Kagoshima to Shin-Hakodate in a day, on the Shinkansen.

[jasona2z]

So, There may already be a post about this, But I am interested to know if anyone has ever covered the entirety on Japan on a Shinkansen in a day?

 

https://www.japanstation.com/map-of-shinkansen-high-speed-train-network-in-japan/

 

I found this post, but this was before the Hayabusa went through the Seikan tunnel to Hokkaido.

 

I have done some searching and checking with HyperDia and this is the best option I have found.

 

Does anyone know if platform 11&12 are next to each other at Hakata?

 

The other question I have : Is the Hayabusa still included in the JR pass? It was when I was in Japan last April.

 

There is also some divided opinion about if you can upgrade to a Nozomi seat from the JR pass (ie, pay the different) - most of the information that I can find says you cannot.

 

All thoughts are welcome. Yes, Its a crazy idea.

Edited April 2, 2017 by cteno4

[Densha]

If the Hayabusa is still included in the JR Pass (I don't know), I don't think you even need to use the Nozomi at all. If you leave Kagoshima-Chuo in the early morning and use the Sakura and Hikari, you'll arrive in Tokyo somewhere in the afternoon, after which you can simply take the Hayabusa to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto. If the Hayabusa is not included, you can take the Hayate to the north, although I'm don't know when exactly the Hayate actually runs and if you'll still be make the connection at Tokyo.

Edited April 2, 2017 by Densha

[jasona2z]

If the Hayabusa is still included in the JR Pass (I don't know), I don't think you even need to use the Nozomi at all. If you leave Kagoshima-Chuo in the early morning and use the Sakura and Hikari, you'll arrive in Tokyo somewhere in the afternoon, after which you can simply take the Hayabusa to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto. If the Hayabusa is not included, you can take the Hayate to the north, although I'm don't know when exactly the Hayate actually runs and if you'll still be make the connection at Tokyo.

 

Like this?

 

 

 

Gives me some time to get an ekiben from the station

[JR 500系]

Crazy idea, but it's fun! Yes that last one is the most optimum trip without having to forge out any extras with a National pass.

 

Quote from http://www.japanrailpass.net/en/about_jrp.html#riyou

 

 

*

The JAPAN RAIL PASS is not valid for travel on the “Nozomi” and “Mizuho” Shinkansen services (including non-reserved seats on both).
To board those services, you must pay in full for the basic fare and the limited express charge.

 

It is not written about the Hayabusa so I think it is still fully covered by the JR Pass. In my opinion, it is not worth it to pay so much more to ride in the Nozomi with the Hayate being only around 40 mins slower and fully covered with the JR Pass...

Edited April 2, 2017 by JR 500系

[Yavianice]

All shinkansens north of Tokyo, including the Hayabusa, are covered in the JR pass. I think that platform 11&12 are next to one another in Hakata.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[katoftw]

Couldn't think of a worse trip.  Small windows, scenery wizzing past at 260kph.  Sitting down for 12 hours.

[sandiway]

Couldn't think of a worse trip.  Small windows, scenery wizzing past at 260kph.  Sitting down for 12 hours.

 

I think the key part to making it fun is to do it with a few interesting friends. Chit chat with lots of beer and food passed around.

[jasona2z]

Couldn't think of a worse trip.  Small windows, scenery wizzing past at 260kph.  Sitting down for 12 hours.

 

Maybe. But I don't know how many people could say they have done it... Not sure if thats a good thing or not. Its just an idea at this point. 

[maihama eki]

I have done Tokyo -> Kagoshima and Kagoshima -> Tokyo.  It was before the Kyushu Shinkansen was complete, so it included a stretch on the 787 - "Relay Tsubame" between Hakata and Shin-Yatsushiro.  I think it was around 7.5 hours total time.  I enjoyed it. There is plenty of interesting scenery, cities, towns, etc. to see through the "small windows" in the daytime.  I used a JR Pass, so I was on a Hikari between Tokyo and Hakata.  My business colleagues in Kagoshima thought I was a little bit nuts since you can fly Tokyo <-> Kagoshima in less than 2 hours.  At that time, using the JR Pass (even Green Car) it was cheaper by Shinkansen than flying.

 

I say do it.

Edited April 4, 2017 by maihama eki

[westfalen]

How keen are you?

 

If you did the Kagoshima to Shin-Hakodate Hakuto trip and returned the next day, every two days for the duration of a 30 day JR Pass you would clock up 69,789 km and run up a fare of ¥1,689,000 on your ¥59,350 pass. More if you went all the way into Hakodate.

 

I think the longest trip I have done in one day was from Morioka to Beppu leaving at a respectable hour after breakfast and arriving around 4pm, a journey that long would have taken two and a half days back home.

[stevenh]

Is there such thing as a 30-day pass?  I thought 21 days was the max?

