Rich M.

We loved using the JR Rail Pass for bullet trains, for the long haul, and also for many local trips. There was almost always a local JR train available to get us where we wanted, which I was informed was unlikely but really wasn't except for a few times. The bullet trains were great as you can schedule a seat ahead of time. I get the feeling when you schedule a train, though, that they tend to give you a schedule that's more convenient to the train service than the customer. We left earlier than we had to to take 2 trains to Kyoto, when taking the direct train would have let us leave later on a direct train and arrive at the same exact time. Maybe the direct train was full? I don't know. We ended up on it anway. The biggest complaint I have is that the Wi-Fi was very spotty to the point of being nearly useless. That was very frustrating because when you're on a train for several hours, you want your Wi-Fi.