Japan Rail Pass > Reviews > A cost effective way to travel Japan

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money	Excellent
Shopping	Excellent
Nightlife	Excellent
Ease of getting around	Good
Family Friendly	Excellent

Advantages:	A great way to save money on long distance travel in Japan
Disadvantages:	Can only be bought outside of Japan

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

If you are planning on travelling to Japan and travelling the country via trains this pas is for you. The pass gives you free travel on all JR trains both long and short distances, JR bus routes, the JR ferry from Hiroshima to Miyajima, JR subway lines (this is not all subway lines) and the Narita express from Narita (Tokyo) airport into the centre of Tokyo. They are valid for 7, 14 or 21 days and you can buy for either standard class (ordinary) or first class (green). There are also tickets that cover only parts of the network rather than the full network. An adult 7 day ordinary pass will cost you 28,300 Yen. A return ticket from Tokyo - Kyoto will cost you 27,040 Yen so only a couple more journeys will make the ticket worthwhile.

The ticket can be used on all Shinkansen (bullet trains) services without extra cost except for the Nozomi (the fastest service). And whilst they do not guarantee you a seat on your selected service, these can be booked at stations for no extra cost. The only downside I found with them was that they are the wrong size to fit through the ticket barriers and so you must see the person at the window in order for them to let you through. They can also only be bought outside of Japan to tourists and once your exchange order has been issued you have 3 months in which to change it for your pass. When trying to do this you must show your passport as proof that you are a tourist.