Traveling green class between 3/27/16 and 4/3/16 how busy?

[katoftw]

I don't understand the itinerary.  You are going over some lines twice.  And for example you hit Toyama twice 7 days apart.  You are loosing time going around in circles.

 

Why not on day 4 or day 7, stay overnight at Toyama and ride the trams in the afternoon?  Then head to your following days destination from Toyama?

 

And a question?  I will to travel from you Fukuoka hotel to Hakata station?  It will require multiple modes of transport to get to and from.

Edited May 26, 2015 by katoftw

[Steve4031]

JR 500.  Thank you for the heads up on validating the rail pass.  On my itinerary I used rp 1, rp 2 to remind myself which railpass day I was using.  I will research your other suggestions.  We might just get off in Hakata and skip riding to Kagoshima if we are tired.  If we are really enjoying the ride then we will stay on. As far as trams in Hiroshima, vs trams in Nagasaki, we were interested in the limited express ride down to Nagasaki.    I will also research the return from Toyama.  

 

Kaftow,  The reason I planned two trips through Toyama was to minimize changes of hotels and try to use Hilton's as a home base.  There might be a better way of doing this and I will keep working on it.  As far as the Hilton in  Fukuoka, I was also using Hilton as a home base.  In earlier posts I researched conectons from that hotel to  the station.  There is a bus but I could never get its schedule, and the subway is 15 minutes away.  If Taxis are about 1,000 yen each way I can use a taxi.  The other western hotels that were closer to the station received mixed reviews on trip advisor.  I am still evaluating hotel choices in Hakata and may move closer to the station.  

[Steve4031]

JR 500.  You were not kidding.  The KAGAYAKI really does save time off of that trip back to Tokyo.  What the hell is going on here.  It saves about 45 minutes.  That is not just from skipping stops.  

[Steve4031]

Here is version 2 with more time for lunch and implementing suggestions made by JR 500 and Kaftow.  

 

Day 1  Saturday March 26
Depart Chicago ORD 10:45 a.m. All Nippon Airways flight 11

Day 2 Sunday March 27 Tokyo Hilton  

Arrive Tokyo NRT 2:00 p.m.

Pick up portable hotspot

 

Validate rail pass and make green class reservations for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  Is this too much to ask at Narita?  How hard would this be to do at Shinjuku Monday morning if the agent at Narita is reluctant to do this?

 

Depart Narita Terminal 1 Narita Express 3:14 or 3:44 p.m.

Arrive Shinjuku 4:39 o4 5:12 p.m.

 

Ride Yanote line 1-hour circle trip above ground around Tokyo

 

RP 1Day 3 Monday  March 28 Tokyo Tokyo Hilton

 

Depart Shinjuku 8:00 a.m. LTD. EXP SUPER AZUSA 5 

Arrive Matsumoto 10:38 a.m.

 

Snacks or Lunch

 

Depart Matsumoto 12:05 p.m. LTD. EXP (WIDE VIEW) SHINANO 7

Arrive Nagano 12: 54 p.m

 

Depart Nagano 1:15 p.m.  SHINKANSEN HAKUTAKA 561 

 

Arrive KANAZAWA 2:42 p.m.

 

Snacks or lunch

 

Depart KANAZAWA 3:53 p.m.  SHINKANSEN  KAGAYAKI 530

Arrive Tokyo           6:28 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 4 Tuesday March 29 Tokyo Hilton

Depart Tokyo 7:36 a.m.  SHINKANSEN KOMACHI 3

Arrive Akita 11:24 a.m.

 

Lunch

 

Depart Akita 12:58 p.m. LTD. EXP INAHO 10

Arrive Niigata 4:32 p.m.

 

Dinner or snack and eat dinner in Tokyo. 

 

Depart Niigata 5:22 p.m.  SHINKANSEN MAX TOKI 338

Arrive Tokyo  7:20 p.m.

 

 

Day 5 Wednesday March 30 Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk

 2 nights 343 per room for 2 nights

 

Depart Tokyo 8:33 a.m. SHINKANSEN HIKARI 505

Arrive Shin-Osaka 11:26 a.m.

 

Lunch

 

Depart Shin-Osaka 12:59 p.m.

Arrive Hakata 4:34 p.m.

 

Make green Class reservations for Thursday, Friday,  Saturday, and Sunday. 

 

 

Day 6 Thursday  March 31

Depart Hakata 8:56 a.m.  LTD. EXP KAMOME 9

Arrive Nagasaki 10:48 a.m.

