Wild, wild, JR West!
Greetings from your friendly neighbourhood JTB Rail Pass Counter advisor in JAPAN RAIL CAFE. How’s everyone coping during this pandemic? While travel restrictions are still in place, I’m sure everyone has the urge to travel to Japan soon. This is the best time to start planning your trip (since there is really not much else to do)!
One of the best things that you can buy before going to Japan is the JAPAN RAIL PASS (JR PASS) which helps you save a considerable sum of money. But if you’re careless, you might end up spending more with a JR PASS than without one in the first place! The most common mistake we spot at our counter when customers come to consult us is that they plan to purchase a Nationwide JR PASS for just a one-way trip between Tokyo and Osaka. A one-way ticket (¥14,720) only costs about half as much as the Nationwide JR PASS (from ¥29,650)—this makes no economic sense at all, so we encourage you to consider a lower-priced regional rail pass that might suit your itinerary better.
(Image credit: West Japan Railway Company)
Today, let’s take a closer look at the JR West Passes offered by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). While the JR East Passes offered by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) really stand out due to their flexibility, JR West Passes are just straight up powerhouses of value. A powerful savings ticket for the power traveller, the JR West Passes can confer the most savings for you out of all the regional passes available.
Nachi Waterfall and Kumano Kodo in Wakayama Prefecture. (Image credit: Wakayama Prefecture / JNTO)
The Kansai Region (関西地方 Kansai-chihō) has many cultural and traditional attractions that are well-connected by the JR West train network. Starting at Kansai International Airport (KIX) near Osaka, most itineraries will include a visit to Kyoto and Nara. Beyond these three must-visit cities, there are other great places to visit too. To the south is the Kii Peninsula, where popular attractions like Wakayama and the Kumano Kodo are. Northwest of Kyoto, there is Amanohashidate, Kinosaki Onsen and Japan’s unique sand dunes in Tottori.
One of Japan’s most scenic views, Amanohashidate. (Image credit: JNTO)
A desert in Japan? Only in Tottori. (Image credit: JNTO)
While the rail journeys to these places would easily cost you over S$400 in total, with the JR Kansai WIDE Area Pass (¥9,200), it would just cost you a little over S$100! All you need to do is to plan your travel to these places within a period of 5 days. Even if you were to prefer a more relaxed itinerary, it is hard to make a loss with the JR Kansai WIDE Area Pass.
Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima Island, Hiroshima Prefecture. (Image credit: photoAC / Hiraosa)
If you wish to extend your travel further west of Osaka, JR West offers passes that potentially give even greater value! The JR Kansai-Hiroshima Pass (¥13,700) costs about S$50 more than the JR Kansai WIDE Area Pass, but it allows you to take the fastest shinkansen service Nozomi on the Sanyo Shinkansen Line to Hiroshima of the Chugoku Region (中国地方 Chūgoku-chihō), including all the places covered in the WIDE Area Pass too.
Start planning your trip now while there is still time! In these times of uncertainty, the best way to travel is to take advantage of huge discounts and what better way to do that than to take advantage of the savings offered by JR West Passes? For more information, visit our JTB Rail Pass Counter in JAPAN RAIL CAFE.
JTB RAIL PASS COUNTER @ JAPAN RAIL CAFE
Address: 5 Wallich St, #01-20, Singapore, 078883
Opening hours: 11am–8pm (Daily)
(CLOSED during Circuit Breaker period—reopening in end-June or until further notice)
Header image credit: photoAC / Hiraosa
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