Platto Kodama - Discount Shinkansen Tickets Between Tokyo and Osaka

Platto Kodama (ぷらっとこだま) Regular Car; Reserved seat plan

Outline

Overview

Travel time between Tokyo & Kyoto

Name

Time

Note

Nozmoi

のぞみ

2.25 hrs

Fastest, Cannot use JR Pass

Hikari

ひかり

2.67 hours

Can use JR Pass

Kodama

こだま

3.62 hours

Slowest (1.37 hours slower), Can use JR Pass

Naming

Japanese: ぷらっとこだま普通車指定席プラン
Google Translate: Plattokodama Regular Car Reserved Seat Plan
English: Platt Kodama

Pricing

Platto Kodama + Ordinary car plan -> 10,600 yen
Platto Kodama + Green car plan -> 12,100 yen
Comparison (Regular Prices):
- Nozomi Ordinary car; reserved seat -> 14,170 yen (+3,670 yen)
- Hikari or Kodama Ordinary car; reserved seat -> 13,850 yen (+3,350 yen)

Restrictions

Platto Kodama tickets MUST be purchased the day BEFORE the travel date.
- It cannot be bought on the day of travel
Fixed trip plan - you cannot take any other trains.
Seat assigned - you cannot use any other seat or change the seat.
No stopover allowed - your ticket expires once you get off the train.
A handling charge is charged when issuing a refund

Is it worth it?

Trip

Savings

Added Travel Time

Tokyo ↔ Shin-Osaka

4,020 yen

+1.5 hrs

Tokyo ↔ Kyoto

3,670 yen

+1.5 hrs

Tokyo ↔ Nagoya

2,800 yen

+1 hr 10 mins

Nagoya ↔ Shin-Osaka

2,180 yen

+21 mins

Nagoya ↔ Kyoto

1,510 yen

+21 mins

Details

Japanese

Homepage: ぷらっとこだま - JR東海ツアーズ
Where and How to Pick up the tickets: 受取箇所 - JR乗車票の受取箇所・受取方法 - 新幹線のお得なツアーはJR東海ツアーズ

English

Homepage: https://www.jrtours.co.jp/kodama/english/

Booking Methods

In-Person Booking

Go to a JR Tokai Tours branch office and book the ticket in person.

Online Booking

Only via the Japanese website 😭
- https://www.jrtours.co.jp/kodama ⚠️
- ⚠️ Google Translate will break the website

⚠️ Warning for Online Booking! ⚠️

Their website is terrible and can run into bugs!
Some credit cards are denied without reason given.
Reservations on this site are ONLY available from 5:30 to 23:30
- Apparently, their servers need to sleep...

⚡ Tips for Online Booking:

Create an account first (it is buggy )
- It is called My Page (マイページ) account
Reserve tickets well ahead of 23:30
Prepare multiple credit card options

Search Query

Japanese

English

Example Values

乗車日

Boarding date

2020/01/01

乗車駅

Boarding station

東京 (Tokyo)

降車駅

Arrival station

京都 (Kyoto)

出発時刻

Boarding time

Select the earliest desired boarding time

Online Booking Steps

商品選択 - Product selection
選択内容確認 - Confirm your selection
取引条件確認 - Confirm transaction conditions
申込情報入力 - Enter application information
申込情報確認 - Confirm application information
申込完了 - Application completed

Vouchers You Will Get

With Platt Kodama, you will get the following vouchers/documents the following:

Platt Itinerary - i.e., receipt
Kodama Coupon - Train ticket for the Kodama Express Shinkansen
Platt Drink Voucher

What is the Kodama Coupon?

Use Kodama Coupon as a ticket for the Kodama Express train.
- You do not need to exchange the coupon for a ticket.
Only use ticket gates for JR Tokai's SHINKANSEN train!
- Show the Kodama Coupon at the gates.
- ⚠️ Do not use automatic gates.

Platt Free Drink

Get a free drink at shops with the following conditions:

In the Tokaido Shinkansen Stations (Tokyo ~ Shin-Osaka Stations)
Shops with this sticker
⚠️ The voucher cannot be exchanged on Kodama Express as there is no wagon service.

Pick Up The Platt Kodama Tickets

Two Steps:

Prep - Get your Platt Kodama ticket's pickup QR Code and confirmation 6-digit code ready!
Pickup - Scan the QR Code and input the confirmation code to get your tickets from the Ticket Machine

Prep - Getting the ticket's pickup QR Code and confirmation code

Navigate to the JR Tokai Tours's Reservation Confirmation Page (予約内容確認): https://ec.jrtours.co.jp/ec/member/InquirySelect
Log in to your My Page (マイページ) account
Click the 一覧 (List) or 一覧を表示する (Display list) button
Click the 詳細 (Details) button
Navigate to the 選択ツアー詳細 (Select tour details) column
Click the JR乗車票 受取コード 確認コード表示 (JR boarding pass receipt code/confirmation code display) button
A Platt Kodama ticket's pickup QR Code and confirmation 6-digit code will be displayed
{Optional} Repeat the process to display the return trip's Platt Kodama ticket pickup QR Code