Where and How to Buy Shinkansen Tickets: Online and Ticket Machines

Buying tickets for the shinkansen, or bullet train, can be a little more complex than expected. There's different train lines, online booking systems and pick-up methods. If you want to make it easy, you can use a booking website such as Klook, or if the cost-benefit works out, there's also the JR Pass. In this video though, we're focusing on how to buy individual shinkansen tickets from the station ticket machine and online.

== LINKS ===

Buy online from Klook:

Buy online from Rakuten:

== CHAPTERS ===
0:00 Intro
0:26 Overview of Shinkansen lines and tickets
1:20 Buying tickets at the station
3:20 Buying online: smartEX
5:45 Buying online: Ekinet
7:27 Easy online booking: Klook

★★★ TokyoCheapo ★★★

★★★ Credits ★★★
Intro sequence by the most talented Peter Laugesen

Creative commons images used in the intro:

[nevilbruno]

Literally watched it while standing in queue at the machine. Very helpful, thank you!! 😅

[doramaluvr]

I'm traveling alone to Japan tomorrow and this is really helpful. Thank you!

[tvaronaite]

I was so overwhelmed and confused until this video, thank you!

[imaginethatttt]

I go to Japan twice a year and I still found this VERY helpful!! Thank you!

[zenny]

this is the BEST JAPAN TRAVEL channel ever, thank you so much!!! The guides are so easy to understand and straight forward, looking forward to my trip to Japan in about a week :D

[v.n.]

This was super helpful --- thank you so much for simplifying something that other videos made feel so complicated!

[theclown]

I was able to book a train from Tokyo to Toyama thanks to your video. I appreciate it!!

[piplup]

Thank you for much for the video . I have been stressing hard about getting - Shinkansen ticket and this put my mind at ease!

[Jules_]

Thank you ! This video is very helpful, I was so overwhelmed by all the videos out there. This one is by far the best !

[introvertspeaks]

this is soooo great. I am currently planning a trip to Japan with friends and I am looking for information about this because it's quite confusing. Thank you soooo much!

Just subscribed! I will definitely be watching most of this channel's videos before going. :D

[zaphod]

A bit late I know but I'd also add that the JR West site allows you to book any train (shinkansen and regular trains) operated by JR West, Central, Shikoku and Kyushu, as well as the JR East trains in Kanto (incl Joetsu and Hokuriku shinkansen).

This is useful if you want to book non-shinkansen trains such as the Hida train to/from Takayama, as ekinet allows booking of non-shinkansens in the JR East area, but not elsewhere, and SmartEx is shinkansen only, no regular trains.

[guardo]

This is so helpful! Thank you for explaining this so clearly!

[kristenvandalay]

This is great, broken down very simply!

[lawd.]

4:28 Thank you for the info on Mt Fuji! We are planning to go next year and your videos are helpful! Subscribed and liked!

[sahilgoel]

apki vajah se hamare paise bach gaye. Bhaut shukriya. Klook par mhenga tha.

[marylizabetha]

Thanks for making this video! Very easy to understand

[meganh]

Super helpful and clear advice. Thank you so much!

[Cnzcia]

That EX website doesn't accept my visa 😢

[Grant_Ferstat]

We can't register any of our cards (Australian Visa with different banks) with Smart Ex at all. We've treid multiple times. Has anyone found a solution for this. Our banks are no help.

[hermanchu]

Thank you for making it so clear! Finally understand how it works!