Everyone who prepares a trip to Japan has the same problem: How to travel cheap in Japan?. The truth is that moving in Japan is not cheap, especially if you do it by train. Many travelers focus on the JR Pass as the best way to explore the country of the rising sun, but is it the best option? Is it the only option? Next we will make a comparison between the JR PASS and the JAPAN BUS PASS… Who will win?
It allows you to travel on most trains (including “Shinkansen” bullet trains) throughout Japan.
| Transportation included:
- All the company's trains JR-Shinkansen: limited express trains, express trains and fast or local trains, and the BRT, (with some exceptions that we will detail later). The Japan Railway group consists of six regional companies: JR Hokkaido, JR East, JR Central, JR West, JR Shikoku and JR Kyushu.
- Monorail of Tokyo.
- Company services Aoimori between Aomori and Hachinohe (only local or fast trains between Hachinohe and Aomori, Aomori and Noheji and Hachinohe and Noheji.
- The line IR Ishikawa between Kanazawa and Tsubata (only on local or limited express trains and must cover the entire segment between these two stations).
- The line Ainokaze Toyama between Toyama and Takaoka (only on local trains and should cover the entire segment between these two stations).
- Local lines of JR Bus: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Tokai, West Japan, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu Bus (not valid for express bus routes).
- Ferry to Miyajima on the “JR-WEST Miyajima ferry”.
Prices:
- 7 days: € 213
- 14 days: € 339
- 21 days: € 433
| Excluded from the pass:
- Shinkansen trains “Mizuho" Y "Nozomi“.
- Lines private of trains. Some of them are these:
Tobu: to access Nikko and northern part of Tokyo.
Odakyu: to get from Tokyo to Hakone and in the Kanagawa area.
Keisei: connection to Narita airport.
Keikyu: connection to Haneda airport.
Meitetsu: Nagoya area.
Kintetsu: Japan's largest private rail company, with services in the Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Ise and Nagoya area.
Nankai: in the southern area of Osaka. It covers access to Kansai airport and Koyasan.
Hankyu: connects Osaka with Kobe and Kyoto.
- Sometimes JRs use private rail lines for some services, where they will have to pay Additional charges.
Note: The Japan Rail Pass is only available with a “temporary visitor” visa. There are several websites that sell passes online, here are a couple of options: www.jrpass.com/es and www.japan-rail-pass.es/jr-pass
Pass through Japan on express buses with the company Willer Express.
| Transportation included:
Any line of the company, in any of its seating modalities (Standard, Relax or Theater).
| Prices:
- 3-day pass: ¥ 10,000 (about € 73). To travel 3 days, it does not have to be consecutive. Example route in 7, 10, 12 days (or those you need):
Day 1: Tokyo-Hiroshima
Day 2: Hiroshima-Kyoto
Day 3: Osaka-Nagoya-Tokyo
- 5 day pass: ¥ 15,000 (about € 110). Route example Route example in 7, 10, 12 days (or those you need):
Day 1: Tokyo-Niigata-Kyoto
Day 2: Kyoto-Hiroshima
Day 3: Hirshima-Osaka
Day 4: Osaka-Nagoya
Day 5: Nagoya-Tokyo.
More info here.
COMPARATIVE:
Let's confront the two alternatives in some of the most important points for the traveler, such as price, comfort and some strengths and weaknesses of each:
- As for the price, the bus pass is much more advisable. With the 5-day, comparable with a 14-day pass from the JR, we saved about € 230.
- However, the JR Pass is much more comfortable, as a previous reservation or a comprehensive trip schedule is not necessary.
- A point in favor of the Bus Pass is the possibility of sleeping on night buses, so you can save a hotel night and squeeze much more time in Japan.
- One point against the Bus Pass is that you probably have to complement it with some train transfers, especially over short distances (Osaka, Kyoto, Nara area ...). You will have to calculate the price of these routes and add them to the price of the pass.
- With the JR Pass in theory you have all the transfers covered, however check out the sections in which there are only private lines and in which you will have to pay the full ticket, or a supplement.
- Obviously the trains are much faster than the buses and with the JR Pass you can experience going on the back of the Shinkasen bullet train.
ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE: SEISHUN 18
Thanks to Gonzalo who has written to us about this alternative: it's called Seishun 18 Kippu and it is a multi-personal ticket that costs about 12,000 yen (around € 110) and that allows you to travel by train unlimitedly five times (each time being understood as a passenger apart from you or as a 24-hour period if you travel alone).
Where is the trick? With this pass you can only travel on slow trains, that is, on the premises and the fast JR (in this case excluding those that need a seat reservation), not being valid for bullet trains (the Shinkansen) or for the limited express. It also includes the JR ferry to Miyajima. It is a way to travel quieter and cheaper of course!
And you, have you traveled with any of these passes? What do you think is the best way to travel cheap in Japan?
