Do you have to book the bullet train in advance?

Does bullet train sell out?

Ugh. Golden Week 2023. Nightmare. Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto. Jam packed. Couldn’t even move my elbows. Sweaty. Regretted not booking earlier. Booked a week before, stupid me. Thought I was clever. Ended up standing three hours. Never again. Kyoto was amazing though. Totally worth it. But next time, booking a month in advance, minimum.

• Book early. Especially holidays.
• Golden Week, Obon, New Years. Forget about last-minute tickets.
• Reserved seats are lifesavers. Seriously.
• Non-reserved? Prepare for a battle. Or a long stand.
• Shinkansen app. Useful. Check availability. English version too.
• Travel light. No space for huge luggage.
• Food cart. Expensive. Pack snacks. Onigiri.
• Kyoto in spring. Crowded but beautiful. Cherry blossoms!
• JR Pass. Consider if traveling a lot. Worth the price.

Do you have to reserve a seat on the bullet train?

Nope. You don’t have to reserve a Shinkansen seat. Think of it like this: trying to snag a seat on a Tokyo rush hour train, only faster and with better snacks.

Highly recommended, though. Seriously. Unless you enjoy the thrill of a human-sardine-can experience, book ahead, especially 2024. Peak season? Forget it. You’ll be standing, possibly clinging to a pole, dreaming of your comfy futon.

Unreserved tickets are cheaper. Sure, saving a few yen feels good. But is a slightly smaller bank account worth the potential misery? Let me answer that: absolutely not. A sore back and a bruised ego are not included in the ticket price, but are often complimentary with standing room only.

Reservations? Your ticket to zen-like bullet train bliss.

Here’s the lowdown:

• Price: Reserved > Unreserved. Think of it as a trade-off, convenience vs. cash.
• Comfort: Reserved = comfy chair, magazine, possibly even a nap. Unreserved = possibly finding a free space on the floor.
• Stress levels: Reserved = dramatically lower. Unreserved = higher than my blood pressure after a particularly aggressive sushi-making class.
• My personal experience: Last year, a friend tried the unreserved route during Golden Week. Let’s just say he spent the entire trip looking remarkably like a wilted daisy. I, on the other hand, enjoyed a serene journey, sipping my green tea and pretending I was in a Wes Anderson movie.

Can you buy Shinkansen ticket on the spot?

No. You can’t just waltz up and buy a Shinkansen ticket. It’s always one-way. Always. That’s the rule. Annoying, I know. Like life, really.

It’s a pain. I learned this the hard way, last year in Kyoto. Missed my connection. Completely screwed up my plans. Ruined the whole day.

Reservations are essential. Especially during peak season, which is, like, always. Don’t be foolish. I’ve seen tourists scrambling. It’s brutal.

• HyperDia is your friend. Use it.
• Seven Eleven machines. A lifeline. They saved me once.
• JR offices are…well…offices. Efficient, but cold.

The whole process feels impersonal. Almost…dehumanizing. It’s just tickets, I guess. But it felt big. Bigger than it should have.

No round trip deals. That’s the frustrating part. It’s always more expensive. Always. It’s a money grab. I’m convinced.

It’s late. I should sleep. But my mind races. Stupid Shinkansen. Stupid trains. Stupid life.

Is it worth reserving seats on a train?

Ugh, trains. So, yeah, reservations. Def worth it sometimes. Like, if it’s a holiday, forget about it, you’re not getting on without one. Weekends too, can be a nightmare. I went to visit my sister Sarah in Boston last Thanksgiving – what a mess. Standing room only. My back was KILLING me, all the way there. Shoulda booked, duh. But other times, total waste of money. Like middle of the day, Tuesday? Plenty of seats. Just hopped on, no problem. Went to New Haven last week, Tuesday afternoon. Empty train!

• Holidays: Reserve, reserve, reserve!
• Weekends: Probably a good idea. Depends on the route. Busy routes = reservation.
• Weekdays: Usually fine without one. Unless it’s, like, rush hour, then maybe.

My friend, John, commutes every day, never reserves. Says it’s a ripoff. He just stands if it’s crowded. But me, I like to sit, you know? Especially if its a long trip. And, like, I took the train to Philly once, super early, Saturday morning. Figured it’d be empty. Nope, packed. Bunch of people going to some… convention, or somthing. Ugh. So, yeah, it really depends, but I would just book it, just in case, especially if you are going far. The Boston train, it was a nightmare. Never again.