If you purchase a Japan Rail Pass to use for side trips out of Tokyo and know where you want to go and when, it’s worth putting together a list of the train details in advance. This way, when you go to a JR customer service office at a train station to validate your rail pass, you can hand over the list of the trains and times you’d like to book and the customer service agent can generate all of your tickets in one go. To find out the details of the trains you would like to take, use the hyperdia.com website which will give you the details of the trains available on the dates you want to travel, the total travel time for each journey and the number of connections you need to make for each. To help the customer service staff generate your tickets quickly, include in your list the date, time, departure from and arrival to stations and the train names. And don’t worry if your plans change – you can simply exchange your tickets at a station ticket office free of charge.
Tips for your first trip to Tokyo
