The Seishin 18 Kippu
Japan undoubtedly has one of the best transportation Networks in the World. Fast, efficient, friendly service, and reliable, are some of the words that come to mind immediately. One word, however, is sorely missing from this list – cheap.
If you’ve spent any time in Japan, you know that the train network is not the cheapest when it comes to long-distance travel. As amazing and convenient as the Shinkansen, or Bullet Train is, it is also amazingly expensive. There is a cheaper alternative, however. If you have plenty of time to get to your destination, you should definitely consider the Seishin 18 (Juhachi) Kippu (青春18きっぷ), which is a discount ticket for rail travel excluding the Bullet Trains.
This ticket gives you unlimited travel on Local and Rapid JR Trains (including the JR Miyajima Ferry) for five days Nationwide.
In other words, one person can travel for 5 days (either consequtive, or non-consequitive days within the validity period), or up to 5 people can travel together on the same ticket for one day. So, if you’re looking to explore Japan without breaking the Bank, and have plenty of time on your hands, it is an incredibly good deal at only ¥11,850. Doing some quick Math, that equates to only ¥2,370 per Day! -Definitely worth it!
This ticket is available all over Japan only three times a year:
– Spring (Available: February 20 – March31; Valid: March 1st – April 10th)
– Summer (Available: July 1st – August 31st; Valid: July 20th – September 10th)
– Winter (Available: December 1st – December 31st; Valid: December 10th – January 10th)
The only caveats with using this ticket are the restrictions to travel only by JR, and not being able to use the automatic ticket gates, since it has to be stamped by JR staff at the start of your journey and manually checked everytime you enter and leave a station. Nonetheless, it is an incredibly good deal – especially if you’re traveling with friends or family.
For more information, check out the Official JR Site.
Enjoy your travels in Japan!
