Buy Bullet Train Tickets Japan

Shinkansen passengers typically receive two pieces of tickets: a base fare ticket and a supplement ticket. In some situations the two tickets are combined into a single ticket, while more than two tickets may be issued if multiple trains are involved (one base fare ticket and one supplement ticket for each train).

If you do not speak Japanese, it is recommended that you write the data on a piece of paper and present it to the salesperson in order to make the purchasing process smoother. Salespersons are generally familiar with the English vocabulary needed for the purchase of train tickets and seat reservations, but many have limited English conversation skills.

Although such websites exist in Japanese, there is currently no single English website for buying tickets for shinkansen nationwide. Instead, there are multiple systems that each cover only selected lines. Note that these systems (except the one for the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen) do not issue e-tickets. Instead, actual tickets need to be picked up from ticket machines before boarding the train. Furthermore, tickets can be picked up only in the region covered by each system.

The Japan Rail Pass can be used on all shinkansen trains except Nozomi and Mizuho trains and covers all the fees involved. Seat reservations can be made for free at ticket machines and ticket offices. Pass holders will receive a seat reservation ticket that indicates the reserved seat. They need no tickets besides their rail pass when using non-reserved seats. Numerous regional passes also cover some shinkansen trains.

Shinkansen bullet trains are the fastest and most convenient way of discovering Japan. The Japan Rail (JR) network is extensive and the trains reach a top speed of 320 km/h (199mp/h). This allows you to get to wherever you need in little time.

The Japan Rail Pass allows you to make a free reservation for these two types of trains, but you still need to pay for the ticket. The Hikari, Kodama, and Sakura bullet trains are the fastest trains you can board using the Japan Rail Pass. They make just a few more stops than the express trains.

Kodama is the slowest of the three trains which operate on the Tokaido Shinkansen line. This is due to the larger number of stops in comparison to the other two bullet trains on this line. The Kodama train stops at every station and takes almost four hours to reach Shin-Osaka. It runs at a speed of 285 km/h (178 mph).

The Japan Rail Pass is valid on the JR Express Trains, all Rapid and Local trains along the JR lines, JR local buses, the JR Miyajima ferry, as well as airport transfers like the Narita express and the Haruka express. All the shinkansen bullet trains are also included with the exception of the Nozomi and Mizuho trains.

Nozomi and Mizuho Shinkansen bullet trains (both reserved and non-reserved) are not included with the JR Pass. These two types of trains operate on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen lines. To use these trains, JR Pass holders would need to pay full fare.

I would advise you to book your shinkansen tickets as far in advance as you can, during peak season like Christmas and New Year, cherry blossom season (April) and fall foliage season (November). It gets extremely busy and trains are often fully booked.

Shinkansen, known as "bullet train", offers the fastest, most comfortable, and most exciting way to travel throughout Japan.Since Shinkansen connects between major cities in Japan such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and many other areas across Japan, it is loved to be used by many foreigners who come to visit Japan to enjoy its beautiful sceneries.

It is quite easy to purchase tickets at a station, but as mentioned earlier, there's a possibility that your designated trains are all booked out especially if your travel falls on one of the peak seasons in the year.Also, you may need to queue up in a long line, as oftentimes ticket counter or vending machine is crowded with people purchasing tickets.Here's a quick review of purchasing tickets at a station

Proceed to your Shinkansen departure station with your ticket, find your platform (usually there is an electric bulletin board near the ticket gate that shows train and platform number), insert your ticket to the ticket gate, head to your platform, get into the cabin number written on your ticket, and find your own seat also written on the ticket.If you are taking an unreserved seat, you can find the unreserved cabin information from the electric bulletin board.You can have seats at unreserved cabins of any train of any time on a reserved day with unreserved tickets, and seats in the unreserved cabin are the first-come first-serve basis.Make sure that you allow enough time at your departure station before taking your reserved train, as you may have a hard time finding your platform at the station.Since many of the Shinkansen stations are quite complexed, we recommend you to be at the station around 30 minutes prior to your train departure.(Especially, Tokyo station is the most complex of all in Japan.)In case you miss your reserved train, you can still take any later train on the same day, but in an unreserved seat.If there are any more points need to be cleared, please visit our FAQ page, where we have gathered all the questions we have received from our customers in the past, or simply contact us anytime. Our Shinkansen Booking Experts are more than happy to assist you!

