question about train from kyoto to hiroshima
We have a Kansai-HIroshima Area Pass that includes Nozomi train. We are staying in Kyoto. Am I correct that the pass will only allow us to take the Nozomi train from Shin-Osaka and not the Nozomi train from Kyoto?
Yes, that's correct, as Shinkansen between Kyoto and Shin Osaka is run by a different company, JR Central. Your choice is to take a rapid commuter train or Haruka limited express to Shin Osaka and change to Nozomi, or pay extra: 1450 yen unreserved or 3080 yen reserved to ride Shinkansen from Kyoto. If you are doing this, make sure the train you get on at Kyoto goes to Hiroshima. Some terminate at Okayama.
Edited: 1 year agoThank you. I don't see the Nozomi option that is direct from Kyoto to Hiroshima on the JR West site. Should I be using SmartEX app or SmartEX website to book the direct Shinkansen from Kyoto to Hiroshima and if so, when you say pay extra, does that mean that our JR Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass will cover the base fare? I assume that there will be a place for us to enter that pass information when booking from SmartEX? Sorry for all the questions but I'm finding the rail system quite overwhelming to navigate...
You cannot use a pass on Smart Ex.
Just take the regular train or limited express Haruka or Thunderbird from Kyoto to Shin Osaka and switch to the Shinkansen. You can book the Shinkansen on the JR West site.
There are a lot of direct Shinkansen Nozomi from Kyoto to Hiroshima. If you want to take one with a pass, buy a Shinkansen ticket from Kyoto to Shin Osaka separately and just take an unreserved seat. You pay 1,450 yen and the pass takes care of the rest.
If you book a reserved seat from Shin Osaka to Hiroshima, you'll need to change seats at Shin Osaka.
I'm sorry for being dense. I am looking for the fastest train to get from Kyoto to Hiroshima. If there is a way for us to use the Kansai-Hiroshima West Pass that would be great but I don't mind paying a bit more for the faster train. Are you saying that I should book Kyoto to Shin-Osaka on Shinkansen using SmartEX (reserved or unreserved) and then separately on the JR West site book a reserved seat on Nozomi from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima? If I do this then I just need to make sure that our reservation for reserved seats are on the right rain time?
I am saying to take an unreserved seat so there is no reservation involved. You don't have to worry about which train to book. At Kyoto Station, buy a Shinkansen ticket from Kyoto to Shin Osaka, and get on the next departing Nozomi which is the fastest train. Just make sure the Nozomi’s destination is Hakata and not Shin Osaka. At Shin Osaka, do nothing and continue sitting in the same seat. Since your seat is unreserved, it is yours until you get off at Hiroshima.
Every Nozomi has 3 unreserved carriages, Car #1-3. Going to the Hiroshima direction, they’ll be the first 3 cars. Since a whole lot of people get off at Kyoto, you’ll find empty seats easily.
ah, thank you so much! so appreciate the help!
Maybe it is because of the holidays but all seats seem to be reserved seats on Nozomi from Kyoto (at least that is what I am seeing on SmartEX) so I guess if we want to take the fastest train, we should just keep it simple and take a reserved seat from Kyoto all the way to Hiroshima...
If you want reservations, the easiest thing (which I did an hour ago!) is to go to the JR West ticket office in Kyoto station and ask for reservations/tickets taking into account the pass you already have. They will fix it for you.
NB the ticket office is NOT the white one labelled Shinkansen Tickets - that is for JR East tickets towards Tokyo. You want the green fronted JR LInes ticket office by the JR Lines gates.
Dr. Shibuyakko, appreciate very much your information on the above post.
I read somewhere else (https://www.reddit.com/r/traveljapan/comments/1aczr9k/jrwest_pass_and_nozomi/) that one needs to "tap in" the JR West pass at the ticket gate else it may get stuck on exit at Hiroshima as there will be no record of entry. Is this likely to be a problem?
You can solve that problem when you exit Hiroshima station. Your pass will be rejected at the automated ticket gate (since it wasn't used to enter the ticket gate at Shin-Osaka). Go over to the staffed gate and they will fix it for you.
