Hi! I will visit Japan on November for 2 weeks. I have watched many videos and recommendations but it’s still hard for me to understand, How do I buy the pass? Do I have to buy it before I arrive in Japan? How do a I book a seat ?
Thank you so much in advance!
Hi Stephany! Very happy for your first visit to Japan, you’ll have a great time for sure. The weather is perfect in November, not to hot, not to cold yet very green and beautiful still.
As for the Japan Rail Pass, it has to be purchased outside of Japan and sent to you physically, but don’t worry, you have it in a couple of days as we ship with UPS Express.
You were able to putchase it in Japan temporary until March 31 due to covid, which may extend but it’s more expensive, so we do recommend to purchase beforehand for that reason regardless.
To book a seat is free of charged, but can only be done after the JR Pass has been activated in Japan. You can either visit a JR office for help where they will guide you and do it for you, or visit a ticket machine and do it yourself. Both are free of charge with a JR Pass.
Seat booking is not required however, there are multiple wagons on each train for non-booking where you just enter and take a seat. But if you know where you are going and when, it’s always good to pre-order seating as it’s free of charge.
Let me know if you have any other questions! 😊
With kind regards, Jonathan H.
Getjrpass.com Staff
