Seishun 18 Kippu Planning Example


Seishun 18 Kippu is valid to all local trains. Prices are 11,500 yen with five ticket, each is good for a day (from 0 a.m. to 0 a.m. next day). It can be used in either five consecutive or unconsective days. This ticket cannot be separated, so you always have to use the same train with your friend if you share 18 Kippu.

It is a seasonal ticket valid only during the vacation seasons. Usually for sale from 20 February to 31 March, 1 July to 31 August, 1 December to 10 January; valid from 1 March to 10 April, 20 July to 10 September, 10 December to 20 January respectively.

More detail about this pass here.


Plan 1 Short excursion around Tokyo or Osaka

With Seishun 18 Kippu, you travel for a day with 2,300 yen. It pays even if you do not go so farther changing many local trains. Short 150 or 200 kilometers excursion covers the cost, 2,300 yen.

Following destinations are good for short one or two day trip in weekend. They do not require too much effort to spend many hours in local trains. Getting up early, you have enough time to do sightseeing or walk around in your destination even if one-day return trip without staying in hotel. If you travel two days, you need two 18 Kippu (equal to 4,600 yen).

One-day trip

 Time from
Tokyo/
Osaka 		Normal fare
(When not
using
18 Kippu)
Tokyo- Odawara
 1:20 2,900 yen
Tokyo- Atami 1:40 3,780 yen
Tokyo- Kofu 2:40 4,420 yen
Tokyo- Nikko 2:40 5,040 yen
Tokyo- Choshi 2:30 4,410 yen
Osaka- Himeji 1:00 2,900 yen
Osaka- Nagoya 2:40 6,520 yen
Two-days trip Time from
Tokyo/
Osaka 		Normal fare
(When not
using
18 Kippu)
Tokyo- Kobuchizawa
 4:00 7,140 yen
Tokyo- Manza Kazawa Guchi 3:30 6,520 yen
Tokyo- Echigo Yuzawa 4:00 6,520 yen
Osaka- Kurashiki 3:00 6,520 yen
Osaka- Takamatsu 3:50 9,000 yen
Osaka- Shirahama 4:10 5,880 yen
Osaka- Kinosaki 4:10 6,520 yen

Odawara: Entrance to Hakone mountain and onsen (spa) resort
Atami: Onsen, sea coast and good sea food
Nikko: Famous for Toshogu shrine and Lake Chuzenji-ko

Kobuchizawa: Entrance to Mountain Yatsugatake height, Kiyosato and Nobeyama which is popular for summer resort doing sports and trekking.
Manza Kazawa Guchi: Entrance to Kusatu onsen resort and Shirane volcano.
Echigo Yuzawa: Popular for skiing destination in Niigata prefecture.

Kurashiki: Historic warehouses around canal.
Shirahama: Sea resort in Kii Peninsula.
Kinosaki: Onsen town popular for Osaka residents.


Plan 2 Make good use of overnight local trains

It takes time to travel long distance by local trains. But using overnight trains such as Moonlight Nagara (Tokyo - Nagoya - Ogaki) and Moonlight Echigo (Tokyo Shinjuku - Niigata), you can save time and money effectively. In following examples, you do not take so long daytime in the train, arriving at the destination in the morning. It might be also good that you will save hotel price staying two nights in local train.

Examples:
Tokyo 23:43 (MLN) 08:59 Kyoto 20:59 (MLN) 04:42 Tokyo
Tokyo 23:43 (MLN) 09:35 Osaka 20:30 (MLN) 04:42 Tokyo
Tokyo 23:43 (MLN) 06:05 Nagoya 23:41 (MLN) 04:42 Tokyo
Tokyo 23:43 (MLN) 10:09 Takayama 19:46 (MLN) 04:42 Tokyo
Shinjuku 23:09 (MLE) 11:41 Kanazawa 18:00 (MLE) 05:10 Shinjuku

MLN: Moonlight Nagara, MLE: Moonlight Echigo


Plan 3 Going to Kyushu Island by local train


Leaving Tokyo by "Moonlight Nagara" at night, you arrive Fukuoka in the next evening. Also possible to enjoy travel to Nagasaki or Mount Aso, Beppu Onsen in the next day, surely the cheapest way to move 1000 kilometers from Tokyo to Kyushu. Though it might be better to use Air in the return trip to Tokyo considering the physical capacity...

Timetable from Tokyo to Kyushu by Moonlight Nagara




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