Japan Rail Pass question

[Guest keio6000]

I have a question about Japan Rail Pass rules and I can't seem to find it.

 

Consider a calendar like this

 

I start my 7-day JR pass on the first monday.  Obviously it expires on Sunady.

 

I want to take a morning flight from KIX (Osaka) on the following Monday midmorning but am in Tokyo on Sunday.  If i recall, there was some provision in the JR pass thing that if you entered the system while your pass was still good, you could still use it, but i am unsure of the specifics..

 

So, my understanding is that I can get on Moonlight Nagara on Sunday night.  I forget exactly what time it leaves, but let's say 2300 and it arrives in Nagoya for example 0600 or something. 

 

Now, i have to get from Nagoya to KIX.  However, I am still "in the system."  Am I allowed to then take regular trains, such as the Tokaido line, as far as Osaka?  or will i get funny looks.

 

From osaka, I understand that Hankyu only charges around 400-500 yen all the way to the airport?  is that right?  wow.

 

I'm guessing, for example, that i would NOT allowed to get a single ticket or combination of tickets that depart friday that would allow me to get all the way to KIX on, say, MoonlightEchigo+Shinkansen+Haruka or MoonLightEchigo+TokaidoLine+Haruka... right?  This would make an interesting loophole in the system as I'd be able to get as far as Kyushu then in theory, making it an 8 day pass really.. well.. if somebody wants to sit on moonlight nagara overnight. 

 

My interest here is of course somewhat to save money, but more to get another day on the rail pass. Seems my potential trip to japan in 2 weeks is not totally dead.  I hope.

 

Also, does moonlight nagara get filled up these days? 

 

Some years ago when I was young and a bit poorer I pulled a trick which was that I was on the last day of the JR pass, alone, and rather than pay for a hotel room I took a train somewhere to our near Kanazawa (well, actually, I paid for the Hokuriku surcharge - part of the attraction was to see that line which previously I had only seen in Densha De Go) and then took the overnight Noto (489 bonnet) back to Ueno rather than pay for a hotel.    I think I was the only one on the train!  I had a good sleep.

Edited August 14, 2014 by keio6000

[katoftw]

I was reading about this the other day.  If you are in the system, then you are fine.  Exit a JR station, then you are done.

 

But if any of the trains are outside of the expired pass dates (ie narita epress) that are reserse only seating trains, then no.

Edited August 14, 2014 by katoftw

[Guest keio6000]

Interesting if true.  However, are you sure that it is only for those trains that you dont need a *seat reservation* or also for those that you need a *limited express surcharge*?

For example, shinkansen surely have non-reserved seating.  But you still need to pay the shinkansen surcharge.   It would be hard I think to convince the conductor that my expired rail pass is still good because I got into the system on moonlight nagara.  maybe shinkansen is a bad example as it has its separate set of 'wickets', but maybe limited expresses (such as haruka, which has unreserved seats) is a better example.  I doubt for example that the midori no madoguchi in tokyo will issue a limited express ticket for the day following based on proposed nagara travel.. but who knows.

 

does anybody know where to find the exact working of the japan rail pass terms?

[katoftw]

the japan rail pass website maybe?

[Guest keio6000]

the japan rail pass website maybe?

 

"thanks"

 

actually, here is what I found:

 

"If you travel overnight on the last day your pass is valid, the basic fare will be covered as far as you travel, including train changes, until you first exit a station. However, surcharges are only covered for the train on which you were riding past midnight on the final day your pass was valid."

 

So, my instinct sounds right - you can stay in the system, but you can NOT use shinkansen,limited express, etc as those are "surcharges."  It's not just  a matter of reserved seats or not.

 

So, in my case, it would be

 

2200 - Tokyo - Sunrize Seto/Izumo - Himeji - 0525

0546 - Himeji - JR Special Rapid - Osaka 0648

0654 - Osaka - Kansai special Rapid  - KIX 0800.  Perfect for a 10:00am flight!

 

Alternately, via Moonlight Nagara it is harder and probably not possible to get there on time without a shinkansen ticket.  Plus, moonlight nagara does not run (at all?  all dates?) in september when i might need it.

 

There may be some variants using Midnight Shinshu as well, but I am likewise not sure what the seasonaltiy of this is.

 

As it were, I was mistaken in my last email.  The hankyu fare of 400 to the "airport" is for the old domestic osaka airport, not kansai international.

 

Ok, time to crunch some numbers.  My theory for the trip is that I would spend 1 whole week on trains (after 1 week in the mountains hiking - kamikochi to the sea of japan) writing my "book" that I never seem to get to :).  As if that would really happen.

 

One "problem" I have is that because I am an avid mountain person I have a hard time correctly estimating the time it takes for certain hikes.  For example, the lonely planet book says that Tateyama to Kamikochi should take 6 days.  for 65km.  However, I am used to 30km/day at least over "difficult hiking" terrain, so I'm sure my time is considerably less. But how much so?  Who knows.  Anywhere from 2 days to 4 days depending on the terrain, but it's really hard to guess and because my plans include activating the jr pass at the end of the hike, it's particularly tricky.

Edited August 14, 2014 by keio6000

[katoftw]

14 day pass

Edited August 14, 2014 by katoftw

[JR 500系]

HHmmm interesting question.

 

While i'm not a 100% sure, I was asked a few times on some limited express (and if I recall some shinkansen) to show the Rail Pass, despite me having a reservation ticket. My rail pass do have these chops (I need to check when i'm back home) by the conductor after they checked my pass.  

 

The reason i'm saying this is, if there was a fault in the system like so; i.e. entering before 1200 midnight on the last day and staying in the system, what happens if you are caught on the train when the conductor asks for your rail pass to check validity? Even more so risky since you are then unable to hold onto a reservation ticket and can only use your rail pass should a conductor comes along. I'm not sure if there are conductors on the JR Rapid Special and Kansai Rapid Special trains, but it would kinda be embarrassing to be caught in that situation.

 

Reading between the lines, it would seem you're more into mountain climbing in the Tateyama route? How about thinking of flying into Nagoya instead? You can then use just the JR Central pass instead of the JR Country wide pass, which is much cheaper. Alternatively, you can use the JR West pass and pay for trains to Tateyama? It would seem not so advantageous to be using a 7 day Rail pass just for trips to Kansai Airport and Tateyama routes, since most of your 7 days will be spent up in the mountains.

[westfalen]

"If you travel overnight on the last day your pass is valid, the basic fare will be covered as far as you travel, including train changes, until you first exit a station. However, surcharges are only covered for the train on which you were riding past midnight on the final day your pass was valid."

 

Taking that literally you could get a whole extra day on your pass so long as you stayed off Ltd Expresses and Shinkansen and not leave any station through the wickets, get a bento from a platform kiosk for lunch.  Might be a bit difficult explaining why you are still travelling the later in the day you eventually leave the last station though.  Anyone want to test it out?