[sandiway]

If you did the Kagoshima to Shin-Hakodate Hakuto trip and returned the next day, every two days for the duration of a 30 day JR Pass you would clock up 69,789 km and run up a fare of ¥1,689,000 on your ¥59,350 pass. More if you went all the way into Hakodate.

I like the sound of a 1 million yen Shinkansen trip on a rail pass!

[Yavianice]

Too bad that Wakkanai (northernmost station of mainland Japan) to Nishi-Oyama (southernmost station of mainland Japan) is just over 1 day by train (and relies on the Nozomi). I wonder if the rest of the Hokkaido Shinkansen line to Sapporo is finished, whether it is possible to do this trip within 24 hours.

[jasona2z]

How keen are you?

 

If you did the Kagoshima to Shin-Hakodate Hakuto trip and returned the next day, every two days for the duration of a 30 day JR Pass you would clock up 69,789 km and run up a fare of ¥1,689,000 on your ¥59,350 pass. More if you went all the way into Hakodate.

 

I think the longest trip I have done in one day was from Morioka to Beppu leaving at a respectable hour after breakfast and arriving around 4pm, a journey that long would have taken two and a half days back home.

 

Maybe not keen enough to do there and back, over 2 days. haha. 

 

I did Sendai to Shin-Hakodate Hakuto & return to Tokyo (after wandering around for a few hours and finding not a whole lot) in the same day when I was there last April. Thats the most I have done in 1 day. 

[westfalen]

Is there such thing as a 30-day pass?  I thought 21 days was the max?

You're right, I somehow got it into my head that it was 30 days even after looking at the JR pass website. That would put my calculations out but would still be 48,852 km and ¥1,182,300 in fares. If you had nothing better to do on a three week vacation that is.

 

According to my notebook in 2011 I did 7,416.4 km on a 21 day pass without any long individual trips and ran up fares of ¥178,090 on a pass that cost ¥57,700.

[Das Steinkopf]

You are able to use JR pass on the Hayabusa just make sure you reserve your seats for the trip as it is reserved seats only, we did a day trip to Sendai yesterday doing that.

[tsubasa119]

I did Higashi-Muroran to Kagoshima Chuo and back to Himeji in 24hrs once:

Hamanasu: Higashi-Muroran to Aomori

Local: Aomori to Shin Aomori

Hayabusa: Shin Aomori to Tokyo

Hikari: Tokyo to Shin Osaka

Hikari RailStar: Shin Osaka to Hakata

Tsubame: Hakata to Kagoshima Chuo

Sakura: Kagoshima Chuo to Okayama

Sunrise Seto/Izumo: Okayama to Himeji (and on to Tokyo)

In the space of 31 hrs i was off trains for about 90 mins/2 hrs  

[serotta1972]

Wow, that's some good planning and only in Japan can you do something like that as you know you will arrive at your destination at the scheduled time and then leave on the next train also at the scheduled time. 

[Khaul]

You could definitely do that in Germany or Switzerland or Austria or even Hungary or Poland if you stick to main lines. You could even travel like that from say, Budapest to Paris.

[serotta1972]

Ah, I was not aware of that - but with 7 transfers with an average of 15 minutes between trains, that's impressive and awesome coordination.  

[IST]

4 hours ago, Khaul said:

You could definitely do that in Germany or Switzerland or Austria or even Hungary or Poland if you stick to main lines. You could even travel like that from say, Budapest to Paris.

 

I have some negative experiences from Hungary, so I do not agree with you. Basically you are right, trains on the main lines are generally OK, but you can easily experience late arrives (for example try to go to Balaton in summer).

[Khaul]

I know! In did not dare to do Ljubljana to Budapest last year so we drove to Szekesfehervar and took a train from there Deli.

 

What I meant is Railjet to Vienna, then go from Vienna to Zurich in another Railjet, then say Zurich to Geneva and from there to Paris in the tgv. You could come back through Germany. One should stick to high speed and IC trains to make it work. I would say that the main difference would be in the punctually of local services which may be lacking in Europe. 

[Yamanote-sen]

That is a nice idea. This year I already did a run from Tokyo -> Kagoshima & back within one day by Railpass. Was a nice experience and I could go on sightseeing in Kagoshima for nearly 2h. All in all I've been on way from around 05:00 ~ 23:30.

 

Maybe I gonna try out.

[chadbag]

When my son was younger he liked riding the trains just for the sake of riding trains (still does to some extent).  So we would get up, leave Osaka and go somewhere, spend an hour or two there, and then go back.  We did Osaka -- Nagasaki (including on the Sonic etc), Osaka Tokyo and back, and other similar trips many times in 1 day.  While we would spend a few hours in the destination area, the purpose of the trip was to just ride the rails.   The Kagoshima to Hakodate Shinkansen ride sounds interesting...