Everything you need to know about the JR Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass
| from 12,000 yen/$77.10 USD/£57.56 GBP | Buy Rail Pass |
What is the JR Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass?
The JR Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass allows you to travel between Nagoya and Japan’s “Alpine Route”.
It offers unlimited rides on limited express, express, rapid, and local trains operated by JR Central between Nagoya and Toyama via the Tokaido and Takayama lines as well as between Shinano-Omachi and Nagoya via the Oito, Shinonoi and Chuo Main lines.
It also includes unlimited rides on the various buses, cable cars and ropeways that make up the Alpine Route between Dentetsu-Toyama and Shinano-Omachi stations.
How much does it cost?
- 5-day pass
- Adult: 24,000 yen
- Child: 12,000 yen
Child passes are only available for those between 6 and 11 years old.
Where can it be used?
The JR Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass allows unlimited travel on:
- JR local and limited express trains between Nagoya and Toyama/Shinano-Omachi on the following lines:
- Tokaido line
- Takayama line
- Oito line
- Shinonoi line
- Chuo Main line
- Matsumoto Electric Railway
- Designated bus lines including:
- Nohi Bus and Hokutetsu Bus between Takayama, Shirakawa-go, and Kanazawa
- Alpico Kotsu buses between Matsumoto and Takayama
Important information
- Seat reservations are possible for limited express trains and some other trains.
- The pass is valid for foreign tourists only.
- You must hold a passport issued by a country other than Japan.
- You must reside outside Japan and are visiting Japan on a temporary visitor visa(*).
- The age of a child is defined as the age on the date of purchase. A passport or other such document is required to prove a child’s age.
- The pass cannot be used to travel on Shinkansen trains.
Valid Period
The rail pass is valid for 5 consecutive days.
Where to buy
- Purchase through online or offline travel agents outside of Japan.
- Available for purchase on the official JR West website.
- Available to purchase in Japan at JR West and JR Central ticket offices as well as branches of JR Tokai Tours.
- If purchased outside Japan or online, the rail pass must be collected from a JR West and JR Central ticket office or a branch of JR Tokai Tours.
How to reserve seats
You can reserve seats on Shinkansen and limited express trains at no extra cost by making seat reservations at a JR West and JR Central “Midori no Madoguchi” (ticket office) or at a reserved seat ticket vending machine.
How to use
Insert your rail pass into the automatic ticket gate.
Make sure to pick up your rail pass after passing through the gate. The rail pass cannot be reissued even if it is lost or stolen etc.
For stations without automatic ticket gates, present your pass to the JR staff at the entrance to the platforms.
When taking any form of transport between Tateyama and Ogizawa, take your tourist pass to the counter at Tateyama or Ogizawa Station and receive a “boarding pass” to use the transport on that route.
Value
This passes offers a convenient and cost-effective way to do a round trip from Nagoya to the Alpine Route.
One-way tickets on limited express trains between Nagoya and Toyama can cost around 7,260 yen, while a one-way trip along the Alpine Route between Toyama and Shinano-Omachi will cost 14,410 yen, and a one-way trip from Shinano-Omachi back to Nagoya will cost around 7,200 yen so the pass provides significant value for those looking to make a round trip.
Even more cost savings can be gained by using the pass for travel on local lines covered by the pass around your destination.
It can be beneficial to plan your journeys on trains included in the rail pass in advance, as this will also help you to determine if you can match, or ideally exceed, the value of the pass with your intended travel.
| from 12,000 yen/$77.10 USD/£57.56 GBP | Buy Rail Pass |
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This post may contain affiliate links, and Essential Japan may earn a commission if you purchase through them.
