Getting most value out of the Seishun 18 Kippu

[Densha]

Inspired by this topic, I thought it would be interesting to share how we got most value out of the JR Seishun 18 Kippu.

[Densha]

Here is my entry. I did these trips on a December 2016 / January 2017 Seishun 18 Kippu. As I do not have notes from the time, I had to rely on photos and my memory for the specific trains I took. So it might not be entirely correct, but I think it is very close. I calculated the distances and fare using Hyperdia.

 

DAY 1
Special Rapid: Hikone - Banshu-Ako
Local: Banshu-Ako - Okayama
Rapid 'Marine Liner': Okayama - Takamatsu
Local: Takamatsu - Tokushima
Local: Tokushima - Tsukuda
Local: Tsukuda - Kotohira
Local: Kotohira - Takamatsu
WORTH: 564.5 km, 9560 yen

 

DAY 2
Local: Takamatsu - Iyo-Saijo
Local: Iyo-Saijo - Matsuyama
Local: Matsuyama - Uwajima (via Iyo-Nagahama)
Local: Uwajima - Kubokawa
Local: Kubokawa - Kochi
WORTH: 451.9 km, 7710 yen

 

DAY 3
Local: Kochi - Kotohira
Rapid 'Marine Liner': Takamatsu - Okayama
Local: Okayama - Himeji (via Sanyo Main Line)
Rapid: Himeji - Hikone
WORTH: 468.1 km, 8320 yen

 

DAY 4
Local: Hikone - Maibara
Local: Maibara - Tsuruga
Local: Tsuruga - Higashi-Maizuru
Local: Higashi-Maizuru - Fukuchiyama
Local: Fukuchiyama - Toyooka
Local: Toyooka - Hamasaka
Rapid 'Sanin Kaigan Geo Liner': Hamasaka - Tottori
Local: Tottori - Yonago
Rapid 'Aqua Liner': Yonago - Hamada
WORTH: 559.7 km, 8960 yen

 

DAY 5
Local: Hiroshima - Okayama
Rapid 'Kotobuki': Okayama - Tsuyama
Local: Tsuyama - Sayo
Local: Sayo - Harima-Shingu
Local: Harima-Shingu - Himeji
Local: Himeji - Teramae
Local: Teramae - Wadayama
Local: Wadayama - Sonobe
Rapid: Sonobe - Kyoto
Rapid: Kyoto - Hikone
WORTH: 552.7 km, 8960 yen

 

TOTAL WORTH: 2596.9 km, 43.420 yen

[miyakoji]

Hah, I saw that thread and misread the title, I thought it was this.  I was going to start this topic, but I didn't know how much interest there would be.  Well, as soon as I get to a real keyboard, I shall contribute.

[bikkuri bahn]

Value can be a subjective term.  Is can be based on the distance fare (saved), total distance traveled, longest straight line distance traveled in a day, or number of different services traveled in day, etc. It depends on your interests/goals.  For me, I consider greatest value on the Seishun 18 to be a combination of total distance traveled and number of different services used (the "railfan" criterion, as opposed to the "starving student travelling on a shoestring from Hokkaido to Nagoya" criterion). Much like the OP's itinerary above.  It  is more easily achieved in regions with dense and frequent local services, such as the Kanto and Kansai regions, and the electrified trunk lines.  Can't do that up here in Hokkaido.  

Edited December 13, 2018 by bikkuri bahn

[Densha]

As for me, the Seishun 18 Kippu was a nice opportunity to see a variety of places I would otherwise never have been to. Many of the lines I took were very slow, but this was not a problem as travelling fast was never the goal. To me it was mainly a cheap way to ride a lot of obscure trains. I also didn't use the ticket to its full potential on some days, as for example I took a break on day 5 in Okayama where I rode the Okaden network.

[miyakoji]

Bikkuri brings up a good point.  I would say I got value out of seishun 18 tickets in two ways; covering distance cheaply and completing the journey in some specific way.  Most trips were a simultaneous combination of those two, in varying proportions.

 

In maximizing kilometers for 2300 yen per day (old price), I lived in Okayama, Aichi, and Kyoto prefectures during my time in Japan, and periodically had reason to visit Ehime and Chiba.  It was nice to make those trips for not a lot of money, and be able to leave stations en route if I wanted to.  I know regular tickets exceeding certain distances/fares permit that, but I've never known the exact rules.  Another thing I would sometimes look for was a long distance one-seat ride.  There are or were a few such services between Okayama and at least Yamaguchi, Okayama and Yonago or Matsue, possibly Shizuoka or Hamamatsu and Atami, Takamatsu and Imabari and or Matsuyama.  I looked for these a few times so I could fall asleep, wouldn't have to think, or just to mark off that I rode it end to end.  Usually I was not trying to squeeze absolute maximum distance out of a day's stamp.

 

Sometimes I wanted to travel a specific route, for example Nagoya to Tokyo via the Chuo Line, Himeji to Okayama on the Ako Line, Okayama to Izumo via Geibi and Kisuki Lines (iirc I messed up on this and had to turn back at Tojo and take the Hakubi Line all the way to the Sanin Line), and other very slow journeys especially on Chugoku/Kansai interior lines.  I could do this on the up and up and without having to use my deficient Japanese to explain to JR staff what I was doing.  I bet railroad employees all over the world hate railfans :).

 

Occasionally I used the ticket to get to a point where I could buy an express ticket to ride particular rolling stock.  I doubt I ever did the math on this, it may have been a waste of money.  But it got me to points where I could ride a 381, KIHA187, an E531 with that new train smell, JR Shikoku TSE, and other non-remarkable equipment.  One I really regret missing was the KIHA181.

 

Anyway just a few thoughts.  It's getting to be a long time ago now 🙂

[gmat]

These two articles might be of interest.

 

From Tokyo to Tohoku for less than 25 bucks? Our epic Seishun 18 Ticket Japanese train voyage

https://soranews24.com/2018/09/12/from-tokyo-to-tohoku-for-less-than-25-bucks-our-epic-seishun-18-ticket-japanese-train-voyage/

 

From Tokyo to Hokkaido for under 50 bucks in train tickets–Part 2 of our Japanese rail voyage

https://soranews24.com/2018/09/14/from-tokyo-to-hokkaido-for-under-50-bucks-in-train-tickets-part-2-of-our-japanese-rail-voyage/

 

Railfanning on a budget, I use it to visit places within a days travel from Tokyo.

 I usually will head to Kobuchizawa/Nobeyama Stations, Takasaki/Yokokawa Stations, Atami/Fuji Stations and Koriyama/Aizu-Wakamaatu Stations. At my age, it's kind of tiring riding the local trains for much of the day. 

Last winter, I spent the night at Kofu Station thinking I could stay in a MacDonalds until the trains starting running the next morning. One of the closest ones was about 45 minutes on foot and was closed until morning. The convenience stores mostly closed their eating areas late at night, too. I ended up walking towards the Minobu Line and shot some crossing sensor pics. One interesting thing was as i walked by one of those concrete drainage ditches, there was a loud kerplunk like some nocturnal amphibious animal had leaped into the water. I have sometimes wondered what animal would be active in the winter and would seek shelter in water. I ended up going past Matsumoto and onto the Oito Line and turned back at maybe Shimatakamatsu Station. 

I have found that you can travel or shoot pictures but not do both well.  This was from when I would shoot over a thousand photos on a day shoot if I stayed at one station.

 

Grant