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I realize that the cost of the pass itself is fixed, in yen. However, I see that travel agents often add extra costs, in the form of "delivery fees" and "processing fees" etc ($15 for delivering a piece of paper??).

I'm going to Japan in April, so there's no need for express delivery. What's the cheapest place to order a 7-day JR Pass from?

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I assumed it was possible to order it online. It might not be the cheapest option, though. – Andrew Grimm Jan 16 '12 at 8:21
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@AndrewGrimm: you can order it online, but only through travel agents. As far as I an tell, you can't buy them directly from JR: japanrailpass.net/eng/en005.html – SuperElectric Jan 17 '12 at 0:30
It would probably help if you told us where you are located, and how you intend to get to Japan (ie, which Airline) as some airlines will sell these passes, but only to their own passengers. – Doc Jan 21 '12 at 17:56
@Doc: I am in Boston, and will fly via American Airlines. – SuperElectric Jan 21 '12 at 18:51

1 Answer

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Given that you're in Boston, H.I.S. International Tours have an office in Boston (581 Boylston st, Suite 702) and do not charge delivery fees for passes picked up from their offices.

It's unlikely you'll find someone that will send the pass to you without charging a delivery fee. Due to the highly negotiable nature of these passes (or more specifically the "exchange orders" they send you) they will almost certainly only want to send them via confirmed delivery mechanisms (Registered mail, or more likely Fedex/UPS) which have non-trivial costs associated with them.

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Thanks. I was also looking at IACE Travel, but it looks like they charge $16 more per pass than HIS, regardless of whether they're shipped or picked up in person. HIS charges an extra $20/pass if you have them mailed, but as you said, not if you pick them up. I'll be going with HIS. – SuperElectric Mar 22 '12 at 22:02

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