We could say to know how to use HyperdiaIt is basically an obligation when you travel to Japan, especially if we consider that the train is probably your means of transport throughout the trip.
What is Hyperdia?
Hyperdia is a website, in addition to an application, with which you can plan all the journeys you make by train and even assess whether or not it is necessary to buy the JRP of 7.14 or 21 days with shipping included.
With it you can see the train schedules, the prices, the time it will take on each of the journeys and even and without any margin of error, the platforms through which the train you are doing the search will leave. Taking this into account, we imagine that you will understand the reason why we say that know how to use Hyperdia It is practically an obligation to travel to Japan and enjoy without any mishaps the train journeys.
It is important to know that the application is in English, but not in Spanish, although it is very intuitive and we are sure that following the advice we will leave you on how to use Hyperdia, you can use it perfectly to plan your routes through the Japanese country.
How Hyperdia works
How to use Hyperdia
1. The first step to start using Hyperdia is to access its website or download the application on your mobile, either IOS or Android.
2. By the name of the point of origin and destination. Here you must be careful, since there are places like Kyoto, where you have to put "Kyoto", but you will not find the option. The same goes for Tokyo, where you will have to put "Tokyo" or put Shin Osaka if you want to go to this station in shinkansen.
Don't worry, since this is much easier than it seems, like most things in Japan.
Also keep in mind that Hyperdia has the function Autocomplete, so in case you do not know exactly how to write the name of the city or station, putting the first letters you will see the different possibilities, something that helps you very much to find the one you are looking for.
Select origin and destination. How to use Hyperdia
3. Once you have selected the origin and destination and following the steps on how to use Hyperdia, you must select the dates on which you want to travel, the time of the trip and if it is a single journey or round trip. In case you are not clear about any of the data, do not worry, put something general and you can also see the results.
After this data, click on "More options" to see the drop-down menu. You will see that there are many options, but in principle if you are using or want to use the JRP of 7.14 or 21 days with removing the option "NOZOMI / MIZUHO / HAYABUSA (SHINKANSEN)" It's enough. Remember that these trains are not included in the JRP and therefore you cannot travel on them without paying their corresponding fare.
In addition to this, if you only want to see the trains included in JRP, it is best to also select, in the end, the option "JRP", so that the filter is made only with this premise.
How to use Hyperdia
4. Once with all the selected data and after clicking on "search" You will see the first results that we will analyze from your search:
A. Departure time from the point you have selected as the origin, in this case Kyoto. Journey time, in this case 162 minutes. Time of arrival at the destination, in this case Tokyo.
B. Total journey time. In this case 162 minutes.
C. Type and name of the train. In this case it is the shinkansen Hikari 470. This, in addition to giving you very useful information once you are at the station to know which train you should take, is also very useful to realize if you have made a mistake in the initial selection, since if for example you see the name "Nozomi"and you are using the JRP you must pay, since it is not included.
D. This information indicates the platform on which the train will depart, with no margin for error. This, in addition to serving you to prepare your routes through Japan, will serve you to go directly to the platform, without having to perform many previous checks.
While it is true that in our two steps through the Japanese country, the first on the trip to Japan for free in 18 days and the second of which we have written the guide to travel to Japan, all the data has always coincided 100%, It does not hurt to check the screens of the station to make sure.
Hyperdia Results
5. Once you have this clear data, the next step is to look at the price. This is important only if you do not have the JRP of 7.14 or 21 days or your route is not included in the pass.
It is important to keep in mind that the ticket price includes the concepts "Fare" Y "Seat Fee", having in the latter, the possibility of choosing reserved seat, unreserved seat or Green fare, which would be like first class seats.
That is, using this specific case as an example, the ticket from Kyoto to Tokyo would have a price of:
Ticket with reserved seat 8210 + 5390 = 13600 yen
Ticket without reserved seat 8210 + 4870 = 13080 yen
Green Rate 8210 + 10170 = 18380 yen
Hyperdia
6. To better understand and understand transport in Japan, do not miss the following posts:
- Transportation in Japan
- How to use the Japan Rail Pass
How Hyperdia works with transfers
The example we have set before is that of a simple route, since you should not change. We leave you a route where you must do it, so you can see the meaning of the different options. Also in this example, you can see how the same route, depending on the time you want to leave, can be with transfer or direct.
That is why we recommend looking at all the options and if you do not have a fixed schedule, expand the schedule fork, in order to see all the options and the one that best suits your needs or preferences.
In this case it would be a journey from Kyoto to Hiroshima. As you can see, you have two options, with a reserved seat for 11090 yen:
A. This option would be leaving at 8: 23h, in a total journey of 132 minutes and with direct route in shinkansen Hikari 495.
B. This option would be to leave at 08: 52h, on a 115-minute journey, but doing a transfer at Shin-Osaka station. In this case, the train would arrive at Shin-Osaka at 09:06 at platform 23 and you should take the next one, at platform 20 at 09: 17h.
How Hyperdia works
Tips to know how to use Hyperdia
We leave you a series of tips to use Hyperdia that we believe can help you organize your routes through Japan.