 

Ace the tram system-Nagasaki is famous for trams.

 

Depart Nagasaki 5:50 p.m.  LTD. EXP KAMOME 40

Arrive Hakata 7:51 p.m.

 

Day 7 Friday April 1 Nagoya Hilton   

Depart Hakata 8:17 a.m.  SHINKANSEN MIZUHO 600  Can I use a rail pass on a Mizuho? 

 Arrive OKAYAMA  9:56 a.m.

 

Lunch and snacks to eat on train to Kochi

 

Depart OKAYAMA  11:05 a.m.  TD. EXP NANPU 7

Arrive Kochi 1:40  p.m.

 

Depart Kochi 2:13 p.m.  LTD. EXP NANPU 18

Arrive Okayama 4:41 p.m.

 

Depart Okayama 4:58 p.m. SHINKANSEN SAKURA 558

Arrive Shin-Osaka 5:42 p.m.

 

Depart Shin-Osaka 6:16 p.m.  SHINKANSEN HIKARI 532

Arrive Nagoya 7:25 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 8 Saturday, April 2 Nagoya (Thanks JR 500 cool suggestion!!)

 

Depart Nagoya 8:43 a.m.  LTD. EXP (WIDE VIEW) HIDA 3

Arrive Toyama 12:26 p.m.

 

Depart Toyama 1:14 p.m. LTD. EXP (WIDE VIEW) HIDA 14

Arrive Kanazawa  1:38  p.m.

 

Lunch

 

Depart Kanazawa 2:48 p.m.

Arrive Nagoya 5:49 p.m.

 

Day 9 Sunday  April 3 Nagoya

 

Depart Nagoya 10:42 a.m.

Arrive Shin-Osaka 11:53 a.m.

 

Depart Shin-Osaka 12:15 p.m

Arrive Osaka ITM 12:40 p.m.

 

Depart Osaka ITM 2:15 p.m  All Nippon Airways 2178

Arrive Tokyo NRT 3:35 p.m.  

 

Depart Tokyo NRT 5:10 p.m. All Nippon Airways 114

Arrive Chicago ORD 2:45 p.m.

 

 

Thank you for your efforts.  This is looking a bit more reasonable for eating lunch at least.  

[Steve4031]

The hotel issue in Fukuoka is resolved  I am no booked in the ANA crown plaza.  Got a rate that is cheaper than the Hilton and the hotel is closer to the station.  

[katoftw]

Yeah the ANA is almost on the doorstep of Hakata Station.  Good find and good choice.  Having a base 5-10 minutes walk from a station will make the whole process much easier.  There is also a family mart between the hotel and the station, so easy food options can be had.

 

I'd also maybe look at basing yourself out of a Shin-Osaka hotel for the last few days rather than Nagoya.  This will make you more centrally located for your Nagoya-Toyama loop and your Kochi trip.  And then you have easy access for the airport on the last day.

 

You cannot use Mizuho:- http://www.japanrailpass.net/en/about_jrp.html#bm_001

 

---

 

I hope you don't mind, but I took you plan and rejigged it.  It only adds 1 hotel in Toyama, and there are plenty within 5 minutes walk of the station, and many have tram stops right out front.

 

Day 1 - Dep Chicago

Day 2 - Tokyo Arr (hotel) as you planned

Day 3 - Tokyo Akita Niigata loop as you planned

Day 4 - Tokyo -> Matsumoto -> Nagano -> Toyama (hotel) finishing at Toyama and saving 2.5 hours return to Tokyo

Day 5 - Toyama -> Nagoya -> Shin-Osaka (hotel) cos it is not a loop anymore, you are saving 3 hours

Day 6 - Shin-Osaka Kochi loop removed 3 hours of travel from the day due to not starting and finishing at Hakata/Nagoya

Day 7 - Shin-Osaka -> Kagoshima -> Hakata (hotel) same but you start at Shin-Osaka instead of Tokyo, saving 3 hours

Day 8 - Hakata Nagasaki loop as you planned

Day 9 - Hakata -> Osaka flight home

 

With the time savings at Toyama, you can ride some trams.  With the time savings on day 7, you can either have an extended lunch at either Kumamoto or Kagoshima and ride the trams.  Or get to Hakata earlier and ride a blue sonic up to kita-kyushu.

 

If it was me, Day 7 would be leave Osaka earlier, say arriving at Hakata around 10-11am.  Drop bags at hotel and return back to Hakata.  Then ride a blue sonic to Beppu/Oita, then run back via the Kyudai line to return to Hakata.

