HappyTraveling

We will be traveling with our luggages from Tokyo to Kyoto by train on the JR. Will that be a problem in terms of luggage space?
There must be a possibility to do that. HELP!

Any tip would be appreciated!

mrwunrfl

Shipping the bags might be your second best option. Upon arrival you will see counters for a couple of companies that ship bags. You could search here for a post or two where KimJapan mentioned how she used baggage shipping on arrival at Osaka.

Their prices that I checked on at Narita (while waiting for a hotel bus) looked pretty reasonable. You can also ship from your hotel(s). Best would be to travel lightly.

Here is what JR says:

Carrying Baggages
Although there are a few porters in some big stations, you will generally have to carry your baggage by yourself through crowded stations. There is no special space for baggage on trains except for the airport shuttle trains. Nonetheless, since most Japanese travel lightly, you should easily find space for your baggage. There are also some shipping companies that will transport your baggage to your next destination in Japan.

lcuy

We always carry our luggage on the trains in Japan. As long as you can carry it yourself, you shouldn't have any problem finding a spot to stow it on the train. The overhead racks aren't huge, but often there is a big space behind the last seat in the car.

glorialf

A carry on bag is fine. I'd ship everything else ahead. It's very reasonable and reliable. There are a lot of stairs in both train stations so where to put a huge suitcase is only one proble. And there are no porters. Ship your big bag and carry a 20 inch (22 inch max).

hfot2

How large are your bags?
There's a luggage storage compartment at the end of each car.
We've put in two - 22x14x9 inch bags and one 22x14x12 inch bag and still left plenty of space for other people's bags.
The stairs in the stations are a problem, but we've carried one bag up and cable locked it at the top and then brought up the other two.

emd

I recently bought a 22" roll on for a two week trip to Japan, and it has a "backpack" feature. You can pull straps out of a hidden back compartment and put the thing on your back to go up and down stairs (it even has a little extra flap to cover the wheels when you do this so the wheels don't dirty your back). My son has one too and I am hoping we can get by with these and maybe a small daypack so that we don't have to ship. This will be the ultimate "travel light" challenge for me.

softlite

If your luggages are large, it is better to ship it. Train station in Japan are large with many stairs. Transferring to a local subway or local train is going to be another problem with large luggages. I always ship it via a luggage service. Very reasonable price. The hotel can arrange it to be shipped from your hotel to the destination hotel. And it will get there before you arrive. I love it.

HappyTraveling

Will this luggage service be available in Narita Airport?

Are there clearly marked signs for this service?

How reasonable is the cost of each luggage?

kappa

This delivery service is generally called takkyu-bin or taku-hai-bin and as far as I remember, there are at least 3 companies, 1 Yamato Takkyu-bin (Black cat sign), 2 Nittsu (Pelican) 3, Sky Porter at Narita airport. You can find their counters next to each other right after the custom exit. The price should vary a bit depending on the distance but it's about 1800 - 2500 yen per piece. My experience is : My suitecase which usually weighs 20 to 30kilos given at the counter before 9.00/10.00am was delivered on the same day in Tokyo area. Later than that, the delivery might be the next day. The counter clerk should usually be able to tell you. A piece of advice : Have the address of the place (e.g.your hotel) TYPE WRITTEN on a piece of paper that you will give to the delivery service staff so he/she can fill the form correctly.

kappa

Depending on which terminal you will arrive (1 or 2), you will find the delivery service counters on you far right or far left down the hall. In case of trouble finding them, you can ask anbody of any counters (e.g. limousine bus counter)right in front of you when you get out of the custom, including the information desk.

albaaust

You don't say how big your luggage is or how fit you are.We have just come back from Japan and travelled from Kyoto to Tokyo. We had two large suitcases (about 20kg each)but they did have wheels! We did time when we were moving luggage out of peak hours. In fact our luggage was a source of conversation many times. The trick is to keep smiling and people will help you.