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Buying rail tickets 2011/9/3 07:42
How easy is it to buy tickets on the day for the Shinkansen? I am flying into Nagoya on the 12th sept and then taking the train to Kokura the next day. Its not imperative that I do get the train that day but how likely is it to be fully booked? Thanks in advance!
by Sandy (guest)  

... 2011/9/3 11:01
How easy is it to buy tickets on the day for the Shinkansen?

Most shinkansen trains do not require seat reservations, which means there is no limit on tickets sold. But even if you want to get a seat reservation, generally speaking, it is usually no problem to get seats on the day of travel. Only during the big travel seasons, such as Golden Week and New Year, it can be problematic to make seat reservations on certain days.

I am flying into Nagoya on the 12th sept and then taking the train to Kokura the next day. Its not imperative that I do get the train that day but how likely is it to be fully booked?

It will be absolutely no problem, whatsoever. There are multiple trains per hour, and the large majority of them will not be fully reserved by the time you arrive in Japan. Many of them will not book out, at all. Furthermore, all of the trains have non-reserved seating.

Here are more details about shinkansen:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2018.html
by Uji rate this post as useful

Re: your question 2011/9/3 11:47
I am flying into Nagoya on the 12th sept and then taking the train to Kokura the next day.

Shinkansen trains which are departing from Nagoya and destined to Hakata are Nozomi trains. If you take a Hikari train (, for example when you use a Japan Rail Pass), you have to change trains at Shin-Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima or so.

how likely is it to be fully booked?

I suppose the probability is low; you are highly likely to reserve your seat unless you stick to location of the seat or a series of the train's model.

13 September 2011 is
not (a) a day in a busy season,
not (b) a holiday or a day in a weekend,
not (c) a day in or around a chain of days which are good for a long-distance trip (e.g. Saturday-Sunday-holiday).
The nearest public holiday will be on 19 September and the second nearest will be on 23 September.

by omotenashi rate this post as useful

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