Edited May 26, 2015 by katoftw

[gmat]

Steve4031,

If unfamiliar Japanese food might be a problem for your friend, the convenience shops inside many stations, for example, JR East's Newdays, have a selection of sandwiches. The egg salad/deviled eggs sandwiches are pretty close to what you might get in the states. If your friend has a sweet tooth, they have fruit sandwiches. Strawberries and perhaps orange or tangerine pieces in whipped cream. Another suggestion for something to eat that is not unfamiliar are the snack packages. A popular one that you should find anywhere is the bite sized mini salami and cheese pack. A bag of about 5-7 salamis and two or three bags of different cheeses. One combined pack is about 379 yen, so you may need about 3-4 packs. You can probably find a box of Ritz Crackers or Pringles to go with it. 

Or you can either buy a meal at a fast food place and carry it on the train or better yet, visit a supermarket and buy some stuff for the next day. You should have a fridge in your hotel room to keep it cool. Many of the larger train stations should have a department store next to the station. The food section is on the basement and you should find many Western brand goods. The shops will usually open at 10:00 so it's better to shop at night. In Shinjuku Station, and I mean inside the ticket turn-styles, there are two shops that have a good selection of western food. One has more box lunches, the other packaged food. So you can get stuff there. But I believe many of the shops inside the stations will open from around 8:00 or 9:00. 

If you can, have your friend try soba noodles and curried rice and breaded pork cutlets (tonkatsu) before coming to Japan. If those are acceptable to your friend, then you can find them at almost any station that you go to. The breaded pork cutlets are probably the easiest for Westerners to eat. 

 

Best of luck on the trip to Japan.

Grant

[Steve4031]

Kaftow, that was very helpful. I am going to take a careful look at that. Thank you. And thanks fir confirming my suspicions about the mizhuo.

 

Gmat, your food suggestions are very helpful. Before I leave I am going to save this thread as a PDF on my phone so I don't have to try to remember all of this valuable information.

[Ochanomizu]

To see Shinkansen yards, just catch the RailStar that goes down to Hakata-Minami - all cars are unreserved - as I did a couple of days ago. As you have a railpass no ticket needed.

 

Be aware that the windows on most Shinkansen are not that clean so difficult to get a digicam to focus on the scenery and not dirt on the window. Also you need to play with settings to avoid speed blur (they go a bit fast...).

 

As part of Japan's drive for electric power saving, airconditioning on all trains is turned down or even off. Noticed that both JRK and JRW are putting film on windows to reduce heating of sun's rays. Makes taking photos difficult again as both similar to dirt, digicam will try to focus on the glass, not through it, and because of the tinting effect and uneven surface.DSC07007.JPG

 

Hello,

 

I believe RailStar Kodama 725, 821, 823, 722, 766, 768 are free seat.  Kodama 855, 857, 861, 865, 850, 854, 858, 860, 864 are reserve seat.

[Ochanomizu]

I greatly appreciate all of the detailed information. The seating diagrams and photos of the tickets are very helpful. Hopefully I'll get English ones. But dates and Train numbers would be enough for me to function. It is similar to reservations I used in Europe.

 

I do intend to go to Nagasaki as well as travel on several other limited express trains using green class. I get the impression that green clas is lightly used on limited express trains. Is this accurate?

 

My traveling busy is visually impaired and never traveled internationally. I'm primed to try bento boxes for lunch. He will be less adventuresome because it will be harder for him to see the food. What are some of the other food options in stations such as Nagasaki, kochi, or any other off the beaten track station. I'm assuming Shinkansen stations might even have a kfc or McDonald's.

Hello Mr Steve4031,

 

So sorry, but why would you eat KFC or McDonalds in Japan?  Of course, I am sure you were only musing and intend to purchase bento box at railway station before boarding train.  Oishii desu yo!  It is the best.  You will have a fine time with bento box instead of western junk food!  I am sure bento box will taste fine to your friend also.  JR Hakata City is located above Hakata station and has extensive international cuisine on the restaurant levels, 9 and 10.  http://www.jrhakatacity.com/english/floorguide/f9.php

 

Popondetta model railway shop is Shop 3 on level 8.   http://www.jrhakatacity.com/english/floorguide/f8.php

 

As for travelling to Nagasaki.  The service is called Kamome.  I recommend you must travel 787系Green Car in one direction and 885系 in the other direction.  So, if you follow Timetable 12 here:  https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/pdf/150224_timetable.pdf then please choose one service with diamond next to service number (885系) and one service without diamond next to service number (787系).  At Nagasaki please visit the Nagasaki Peace Park and the nearby Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.  They offer a different perspective to those at Hiroshima.  Before you return please indulge in the cakes and pastries for sale at Nagasaki Station.

