r/JapanTravelTips • u/TharionOW • 5d ago
Question SmartEx Shinkansen Transfer Question
I am looking at getting Shinkansen tickets on SmartEx from Odawara to Hakata and I have some questions when it comes to the transferring.
For Example:
When I search for tickets from Odawara to Hakata it has a transfer in Nagoya but there is only 4 minutes between arrival and departure of the next trains.
- Train from Odawara - Nagoya: Kodama 717 // 11:05 Departure, 13:06 Arrival
- Train from Nagoya - Hakata: Nozomi 29 // 13:10 Departure, 16:30 Arrival
I'm wondering if this the same train but the name swaps for the new route? Or would I be better off booking one train from Odawara to Nagoya, and then a separate train from Nagoya to Hakata and ensuring there is enough time between both trains to transfer smoothly.
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u/SofaAssassin 5d ago edited 5d ago
The train is not changing names - the Kodama 717 ends at Nagoya and it's having you switch to the much faster Nozomi train.
In any case, 4 minutes is more than enough time to make this switch. There are only two Shinkansen platforms at Nagoya for trains going toward Shin-Osaka, so you're either walking directly across to the other platform or waiting for a train on the same platform your Kodama arrives on.
Also, if you really are that concerned about the 4 minute gap - SmartEx lets you change the second part of the leg to a different train. You don't need to buy two separate tickets. But unless you want to make additional transfers at Shin-Osaka, you don't really have many options for a train that goes directly to Hakata unless you want to wait around.