Explore Japan with a cheap rail pass

Japan is a fantastic country, and one that should be on your must visit vacation list.

Unfortunately Japan has a reputation for being expensive. Thankfully a vacation in Japan doesn't have to be as expensive as you think! I've written a useful article about having a cheap vacation in Tokyo.

Another great tip is to buy a Japan Rail Pass. This bargain allows unlimited rail travel all over Japan. Beware though - the Rail Pass is only available outside Japan, so you must buy one online before you visit Japan!

It's worth spending some time planning your trip to Japan. If you only want to visit Tokyo and maybe have one or two side excursions to Nikko, Yokohama or Kamakura then it's probably not worthwhile buying a Japan Rail Pass. Most rail journeys in Japan are reasonably priced so a Japan Rail Pass may not be good value for money.

Japan Rail Passes are available for 7, 14 and 21 day durations.

Japanese trains get very busy at vacation times, so if visiting Japan you might want to avoid major public vacations.

Japan is good to visit at any time of the year. Spring is recommended, especially during the cherry blossom season. Autumn (September and October) is also a great time to visit Japan.

Within Tokyo it's also possible to save money on train journeys. Instead of using Japan Rail's network, using the metro system and the vast network of private commuter lines can lead to significantly cheaper journeys. Most destinations are accessible by both Japan Rail as well as the cheaper privately run railways.

The Shinkansen bullet trains are expensive, so if you want to do several journeys by bullet train then a Japan Rail Pass could be good value for money. Long distance bullet train fares are very expensive! To travel between Tokyo and Osaka or Kyoto could cost the same as a domestic airline ticket! If you wanted to travel between Tokyo and Hiroshima the cost would be even greater.

There are two types of Japan Rail Pass. Green allows you to travel in the Green cars on train services. These offer better standards of comfort and are roughly equivalent to the first class carriages seen on trains in other countries. The Ordinary Japan Rail Pass does not allow travel in Green cars (but this isn't really a problem as Japanese trains are very comfortable in standard class carriages).

To use your Japan Rail Pass, just show the pass at a manned ticket barrier - the pass cannot be used in automatic ticket barriers.

Also be aware that Japan Rail Passes aren't valid on a few Japan Rail trains, including the fastest bullet trains (called Nozomi). There are also surcharges should a Japan Rail train have to travel any distance on a privately owned rail line.

Bear in mind that many services (such as the airport expresses) require seat reservations. You can make these at any train station by showing your Japan Rail Pass.

Most visitors to Japan arrive at Tokyo's Narita International Airport. Both of the terminals have Japan Rail kiosks where the friendly English speaking staff will allow you to pick up your Japan Rail Pass. Sometimes the queues are fairly long, but the terminals have plenty of rest areas, eating areas and toilets. Thankfully the terminals at Narita airport are built right on top of the train stations, so boarding a train to central Tokyo is very easy.

It's also possible to pick up your Japan Rail Pass at one of the many Travel Service Centers - most large cities have one.

Enjoy your vacation in Japan!