Japan Rail Pass exclusions?

ClarkH · 4 Dec 2012

I'll be going to Japan in a few weeks. I've bought a Japan Rail Pass, because I'm traveling a lot. Should I be able to go almost anywhere in Kansai and Kanto regions with this pass? May I still require either a Suica or PASMO card?
From the Japan Rail Pass website:

The Pass is valid for the railways, buses and ferry boats shown below.
Railways:
All JR Group Railways Shinkansen "bullet trains" (except any reserved or non-reserved seat on "Nozomi" and "Mizuho" trains), limited express trains, express trains, and rapid or local trains. (With some exceptions). Japan Rail Pass can also be used for the Tokyo monorail. The Japan Rail Pass is confirmed as valid for the Hayabusa and Sakura Shinkansen services.
Buses:
Local lines of JR bus companies (JR Hokkaido Bus, JR Bus Tohoku, JR Bus Kanto, JR Tokai Bus, West Japan JR Bus, Chugoku JR Bus, JR Shikoku Bus, JR Kyushu Bus) and some of JR highway bus services (Sapporo-Otaru; Morioka-Hirosaki; Tokyo-Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka,Tsukuba Center; Nagoya-Kyoto, Osaka; Osaka-Tsuyama, Kasai Flower Center)
Ferry:
Only the JR Miyajima ferry is covered. The JR Hakata-Pusan (Korea) ferry is not covered.

But then, it also says this:

Remember that your Japan Rail Pass already covers you for travel on the circular Tokyo subway JR Yamanote Line, but not the 13 subway lines which run off this.

Could anyone please give me a little better idea about how many costs the Japan Rail Pass will cover?

Thank you.

Mike Cash · 4 Dec 2012

The smart thing would be to sit down and figure out where you want to go and if they are serviced by JR lines (not every place is).

ClarkH · 4 Dec 2012

I'll be there for 3 weeks. I've made a list of 40+ places I plan to visit, and have pinned them on Google maps as well. But, that's a lot of routes to review.

Could you please just elaborate on this quote?

Remember that your Japan Rail Pass already covers you for travel on the circular Tokyo subway JR Yamanote Line, but not the 13 subway lines which run off this.

So, there are many useful subway lines in Tokyo that my Japan Rail Pass will not cover?

thepie · 4 Dec 2012

ClarkH said:
So, there are many useful subway lines in Tokyo that my Japan Rail Pass will not cover?

Yes, if you take lines belonging to other companies like Tokyo Metro or Tokyu, you can't use the pass. And there are places you can't access with JR Lines, unless you avoid them at all cost.

Mike Cash · 4 Dec 2012

ClarkH said:
So, there are many useful subway lines in Tokyo that my Japan Rail Pass will not cover?

That's what it looks like to me.

ArmandV · 4 Dec 2012

thepie said:
Yes, if you take lines belonging to other companies like Tokyo Metro or Tokyu, you can't use the pass. And there are places you can't access with JR Lines, unless you avoid them at all cost.

Day passes with those other lines are an option to consider.

ClarkH · 4 Dec 2012

Thanks everyone.

Japan Rail Pass exclusions?

ClarkH

先輩

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

ClarkH

先輩

thepie

先輩

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

ArmandV

Eight Times To Japan

ClarkH

先輩

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