

Good luck

Answer 2

1. Yes you can exchange your order for the pass at the travel cener of JR station either Terminal1 or 2 located B1F of the airpiort building.

http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en005.h...

http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/stations/e1130...

http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/stations/e611....

You may need 5 to 10 minutes to the procedure there.

2. Narita express needs reservation except standing on door area.

Conductor will check your tickets status by inspection seat by seat later once train departured.This is happened on Shinkansen too.



It doesn't take much time that you'd better have reservation promptly on the same time for exchanging together there. Staffs can speak English.

3.4.  Yes you can easily reserve next day's Shinkansen for Kyoto when you exchange your order for the Pass altogether. You just need time a bit more. Early trains are always very limited to reserve just before the day and/or time because heavy demand of business passengers but if week-end your day is, it will be quite alright one day before to reserve. I strongly recommend to reserve at Narita because JR Tokyo is so huge and complicated to reach ticket office and very crowded even early moring.

5. 7 days mean consecutive 7days so your pass will expire on Oct.6 24:00. You must know some more important rule as below.

http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en004.h...

It is cheaper to pay one way fare for Narita Express Yen3140 than purchasing 14-day JR pass. Otherwise stay the night of Oct6 at near Narita Airport as you can still use up  JR Pass.

You may use JR local train to the airport. It takes time twice but fares only Yen1280.

If you take Keisei line (not JR line) from Keisei Ueno to the airport by express train so called Sky Liner, it takes only 80  minutes and costs Yen1920 only.

http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/k...

Answer 3

1. Yes, at the Narita Airport.

2. Didn't need Reservations, but I guess you can make them:  http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/nex/reservatio...

3. You can make your reservation to go to Kyoto at any JR station. If you have time, do it at the station at the airport.

4. You can probably get on the train to Kyoto, there always seems to be standing room only if nothing else. (Isn't that also the Shinkansen?)

But again, the morning Shinkansen should have at lest standing room.

5. I would say no to this one.......7 days would end on October 6th.

And I think it costs about $30 US to go from Narita to Tokyo.