Changes to Shinkansen Tickets Will Make Travelling In Japan Even Easier
If you’re visiting Japan then it’s likely that you’ll get on a bullet train at least once. Not only is it Japan’s very best form of intercity transport, it’s also a lot of fun, and a bucket list Japan experience that everyone should try at least once. We didn’t take a shinkansen on our last trip to Japan (we stayed in Tokyo) so we’re excited to ride one again on our next trip in March/April.
We love shinkansen travel, and this morning I received an email that means taking those bullet train trips is going to be easier than ever.
The email was from Klook who are bringing a game-changing update that will make travelling on the Shinkansen in Japan easier than every: Self-Amendment features. What does this mean? That once you’ve bought your bullet train tickets, if you’re itinerary changes then you can make changes to your own booking quickly, easily, and without any hassle!
🚄Book your easy to amend Shinkansen tickets with Klook now
🎁 Use code THATMUMTRAVEL5KLOOK to get a 5% discount on all prices too
Here’s everything you need to know:
- What Can You Change?
- What CANNOT Be Changed
- How To Book Your Tickets
- How To Make Changes
- Further Reading
Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!
What Can You Change?
- Date and Time: Changed your mind about when you want to travel? You can change your departure time to anything from 30 minutes to 30 days after your initial booking date
- Route: You can change your route but there are some caveats. These routes must be within the same area (you can find out which routes you can amend under the ‘reminders’ section of your ticket)
- Ticket Time: If budgets change and you want a different ticket then you can make those changes now
- Seat Preference: Window seat? Different carriage? Now you can change your mind!
What CANNOT Be Changed
- Number of Passengers: If you want to add extra passengers then you’ll have to buy those passengers their own ticket. Alternatively, you can cancel your original tickets and then rebook to ensure you’re all seated together.
It’s also important to note YOU CAN ONLY CHANGE YOUR BOOKING ONCE! So my advice is that if you do want to make changes, then make sure your confident in those changes before you submit your change request.
You can make changes UP TO ONE HOUR BEFORE DEPARTURE then your tickets are fixed and can’t be adjusted any more.
How To Book Your Tickets
Because these changes are to the Klook booking system, you can only take advantage of these if you book your tickets via Klook. We always book our tickets via Klook anyway, because you get instant confirmation and you can download your tickets straight to your phone: it’s so convenient!
Simple choose your departure and arrival station, the date you would like to travel, and click SEARCH. This will pull up a page in a separate tab where you can see prices and departure times for available trains. Pick the train that works best for you and then click book, choose the seats that work best for you, and pay – it’s as simple as that!
🚄Book your easy to amend Shinkansen tickets with Klook now
🎁 Use code THATMUMTRAVEL5KLOOK to get a 5% discount on all prices too
How To Make Changes
Once you’ve booked your Shinkansen tickets with Klook, if you decide to make changes then the process is so easy.
Go to your booking details page, then click on the ‘Change’ button. You’ll then follow the same flow as you would if you were making a new booking. When you get to the ‘Check Out’ page, you will either check out for free (and get your new tickets) OR if you’ve made changes that increase the price of your ticket then it will show the updated fare differences and you can pay the difference.
I’m not suggesting booking tickets that aren’t right for you: you should have your schedule in place before you book your Shinkansen tickets. But changes can and do happen, and now if they happen to you, it’s easier than it’s ever been before to change your tickets, hop on the train, and enjoy your trip!
Further Reading
Riding the Shinkansen is such a significant aspect of any trip to Japan, so I’ve written quite a few articles about the process and how to find the right tickets for you (especially if you’re on a budget!) You can read these below:
🧳 A Step-by-Step Guide to Pre-booking Luggage on Japan’s Shinkansen Trains
🚄 Is The Japan Rail Pass Worth It? Our Honest Opinion
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Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!
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