Shinkansen Gran Class – Kyoto to Tokyo | Ticket Pre-booking Process

I can’t believe it’s been almost 10 years since I last visited Kyoto, and the city hasn’t changed much since I last visited. Regardless, today I need to get back to Tokyo in the shortest time possible. So come join me and travel to Tokyo on-board a Nozomi train of the Tokaido Shinkansen. Along the way, let’s also explore the eticket booking process. Is it all smooth sailing or is it something better to avoid?

Official Tokaido Shinkansen site: https://smart-ex.jp/en/index.php

Music courtesy:
Away – Geographer
Blurry Vision – Corbyn Kites
Once Again – bensound.com

#shinkansen #bullettrain #tripreview

Today we are traveling from Kyoto… … to Tokyo by the… … Tokaido Shinkansen On top of a ride report, let’s also explore the eticket booking process I can’t believe it’s been almost 10 years since I last visited Kyoto But now I need to get back to Tokyo in the shortest time possible

I’ve pre-booked my tickets online, now it’s time to redeem them Before I do that, did you know a lot of people take day trips to Kyoto? Kyoto is centrally located from Osaka, Kobe and Nagoya… Many would come here for quick trips without staying a night

It is not a bad option for some since hotels can be pricey… … after all you are only an hour or so away If you are one of them and don’t want to carry around your stuff? Fear not, there are multiple coin lockers surrounding the station

Bear in mind some are coins only like this one So what if you have a larger bag or a suitcase? There is this locker service on the B1 level They charge per item, but you can store large bags here Keep in mind they close at 8 pm each day

With that out of the way, let’s move onto redeeming my tickets You don’t have to pre-book and get yours here if your schedule is flexible I wanted to secure my seat on the Nozomi, the fastest train… … I first registered and booked on their website, link in description below

The booking process was easy, you then need to generate a QR code That can be tricky & frustrating. I recommend you do that ahead of time Log into the website once more Click My Trips to retrieve your booking information If the info is correct, click Issue pickup code

Then click Send, but can’t they just give me the QR code here? At this point you have to check your email As soon as you get that one-time pickup code… … scroll down and input that and click Next Yay! You finally get the QR code!

I recommend you screen capture this page, it is valid for a month But we still have one more step to go before you get your ticket Come to one of these machines with your phone You can usually find one of these at most JR stations

Choose English, then select Pick up Tickets and EX Service Keep in mind some words are still in Japanese Regardless, select EX by pick-up code or the second option here Finally scan your phone here to get your ticket On machines that sell other tickets…

Simply select this EX Ticket Pickup and repeat the earlier steps Congratulations, you got your ticket and now let’s get on-board The Shinkansen gates are located on the lowest level at the station There are signs across the station, chances are you won’t miss them

Instead of regular ticket, you could link your IC card to gain access You still have to go through most of the earlier steps though Platforms are a level up, simply find where you are heading Kyoto is just one of many stops along the line

So be sure to get to the platform ahead time And then find your car and get in queue Unlike in the UK, trains are punctual in Japan Especially the Shinkansen. Rarely they’re late by more than 20 seconds My tickets are for 2 assigned seats in the Green Car…

… equivalent to domestic Business class on planes I prefer taking the Shinkansen than flying for time considerations… For one, you don’t have to check-in, and stations are usually in city centre More importantly, the cabin is much more comfortable And the seats are more spacious

Seats are in a 2-2 configuration with a foot rest Legroom without a doubt is insanely wide… And best of all, the foot rest is adjustable Seat controls and other stuff are on both sides Right on schedule, we are on our way

You may already know it, Nozomi is the train with the fewest stops After Kyoto, there are only 3 more stops before we arrive in Tokyo This 280 miles journeys only takes 2 hrs and 14 minutes Just like on a plane, the crew provided wet wipe soon after we departed

If you have watched my previous video… … you know I have the worst luck with wifi, but let’s give it a try The landing page took a while to load completely… Well, it is not very promising start… Overall it is slow and you could lose connection every now and then

But considering you are in the middle of nowhere… It is good enough for YouTube if you are near the city My lunch is this delicious fried pork sandwich I got at the station You can also place your order of food and drink on your phone

The crew delivers your order to your seat with a bag for garbage This spoon is for stirring iced drink, it looks so cool I am keeping it There are charging stations on the arm rest They are powerful enough to charge your phone and even laptop The on-board entertainment is these magazines

One is a current events report, and the other is a literature magazine If you are only carrying a small bag… … the overhead compartment should be adequate Pre-book online if you have an over-size suitcase The wash rooms are also located in this same area It is a rather small and tight space

At least in general it looks clean Only in Japan, the seat is a bidet The interesting thing about riding a high speed train is… One minute we were in the city center… … and then the time it took me to return to my seat… … we were already in the countryside

Just like that we made it to our first stop – Nagoya There are just 2 other stops before Tokyo Here is a very brief Mt Fuji sighting The Sagami Bay welcomes us as we got closer to Yokohama Shin-Yokohama is one of those purpose-built Shinkansen stations

Unlike most other stations, it is slightly away from the city center North of downtown Yokohama It takes at least 20 minutes to downtown by car As we reached the suburb of Tokyo… … the number of buildings gradually increases Shinagawa, the second to the last station…

… is a business district with numerous upscale homes Passing through a number of construction sites… … as well as major office buildings… The train no longer travels at high speed… … this leg of the trip takes less than 10 minutes We arrived at Tokyo station in just over 2 hrs…

The station was built between the Meiji and Taisho eras The station is known for its European architectural style on the west side There is even a hotel on this side of the station It is so enormous, it is home to 8 train lines…

… 7 Shinkansen lines and a subway line among other things There is also an underground shopping street Hope you enjoy this video I will see you in the next one really soon