Hi Sifus,

Im now in dilemma to figuring that should i buy the 7-days JR Rail Pass for my trip to take Shinkansen from Hakodate Station to Tokyo Station or just take domestic flight would be better.

This is because im not sure im able to fully utilize my JR Pass for the 7 days or i just purchase JR/Metro/Subway ticket based on my travel station to station.

My trip will be a 12 days trip is as below :

Travel date is 9th-May to 20th May.

Day 1 - Day 3    : Sapporo Area (5 Days 4 Nights,Included Otaru day trip)
Day 4               : From Sapporo - Otaru - Sapporo (Day trip)
Day 5 - Day 6    : From Sapporo - Hakodate Area    (3 Days 2 Nights)
Day 7 - Day 12  : From Hakodate - Tokyo - Yokohama - Tokyo (6 Days 5 Nights)

The schedule above is tentatively my planning and all the mode of transport is using ONLY JR/Metro/Subway/Walk. Minus bus and taxi.

Note I  : Yes i know in Tokyo,JR Pass is quite useless as its better to use metro/subway.
Note II : How i take Shinkansen from Hakodate to Tokyo? There will be a new route from Tokyo Station to Shin-                               Hakodate Station starting end of March 2016.
Note III: Found out that ticket for Shinkansen from Aomori Station to Tokyo station alone already cost around 17,000Yen,therefore, it will cost a little more extra if i travel from Hakodate to Tokyo compared to Domestic Flights which starting at 7,000Yen.

Appreciate for the inputs.

Thanks.

RegentCid sifu, i'm going again next year April.
Would like to ask in between
Kyoto city -> Miyama -> Miyazu -> Ine -> Kinosaki -> Takeda Castle
Any others place/sightseeing must go for(driving)?
Any onsen ryoken(温泉露天風呂付客室) recommend?

Sharing my video, did a solo journey to Hida-Takayama last summer 

Sharing my video, did a solo journey to Hida-Takayama last summer 

Can recomend a taxi booking website that u guys have tried before?

Have to spend a fortune to catch a taxi because of the stupid Airasia flight that reach by 10.30pm

That's dedication for a thread starter

Can only eat and sleep, no onsen since it is only open from 7am?

Ya. But I can stay until 9.00Am.
Wake up at 8Am .....Do a 30 minute Onsen....then Check out at 9Am


Sleeping part just lying down on Tatami floor only.
If you alone this plan will works, But got GF , Wife , Family.......It won't works....
Separate Sleep plus sleeping on floor........   

Is there bigger size coin locker available?

Please do homework on Limousine Bus or else sleep at Airport.

I tried slept at haneda airport, believe me it is more tiring than overnight at genting casino. Making thing worst is you can only checkin hotel at 2pm. My takes is don't try save money l, book a hotel and take bus or train to sleep in hotel.
If you still want to sleep in the airport, there is a public bath in haneda airport where you can take bath before leaving the airport either when you arrive or depart, it will make you feel much fresher. It costs only around 1000 yen for 30 minutes bath.
Don't blame airasia as there are a lot of airlines reaching or depart at mig night. Budget ma!

It is hard to decide. What do you advise? Thanks.

I don't see why it is hard to decide, since you have already calculated the cost of each option, and you've identified the other pros & cons like overnight in the bus is tiring.

For me I will take shinkansen because (i) I am an unker who can't really sleep that well on bus (i.e. needs a proper comfortable bed to sleep; and (ii) I am an unker who if don't get proper night's sleep, next day very tired and sleepy one.

Hello

I will be going to Osaka (group of 5 adults) on 13 Jan and returning from Haneda on 22 Jan. Yes, that is the coldest period of the year.

We plan to stay 3 nights in Osaka, 2 nights in Kyoto and 4 nights in Tokyo.

I have booked the accomodation in Osaka, staying in Airbnb apartment. Our stay in Kyoto and Tokyo is undecided - depends on the whether we take the Shinkansen bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo (2.5 hr journey at about RM500 one-way, is very expensive) or the overnight bus(9 hrs at RM90), which is a tedious journey.

It is hard to decide. What do you advise? Thanks.