 

Please use: http://www.japan-guide.com/

 

Edit:

 

So sorry, I just saw your itinery.  You will be travelling on Kamome 9 (885系) and Kamome 40 (787系).  Good choice.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Ochanomizu

[miyakoji]

Steve, to follow up on what Ochanomizu wrote, I agree with him that your traveling partner will be able to find a Japanese bento with reasonably familiar ingredients.  For example, there will probably be bentos using any combination of chicken, egg, beef, pork, vegetables, and fish (fried, grilled, or some other not-raw form).  Sure, there may be some things that seem a bit too much, raw horse meat comes to mind, but there should be plenty of appetizing things and the quality is uniformly high.  I had very few bad meals when I lived in Japan, although since they were a rarity, unfortunately I remember them

[cteno4]

Steve,

 

Also, might take your friend to the most authentic Japanese restaurant in town and have a few meals of appetizers to get a wide selection of foods for him to try and get use to a bit beforehand. Might talk to the restaurant owner and explain what you are doing, they may be nice and create a sampler plate of as many things possible to widen his pallette some. While most us japanese restaurants don't have the scope of many things you will find in japan (bentos even can have huge ranges and are also very regional) it might at least help get him more use to Japanese food rather than doing it while on the trip! There will be enough new, different and sometimes strange (usually to folks that have not traveled a lot outside the U.S.) things to experience!

 

Some of our local Japanese restaurants ( we are lucky to have a bunch in the area alson with two Japanese grocery stores) have a very nice bento ouch box specials with a pretty authentic selection of foods!

 

Like Miyakoji said, I don't think I ever had a bad meal in japan! Food is a really important part of the culture and doen with pride even in the greasy spoon spots! When you are walking down the street also keep your eye on potential restaurants if returning that way later arounf meal time. Many will have model food out and prices for meals. You can sometimes find three in a row that look almost identical but they can have a wide range in price. I did a few comparisons and never found the cheap ones to have much less quality or quantity of food! Also check out the guidebooks for restaurants that may be in office buildings for a nicer dinner. Some of these are quite nice and very reasonably priced, but you would never know its in the 10th floor of a non descript office building! We found a few near our hotel in Tokyo near ueno station that had great 7 course meals that were $15 with beer! Also some of the chain bars will have great pub food, wide variety of stuff on a graphic menu that you can jsut sort of do tapas style of you are not in the mood for a full dinner.

 

Jeff

[Steve4031]

I think my friend would be ok with Japanese cooking and food. It's more of an issue of avoiding surprises. For example you purchase a bento box with the assumption that your are getting chicken and get vegetables and no meat. The quality would still be outstanding but you are sitting there on the Shinkansen with a seriously growling stomach looking at veggies with no meat in sight. No Japanese person would deliberately do that, but I could see a such a mistake happening on our end.

 

Based on descriptions of the super markets and available foods in the station I'm comfortable that we should be ok if we don't rush. I'm anticipating bento boxes as being a highlight of our trip. On Amtrak we get microwave cheeseburgers and consider our selves lucky if the attendant opens the package a bit to ensure a better preparation. Bento boxes and other station snacks will be an improvement as we travel through japan.

[Steve4031]

 

 

As for travelling to Nagasaki. The service is called Kamome. I recommend you must travel 787系Green Car in one direction and 885系 in the other direction. So, if you follow Timetable 12 here: https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/pdf/150224_timetable.pdf then please choose one service with diamond next to service number (885系) and one service without diamond next to service number (787系). At Nagasaki please visit the Nagasaki Peace Park and the nearby Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. They offer a different perspective to those at Hiroshima. Before you return please indulge in the cakes and pastries for sale at Nagasaki Station.

 

Please use: http://www.japan-guide.com/

 

Edit:

 

 

So sorry, I just saw your itinery. You will be travelling on Kamome 9 (885系) and Kamome 40 (787系). Good choice.

 

Thank you for the advice. I apparently did something good by accident. What is the difference between these two trains?

[miyakoji]

Steve, I think he just means that you're taking an 885 series one way and a 787 the other.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/885_series

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/787_series

[Kitayama]

I got tired of running up and down the streets searching for a place where I can understand the menu. Nowadays I go to the closest large department store, take the elevator to the レストラン floor; normally the top floor(s). Depending on the size of the department store, you will find 10-50 diffrent restaurants; almost all with plastic models of the food in the window and a price tag. As usually in Japan, it's one restaurant per type of food; one sushi, one teppanyaki, one italian, one yakitori, one okonomiyaki, one omurisu etc.