1. Make sure you are putting both the name of the origin and the destination well. You can check this on Google Maps to know both the name of the station and the times in a general way, to know and confirm that you are not wrong.
2. If you do not have a fixed schedule, look at different options, since in many occasions, as in the previous example, you can find direct trains that interest you more than not changing.
3. As we mentioned before, although we would be able to affirm that this application is 100% secure in the data provided, it is worth checking once you are at the station, the platform where the train will leave to ensure you.
4. Hyperdia is also a super useful tool for checking and knowing local train routes or shorter routes.
Paths that you will look for the most in Hyperdia
On a first trip to Japan, there are routes that we are sure, you will need to consult in Hyperdia, since they are the ones that go through the places to see in Japan essential.
We leave you the examples of several of the most consulted so that you can see the details of the data that you must enter and that will also allow you to know some of the best tours and excursions in Kyoto and the best tours and excursions in Tokyo.
Kyoto - Inari - Nara
Nara is one of the places you cannot miss while in Kyoto, as well as being the perfect complement to Inari, another of the essential places to visit in Kyoto.
We advise you to start the day soon, to arrive in Inari around 6 in the morning, when there are not many people yet and thus be able to make the complete tour of toris in about 2-3 hours later, take the train again and make your way to Nara (several options, with fast or local train).
Kyoto to Inari route
Inari to Nara route
Inari
Kyoto - Tokyo
This is one of the most accomplished routes, especially when your flight in and out of Japan is through Tokyo or Osaka, having to make this round trip.
Kyoto-Tokyo route
Kyoto - Hiroshima - Miyajima
Few travelers know that on their first trip they don't make two of Japan's most famous visits: Hiroshima and Miyajima.
To take into account that these visits can be done in one day, although it is advisable to choose to stay in Miyajima, since it is one of the most magical places in Japan, especially at dusk and dawn, when you will practically be alone Without any tourist
Another thing to keep in mind is that from Kyoto there is no direct train option, so you must make several sections:
1. Kyoto-Hiroshima
2. Hiroshima-Miyajimaguchi (station where you must get off to take the ferry to Miyajima)
3. Leave Miyajimaguchi station, follow the indications a few meters and arrive at the ferry station, where you must take the one included in the JRP of 7.14 or 21 days, in case you are using it.
Kyoto to Hiroshima route
Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi route
Miyajima
Kyoto - Himeji
Another of the most common routes on a trip to Japan, is the one that will take you from Kyoto to the incredible Himeji Castle, another of the places that we advise you not to miss on your trip.
Kyoto to Himeji route
Himeji Castle How to use Hyperdia
Tokyo - Nikko
Getting to know Nikko from Tokyo is another experience you cannot miss in Japan, being this one of the most incredible places in the country.
Journey from Tokyo to Nikko
Nikko
Tokyo - Fuji (Chureito Pagoda and Kawaguchi Lake)
This is perhaps the journey in more complicated train of which we have commented, so it is very useful to use Hyperdia to know how it works, since there is one of the parts that is not included in the JRP of 7.14 or 21 days and that you will have to pay.
Although there are countless places from which to see Mount Fuji, we recommend you if you do not have much time, opt for a day trip from Tokyo, so you can go looking at the weather and make it the day you see that it is clear. Taking into account that it is not necessary to reserve seats, you can travel there easily.
1. Tokyo - Chureito Pagoda (We advise you to do this first, as it is much better to go when there are not many people)
You must take the JR Chuo line from Shinjuku station to Otsuki station and from here the Fujikyu line to Shimo-Yoshida station (this is the section that is not included in the JRP).
How to go from Tokyo to Chureito Pagoda2. To go later to Lake Kawaguchi, you must take another train from the Chureito Pagoda, it is advisable to check the schedules at the station since they are not very common, not included in the JRP of 7.14 or 21 days, which in less than 15 minutes you will leave at Lake Kawaguchi.
Once there, we recommend you to take a bus that borders it, with many intermediate stops, to go to the points of interest. We went to Oishi and from there we walked back, bordering the lake. Totally recommended!
How to have internet in Japan?If you want to have internet in Japan a good option is to buy one Holafly SIM card, with which you will have internet from the moment you land, several GB of data, keeping your WhatsApp number and support service in Spanish.
You can buy your Holafly prepaid SIM card here with a 5% discount for being our reader.
For the return, if you do not want to take the train again, you can take one of the multiple buses that leave regularly to different areas of Tokyo, for 1800 yen per person and lasting approximately 2 hours.
How to go to Lake Kawaguchi
Chureito Pagoda
- Keep in mind that these are only examples of certain routes, in which we have taken into account and have given priority to the idea that you will travel with the JRP of 7.14 or 21 days, in addition to selecting and highlighting those that They are for us the best options, taking into account factors such as more direct routes and schedules that we believe are perfect for these routes.
It is important that you know that there are, for these same routes, many more alternatives, even at the same times, with more links, cheaper, more expensive, with other train companies ... etc.
That is why knowing how Hyperdia works, you can see all these options and be able to compare them to choose the one that best suits your needs or preferences.