You can take any open seats in unreserved cars of any train on the departure date. (No departure time will be indicated on your tickets.)The best seat type if your priority is the cost and are traveling during less-crowded season/time.

Shinkansen (bullet train), Express train, Airport train, and local train as well as train package are available to reserve online at Shinkansen-Ticket.com.You can avoid long lines in Japan for getting train tickets by purchasing tickets with us in advance. You can also avoid no vacant for trains in busy seasons if you reserve trains here before your flying to Japan.

Shinkansen-Ticket.com can deliver your tickets to your hotel in Japan, post offices near major stations or at airports for your easy pick-up. International shipping is also available so that you can have your train tickets before leaving your country to Japan.

Although you can buy a bullet train ticketonce you arrive at the station, you will be more likely to nab a better seat bybooking tickets in advance. This especially goes for groups of travellerswanting to sit together. Doing so also means less time standing in line. Thisis especially advised during busy times of the year when trains can book upfast.

In most cases, outside of busy seasons, you will have no problem buying your bullet train ticket once you arrive at the station. You can purchase your ticket from a machine or ticket office at any station. Just be aware that during peak times of the day and busy seasons, the queues for these machines and offices can be long, so factor plenty of time into your journey.

The company is also known as JR-EAST (in English) or JR-Higashi Nihon (in Japanese). It provides rail transportation in the Kanto and Tohoku regions including Tokyo. It also includes the services of the bullet train network and the Tokyo Metropolitan network.

Different shinkansen are operated by different local rail companies. Depending on which region you are travelling through you can buy your tickets on the website of JR East, JR Central, JR West or JR Kyushu. Most shinkansen have both reserved and unreserved seating but as trains can sell out, particularly at peak time, booking a reserved seat in advance is recommended.

For one, two or three weeks, a National Japan Rail Pass can cover you for a vast number of JR services, from bullet trains to buses across the entire country. Visit our Japan Rail Pass page to learn more.

There are several ways to travel around Japan, and the Shinkansen, or bullet train, is one convenient method. It consists of a high-speed train operated by Japan Railways companies, with the first one opened when Tokyo held the Olympics in 1964. The Shinkansen is punctual and safe, with no significant accidents happening since the year it started. Moreover, this bullet train runs at a speed higher than 200 kilometers per hour. However, it never reached or departed a station late and always reaches the destinations on time. The Shinkansen has several lines, including the Sanyo Shinkansen, Tohoku Shinkansen, Tokaido Shinkansen, Kyushu Shinkansen, Hokuriku Shinkansen, Hokkaido Shinkansen, and Joetsu Shinkansen.

Since the ticket system of the bullet train in Japan is complex, this guide will dive into the details and steps involved to get the tickets. For example, people must get two tickets instead of one to benefit from the Shinkansen service. The first is the basic fare ticket for all train travel, while the second is an express ticket for taking the Shinkansen. Sometimes, the basic fare and express tickets are integrated into one ticket.

Passing through the automatic ticket gates for the bullet train, people can get onto the Shinkansen. People will need to insert the two tickets together to pass the gate. Moreover, the ticket gate stamps the two tickets and releases them automatically. So, people should make sure to grab the tickets once released.

Depending on the type of bullet train, reserved and unreserved car arrangements may vary. Cars number 1 to number 3 have the most unreserved seats aboard Shinkansen trains. Still, those can be found sometimes in cars number 1 to number 5 on some other Shinkansen trains. Furthermore, other trains may include more cars with unreserved seats. 781b155fdc