This is a good way to solve both the lunch and dinner problem. The food is always good and worth the price. The best thing is that you save a lot of time ... In a few minutes, you have seen a great variety of restaurants. Another good thing; it's easier to find no smoking places here. Japanese people smoke much more than Europeans.

[bikkuri bahn]

Actually smoking rates among males in Japan are similar to rates among males in many Western European countries, and lower among women than their European counterparts. However as eating and drinking establishments are smaller and more numerous, it's hard to establish no smoking sections. Hence the sometimes unpleasant conditions for nonsmokers.

Edited May 28, 2015 by bikkuri bahn

[E6系]

Here is 787系 green car interior: http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB:JR_kyushu_type787_kumoro787_interior_1.jpg

[Steve4031]

I got tired of running up and down the streets searching for a place where I can understand the menu. Nowadays I go to the closest large department store, take the elevator to the レストラン floor; normally the top floor(s). Depending on the size of the department store, you will find 10-50 diffrent restaurants; almost all with plastic models of the food in the window and a price tag. As usually in Japan, it's one restaurant per type of food; one sushi, one teppanyaki, one italian, one yakitori, one okonomiyaki, one omurisu etc.

This is a good way to solve both the lunch and dinner problem. The food is always good and worth the price. The best thing is that you save a lot of time ... In a few minutes, you have seen a great variety of restaurants. Another good thing; it's easier to find no smoking places here. Japanese people smoke much more than Europeans.

 

 

Thank you for this advice.  There should be department stores near our hotels and in the major train stations based on what I have read. We have the Hilton Shinjuku in Tokyo, the Ana Crown plaza in toyama,   the Marriott that is attached to the Nagoya train station, and the crown plaza in Hakata that is near the station.  I know shinjuku will have plenty of great options as well as Nagoya and Hakata.  Both of those train stations have plenty of restaurants and eating establishments.  Toyama, I am sure we will find something.  We will have our western breakfast in the hotel each morning so that we will be able to explore on fuller stomachs throughout the day.  

Edited May 28, 2015 by Steve4031

[Steve4031]

And now . . . the revised itinerary incorporating Kaftow's expertise.  As well as the help and suggestions of many others.  

 

Day 1  Saturday March 26
Depart Chicago ORD 10:45 a.m. All Nippon Airways flight 11

Day 2 Sunday March 27 Tokyo Hilton  826.50 USD per room for 3 nights. 

Arrive Tokyo NRT 2:00 p.m.

Pick up portable hotspot

 

Validate rail pass and make green class reservations for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. 

 

Depart Narita Terminal 1 Narita Express 3:14 or 3:44 p.m.

Arrive Shinjuku 4:39 o4 5:12 p.m.

 

Ride Yanote line 1-hour circle trip above ground around Tokyo

 

RP 1Day 3 Monday  March 28 Tokyo Tokyo Hilton

 

Depart Tokyo 7:36 a.m.  SHINKANSEN KOMACHI 3

Arrive Akita 11:24 a.m.

 

Lunch

 

Depart Akita 12:58 p.m. LTD. EXP INAHO 10

Arrive Niigata 4:32 p.m.

 

Dinner or snack and eat dinner in Tokyo. 

 

Depart Niigata 5:22 p.m.  SHINKANSEN MAX TOKI 338

Arrive Tokyo  7:20 p.m.

 

 

Day 4 Tuesday March 29 Toyama Crowne plaza

 

Depart Shinjuku 8:00 a.m. LTD. EXP SUPER AZUSA 5

Arrive Matsumoto 10:38 a.m.

 

Snacks or Lunch

 

Depart Matsumoto 12:05 p.m. LTD. EXP (WIDE VIEW) SHINANO 7

Arrive Nagano 12: 54 p.m

 

Depart Nagano 1:15 p.m.  SHINKANSEN HAKUTAKA 561 

 

Arrive KANAZAWA 2:42 p.m.

 

Snacks or lunch

 

Depart KANAZAWA 3:12 p.m.  SHINKANSEN  Hakutaka 570

Arrive Toyama 3:35 p.m.

 

Evening ride on tram system in Toyama

 

 

Day 5 Wednesday March 30 Nagoya Marriott 

 

Depart Toyama 8:00 a.m.

