We'll be traveling between major Japanese cities during a busy holiday stretch. I usually prefer buying train tickets on the day so our schedule stays flexible, but I'm uneasy about arriving at the station with luggage and finding the convenient departures full. We're not committed to a particular seat, though sitting together would be nice. Which journeys would you reserve as soon as sales open, and where is same-day flexibility usually worth keeping? I'll check the relevant operator's booking rules before committing.
Figuring out how early to reserve popular intercity trains during a busy period
- japan-travel
- figuring
- early
- reserve
19
1 reply
Same-day can still work for local-ish runs where there are lots of departures. But on the headline routes, I wouldn’t bet the whole trip on...
Same-day can still work for local-ish runs where there are lots of departures. But on the headline routes, I wouldn’t bet the whole trip on walking up and hoping.
And if you’re traveling with bags, the “we’ll just take the next one” plan gets old fast. I’d rather lock the painful leg in and keep the rest loose.
1 reply
For busy holiday periods, I’d reserve the longer intercity legs as soon as you know them. The popular routes can fill up enough that same-da...
For busy holiday periods, I’d reserve the longer intercity legs as soon as you know them. The popular routes can fill up enough that same-day flexibility gets uncomfortable with luggage.
I agree, especially if you want to sit together. Shorter hops are easier to leave flexible than the really busy city-to-city segments.