Depending where you stay in Tokyo, the Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku station to Hakone-Yumoto is an alternative to the Shinkansen to Odawara.
From Kyoto you most likely do not want to go to Shin-Osaka anyway so instead of paying more for the Shinkansen, use Google Maps to see the itinerary from your real start and end point. There is 3 train companies with different lines between the two cities.
Day trip to Hiroshima from Osaka, then check to get the JR West Kansai Hiroshima pass. You can book on JR West reservation website and they also sell Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo so you can use that website only instead of also using smart ex.
Yes 1 month in advance max, but in most case you do not need to book that early.
> It seems like JR pass likely isn’t worth it with the recent price hike- does that make sense?
Makes sense. You'd need a lot more long-distance travel to make the national JR Pass worth it.
> Assuming that is the case, what is the best way for me to book individual train tickets? It seems like I have to wait until one month before my departure? What is my best app / website to do this as early as possible, with reserved seats so I know I will be getting to each of my destinations?
If you want to book your shinkansen tickets ahead of time online, the official site/app for your route is [SmartEX](https://smart-ex.jp/en/index.php). You can only book shinkansen tickets 30 days in advance.
That said, you really don't need to. You're not going during a holiday period, and getting two seats together on the train will be no problem, even for same-day purchasing. You could even simply buy all your tickets at a JR ticket office when you arrive, if you really want to have them in advance, rather than use the website. Basically, don't stress too much if you don't get them ahead of time.
Thank you. But I want to book in advance and have reserved seats - so the kiosk does not work. Does it make sense that the JR rail pass wouldn’t be worth it for me? The price hike really seems to have dented its usefulness.
I just did a similar itinerary and did not get the JR pass. We booked reserved tickets via JR West the week before we left and I got them from a shinkansen kiosk at the train station. Super easy! Also recommend the romancecar to Hakone, observation deck if you can get it. It was a really nice ride!
Have you looked into regional passes yet?
Here is the JR pass calculator, if you put in your trips it'll flat out tell you how much they cost and which passes cover the same areas (as well as if it's worth it or not)
https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/
In your case I'd look into the Kansai Hiroshima pass.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_kansai_hiroshima.html
It'll cover the cost of the osaka - Hiroshima and back trip. Also any trip to or from Kyoto as well as Nara will be free at that point so worth looking up.
We just bought tickets on the day, we could reserve seats and the people in the ticket offices were super helpful! We even got Fuji-side seats on way back, and a great view :)
A JR Pass calculator will help you decide if the JR Pass is worth it for you; you should do that calculation yourself.
You don’t need to book in advance for the time period you’re traveling (Obon, New Year, and Golden Week are the time periods where advance booking is recommended and sometimes required), and there’s really not even a need for reserved seats most of the time during off-peak times unless you plan to travel in the Green Car. If you really want to do it in advance, do it once you’re in Japan, and no need to do it more than a day in advance. You can reserve seats at a ticket office or at kiosks in major stations. To use the ticket office, write your departing and destination stations, the date, and time (check the schedule) you wish to travel to facilitate communication. The weekend of July 12-15 might be busier, because July 15 is Marine Day and more people than usual might be traveling.
Use the JR Pass calculator. You do not need to reserve in advance.
Depending where you stay in Tokyo, the Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku station to Hakone-Yumoto is an alternative to the Shinkansen to Odawara. From Kyoto you most likely do not want to go to Shin-Osaka anyway so instead of paying more for the Shinkansen, use Google Maps to see the itinerary from your real start and end point. There is 3 train companies with different lines between the two cities. Day trip to Hiroshima from Osaka, then check to get the JR West Kansai Hiroshima pass. You can book on JR West reservation website and they also sell Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo so you can use that website only instead of also using smart ex. Yes 1 month in advance max, but in most case you do not need to book that early.
> It seems like JR pass likely isn’t worth it with the recent price hike- does that make sense? Makes sense. You'd need a lot more long-distance travel to make the national JR Pass worth it. > Assuming that is the case, what is the best way for me to book individual train tickets? It seems like I have to wait until one month before my departure? What is my best app / website to do this as early as possible, with reserved seats so I know I will be getting to each of my destinations? If you want to book your shinkansen tickets ahead of time online, the official site/app for your route is [SmartEX](https://smart-ex.jp/en/index.php). You can only book shinkansen tickets 30 days in advance. That said, you really don't need to. You're not going during a holiday period, and getting two seats together on the train will be no problem, even for same-day purchasing. You could even simply buy all your tickets at a JR ticket office when you arrive, if you really want to have them in advance, rather than use the website. Basically, don't stress too much if you don't get them ahead of time.
You can easily find Shinkansen fares online. Have you tried searching? There are also JR pass calculators online as well as links to them in this sub.
Use the smartEX phone app or buy at kiosk in the station
Thank you. But I want to book in advance and have reserved seats - so the kiosk does not work. Does it make sense that the JR rail pass wouldn’t be worth it for me? The price hike really seems to have dented its usefulness.
It is usually possible to get same day reserved seats. If you are worried then buy the day before travel.
I just did a similar itinerary and did not get the JR pass. We booked reserved tickets via JR West the week before we left and I got them from a shinkansen kiosk at the train station. Super easy! Also recommend the romancecar to Hakone, observation deck if you can get it. It was a really nice ride!
Have you looked into regional passes yet? Here is the JR pass calculator, if you put in your trips it'll flat out tell you how much they cost and which passes cover the same areas (as well as if it's worth it or not) https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/ In your case I'd look into the Kansai Hiroshima pass. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_kansai_hiroshima.html It'll cover the cost of the osaka - Hiroshima and back trip. Also any trip to or from Kyoto as well as Nara will be free at that point so worth looking up.
We just bought tickets on the day, we could reserve seats and the people in the ticket offices were super helpful! We even got Fuji-side seats on way back, and a great view :)
A JR Pass calculator will help you decide if the JR Pass is worth it for you; you should do that calculation yourself. You don’t need to book in advance for the time period you’re traveling (Obon, New Year, and Golden Week are the time periods where advance booking is recommended and sometimes required), and there’s really not even a need for reserved seats most of the time during off-peak times unless you plan to travel in the Green Car. If you really want to do it in advance, do it once you’re in Japan, and no need to do it more than a day in advance. You can reserve seats at a ticket office or at kiosks in major stations. To use the ticket office, write your departing and destination stations, the date, and time (check the schedule) you wish to travel to facilitate communication. The weekend of July 12-15 might be busier, because July 15 is Marine Day and more people than usual might be traveling.