Arrive Nagoya 12:02 p.m.

 

Lunch and check into hotel which is attached to the train station. 

 

Depart Nagoya 2:27 p.m.

Arrive Tokyo  4:10 p.m.

 

Depart Tokyo 4:33 p.m.

Arrive Nagoya 6:17 p.m.

 

Day 6 Thursday  March 31 Nagoya Marriott

Depart Nagoya 9:11 a.m.  SHINKANSEN Hikari 461

 Arrive OKAYAMA  11:23 a.m.

 

Lunch and snacks to eat on train to Kochi

 

Depart OKAYAMA  12:05 p.m.  TD. EXP NANPU 9

Arrive Kochi 2:42  p.m.

 

Depart Kochi 3:13 p.m.  LTD. EXP NANPU 20

Arrive Okayama 5:41 p.m.

 

Depart Okayama 6:23 p.m. SHINKANSEN HIKARI 482

Arrive Nagoya 8:33 p.m.

Day 7 Friday April 1 Hakata  Crowne Plaza

 

Depart Nagoya 6:51 a.m. KODAMA 691

Arrive Shin-Osaka 7:53 a.m.

 

Depart Shin-Osaka 8:04 a.m  SAKURA 547

 

Arrive KUMAMOTO 11:19 a.m.

 

Depart KUMAMOTO 11:39 a.m.

Arrive Beppu 2:40 p.m.

Depart Beppu  3:20 p.m.

Arrive Hakata 5:28 p.m.

 

 

Day 8 Saturday, April 2 Hakata Crown Plaza

 

Depart Hakata 8:56 a.m.  LTD. EXP KAMOME 9

Arrive Nagasaki 10:48 a.m.

 

Ace the tram system-Nagasaki is famous for trams.

 

Depart Nagasaki 5:50 p.m.  LTD. EXP KAMOME 40

Arrive Hakata 7:51 p.m.

 

 

 

Day 9 Sunday  April 3 Hakata

 

Depart Hakata 8:43 a.m.

Arrive Shin-Osaka 11:24 a.m.

 

Depart Shin-Osaka 12:15 p.m

Arrive Osaka ITM 12:40 p.m.

 

Depart Osaka ITM 2:15 p.m  All Nippon Airways 2178

Arrive Tokyo NRT 3:35 p.m.  

 

Depart Tokyo NRT 5:10 p.m. All Nippon Airways 114

Arrive Chicago ORD 2:45 p.m.

[JR 500系]

Looking good!

 

Just a couple of things to note:

 

1) Day 2, validate pass, so that should be RP1 right? Right now day 3 is RP1

 

2) on day 3 for the Max Toki, try to get the car number 8, top deck for Green Pass. Car 8 has a much shorter number of seats than car 7, and if you're lucky, you might get to be the only people in there and it feels like you chartered the entire cabin!

 

3) Day 5, Toyama to Nagoya, it will be the Shinano?

 

4) Off topic, if you like shinkansen, try to get on a 500 series Kodama service even for the fun of it. The 500 series is definitely a looker and an experience to ride in!

[katoftw]

Okayama to Hakata is 20 minutes quicker than Okayama to Nagoya.  Might be worth a look for your Kochi day trip.

[Kitayama]

Looking good!

 

Just a couple of things to note:

 

1) Day 2, validate pass, so that should be RP1 right? Right now day 3 is RP1

 

2) on day 3 for the Max Toki, try to get the car number 8, top deck for Green Pass. Car 8 has a much shorter number of seats than car 7, and if you're lucky, you might get to be the only people in there and it feels like you chartered the entire cabin!

 

3) Day 5, Toyama to Nagoya, it will be the Shinano?

 

4) Off topic, if you like shinkansen, try to get on a 500 series Kodama service even for the fun of it. The 500 series is definitely a looker and an experience to ride in!

1) the travel day 2 is cheaper than the travel day 9 so I think it's good to start day 3 with the rail pass. It is also smart to validate the pass ASAP and do the bookings before the first travel date.

 

3) no, it's the Hida on Takayama line. Good choice - beautiful landscape and nice not-to-fast train ride!

[Steve4031]

Thank you. I was intending to validate the rail pass at narita with the instructions to start it for the following day. At narita I would also get as many reservations made as possible without inconveniencing my fellow travelers.

[Steve4031]

Another question regarding green class. Which of my planned segments will be the most challenging for green class? It seems that maybe one car in each train is allocated for green class, sometimes only 1/2 a car.

 

Are there any unique green class experiences to look for?