I would like to travel between Nagasaki to Hiroshima, then Hiroshima to Yokohama. Looks like flights from Nagasaki to Hiroshima is via Tokyo, so round tripping!
Can someone help me understand, is it easy to buy shinkansen tickets when i get there for tickets closer to date of travel (2 days prior). In your experience, do they sell out? I think i may have to switch trains, as nagasaki shinkansen does not go all the way to nagasaki. Any help here would also be great.
Trains in Japan are very easy to use, even for English-only speakers. Shinkansen tickets have always been available immediately before departure in my experience of probably 20+ intercity journeys. Pricing is a bit complicated with a ‘fare’ ticket and a ‘seat’ ticket, where the seat ticket is the booking class. Business class equivalent is much lower uplift than on Qantas! You then have 2 tickets you put through the gate machine together, not obvious.
I believe you can pre-book online with a rail pass, or at a station up to a week in advance. I have not done either, party because we stay at a ski village for more than a week, so accessing a station would be difficult.
There will always been someone around to help you and very politely. One of the many pleasures of visiting Japan!
Each major station has a Shinkansen Ticket office with english speaking staff.
They can arrange your whole ticketed journey itinerary on the spot and tell you whether you have to change trains. The ticket will tell you the platform and the time.They are usually open from 6:00AM until 11:00PM in most places.
Seat availbility is not a problem, in my experience.
You can mix with the commuters for an unreserved seat or reserve a seat for a little bit extra, (recommended) or splash out and upgrade to green or First Class.
The ticket machines, idicator boards, announcements are also in English and easy to use after a little bit of practice.
Get yourself a Suica card when in Tokyo for local commutes and top up as you go, easy as!
Hey man, trains in Japan are very english friendly especially in big cities so you should have no problem. I often like to use the smart ex website because you're able to book the ticket and seat ahead of time and pick it up straight from the station. Or you can book quite easily at the station as well!
Hey man, trains in Japan are very english friendly especially in big cities so you should have no problem. I often like to use the smart ex website because you're able to book the ticket and seat ahead of time and pick it up straight from the station. Or you can book quite easily at the station as well!
Smart Ex does not show the nagasaki station, am i missing something??
Yes this is because the shinkansen is operated by a different company to nagasaki. And can only be booked to Hakata.
So best advice would be to book on the JR Kyushu website to go from Nagasaki to Hakata (where you'd have to transfer trains once or twice) then book through smartex to go from Hakata to Hiroshima.
Yes this is because the shinkansen is operated by a different company to nagasaki. And can only be booked to Hakata.
So best advice would be to book on the JR Kyushu website to go from Nagasaki to Hakata (where you'd have to transfer trains once or twice) then book through smartex to go from Hakata to Hiroshima.
You should know how to use ticket machines for shinkansen service, what is difference between having seat and not having one, what to do if you missed train and all those stuff became a bit confusing initially. But once you grasp it using shinkansens became VERY easy, they running often and tickets on next train usually not a problem at all. If you like a bit of extra assurance you can buy ticket day before (or week before) and doing so you will be guaranteed to pick up service that is most convenient for you. I personally would not fly domestic in Japan if shinkansed service available.
mspcooper
mspcooper
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 09 May 2013
Total posts 457
I would like to travel between Nagasaki to Hiroshima, then Hiroshima to Yokohama. Looks like flights from Nagasaki to Hiroshima is via Tokyo, so round tripping!
Can someone help me understand, is it easy to buy shinkansen tickets when i get there for tickets closer to date of travel (2 days prior). In your experience, do they sell out? I think i may have to switch trains, as nagasaki shinkansen does not go all the way to nagasaki. Any help here would also be great.
GregXL
GregXL
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 26 May 2014
Total posts 322
Trains in Japan are very easy to use, even for English-only speakers. Shinkansen tickets have always been available immediately before departure in my experience of probably 20+ intercity journeys. Pricing is a bit complicated with a ‘fare’ ticket and a ‘seat’ ticket, where the seat ticket is the booking class. Business class equivalent is much lower uplift than on Qantas! You then have 2 tickets you put through the gate machine together, not obvious.
I believe you can pre-book online with a rail pass, or at a station up to a week in advance. I have not done either, party because we stay at a ski village for more than a week, so accessing a station would be difficult.
There will always been someone around to help you and very politely. One of the many pleasures of visiting Japan!
RogerW
RogerW
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 28 Sep 2021
Total posts 6
Each major station has a Shinkansen Ticket office with english speaking staff.
They can arrange your whole ticketed journey itinerary on the spot and tell you whether you have to change trains. The ticket will tell you the platform and the time.They are usually open from 6:00AM until 11:00PM in most places.
Seat availbility is not a problem, in my experience.
You can mix with the commuters for an unreserved seat or reserve a seat for a little bit extra, (recommended) or splash out and upgrade to green or First Class.
The ticket machines, idicator boards, announcements are also in English and easy to use after a little bit of practice.
Get yourself a Suica card when in Tokyo for local commutes and top up as you go, easy as!
jmajor4
jmajor4
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 21 Jul 2023
Total posts 3
Hey man, trains in Japan are very english friendly especially in big cities so you should have no problem. I often like to use the smart ex website because you're able to book the ticket and seat ahead of time and pick it up straight from the station. Or you can book quite easily at the station as well!
Mjkcan
Mjkcan
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
Member since 14 Jun 2017
Total posts 64
Book on the smart ex website, it’ll give you a QR code and you can just scan it st the station to board.
It’s really easy
mspcooper
mspcooper
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 09 May 2013
Total posts 457
Originally Posted by jmajor4
Hey man, trains in Japan are very english friendly especially in big cities so you should have no problem. I often like to use the smart ex website because you're able to book the ticket and seat ahead of time and pick it up straight from the station. Or you can book quite easily at the station as well!
jmajor4
jmajor4
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 21 Jul 2023
Total posts 3
Yes this is because the shinkansen is operated by a different company to nagasaki. And can only be booked to Hakata.
So best advice would be to book on the JR Kyushu website to go from Nagasaki to Hakata (where you'd have to transfer trains once or twice) then book through smartex to go from Hakata to Hiroshima.
mspcooper
mspcooper
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 09 May 2013
Total posts 457
Originally Posted by jmajor4
Yes this is because the shinkansen is operated by a different company to nagasaki. And can only be booked to Hakata.
So best advice would be to book on the JR Kyushu website to go from Nagasaki to Hakata (where you'd have to transfer trains once or twice) then book through smartex to go from Hakata to Hiroshima.
Serg
Serg
QFF
Member since 12 Apr 2013
Total posts 999
You should know how to use ticket machines for shinkansen service, what is difference between having seat and not having one, what to do if you missed train and all those stuff became a bit confusing initially. But once you grasp it using shinkansens became VERY easy, they running often and tickets on next train usually not a problem at all. If you like a bit of extra assurance you can buy ticket day before (or week before) and doing so you will be guaranteed to pick up service that is most convenient for you. I personally would not fly domestic in Japan if shinkansed service available.