We had a western room. I am still trying to unpack and clean up the mess from the earthquake that hit while we were gone. As soon as I can find our hotel bill will let you know.
We also stayed at Kyoto Gardens. It was nice close to a subway station. But this year didn't want to walk too far.
I know I used the JNTO site and booked the room through itravel....but give me a few days so I can find my paperwork and give you the correct info.

We are having the same problems as some others for Nov. 22-Nov. 26 for Kyoto. We can not get a room for this period and we thought about staying in Osaka and taking the train to Kyoto. I have a few questions for those who don't mind taking the time to help me. First, please give us some advice on finding a place in Kyoto. Second, how feasible is it to stay in Osaka and take the train to Kyoto. We don't mind a 30 min train ride or 15 min by bullet train. If we did that, we would want to stay near the train station in Osaka. Please give us some recommendations of places to stay in Osaka. Thank you in advance for your replay.

Your questions have all been covered ina recent post by "clbtx1", sho is going to be in Kyoto soon, coudln't fidn a place, and wanted info on staying in Osaka. The post is titled, "Japan for the First Time." I will send it to the top of the posts for you. Clbtx1 was able to get a place in Kyoto through Japaneseguesthouses.com, but that was a few weeks ago.

Wow, thanks for the info on the post. It seems Clbtx1 had many of the same questions I had and her itinerary seems very similar to ours, just a week later.

Glad it was helpful. I was on my way out the door when I posted, lots of typos there, but I guess you could read it. If you can't get something in Kyoto from japaneseguesthouses.com and can't get into the Osaka Hilton or another hotel right by the station in Osaka, post back and people will try to help further.

I suggest you call JTB to see what hotels they might find for you. There are hotels near Osaka station but also isn't there a JR hotel at Shin Osaka? That would be more convenient to the shinkansen. The shinkansen would be 15 minutes but it also would be about 2100 yen each way.

We were able to get the Hilton Osaka from NOv. 22-Nov. 25 using my wife's points. I have a few more questions if some of you don't mind taking time to answer them.

Our plan is to take the train from Narita Aiprort to Osaka after we arrive. Since I'm travelling with a 2 year old, I'm concerned about carrying luggage and keeping an eye on her, while trying to find the appropriate train to get to Osaka.

My question is, once we arrive, can we jump on a train at the aiport, using the JR pass, that will take us directly to Osaka or will we have to change trains when we get into the Tokyo station? I went to hyperdia.com and it seems there are plenty of Hikari trains leaving from Tokyo to Osaka. I assume those trains leave from Tokyo station and not Narita. If that's the case, if we arrive Narita around 4 p.m., will we be able to get into Tokyo station to catch the Hikari Shinkansen that leaves at 7 or 7:30 p.m? It seems like the last Hikari shinkansen leaves at 10 p.m so I prefer to catch the 7:30 p.m. shinkansen.

My second question is, should I be worried about getting 2 seats on the train without prior reservations. The plan is for us to meet my wife in Osaka on the 22nd. She is flying in from the Middle East and we're flying in from the States. I don't want to be stuck in Tokyo because we are not able to get on a shinkasen once we arrive. It's a shame we're not able to reserve seats online.

Thanks for your advice.

You will have to change trains at least twice, as the shinkansen does not stop in Osaka but in Shin Osaks, about 3 minutes away. Use www.hyperdia.com to check the schedule. At the station in Narita they will be able to reserve your seats for you provided there are some left. If there are no seat reservations left, you can ride the non-reserved cars, and get seats first come first served. Your daugther will get a seat no problem as someone will give her one.

Send your luggage from Narita to the Hilton to avoid the hassle of carrying it.

KimJapan, Locsin would be arriving at Shin Osaka around 10PM, maybe later. Would it be reasonable to just take a taxi from Shin Osaka to the Hilton?

Reasonable like convenient, yes. Price, probably not at all bad as it will be late and no traffic. But I've never taxied between the two...my guess would be under 2000 yen, but that's as close as I can guess. I can say that I would do it...

Actually, now that I have time to think about it, I'd spend that first night in Narita to be honest if I had to fly into Narita....but ideally I'd fly into Kansai, avoiding the entire Narita to Osaka ordeal.

Using the JR pass, you can not jump on a train at Narita. First, after customs and getting luggage (assuming you've checked it), which may not take long or may, depending on how busy it is (although my impression is that part has been streamlined in last few years), you would need to get your JR pass activated. To do this, you need to go to the JR office in the airport terminal. While there, you must get a reservation for the Narita Express, the train that takes you from Narita to Tokyo Station because ALL seats on the Narita Express MUST be reserved - there are no nonreserved cars on the Narita Exress trains.

Questions for other Fodorites: Is there any other way to get a reservation on the NEX rather than standing in line in the JR office at the airport? I have never gotten an NEX reservation at the airport, so want to make sure there is not some other way to offer to Locsin.

If there is a long line at the JR station, it can take time. I am not sure about the set up of the JR office at the new Narita South Terminal (if that is where you are coming in on a Star Alliance airline) but my experience at the JR offices at Narita is that you'd stand in two lines - one for activating the JR pass, and a separate one for the Narita express reservation. It all depends on how crowded or not the JR office is, and how knowledgable the people in front of you in line are, re how long this takes. On my 1st trip I got to the JR airport office just before they closed (7 pm) on a Sunday night and was able to walk right up with only one person in front of me. However, on my trip last April, I went to the office at 5 pm on a Sunday and it was very busy. I had 8 people in front of me for the line to activate JR passes (and they all had lots of questions) and by the time I got through that line I would have had 6 people in front of me to get train reservations. I was not trying to get Narita Express reservations, I was wanting to set up reservations for the rest of my trip, so if you get someone like me in line in front of you and god forbid they don't already have their trains mapped out, then you could be waiting for some time.

When Kim-Japan said if there are no seats left, yo ucan ride the nonreserved cars, I believe she meant the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka. As I was lined up to board a Narita Express train at Shinagawa with NO reservation, a JR station employee told me NO WAY, go upstairs and get a reservation, all seats on NEX are reserved, no exceptions, no unreserved cars on that train.

Yes, see this page:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2027.html

All NEX trains are reserve only.

just one more thing- if you are going to send ahead luggage from Narita to Osaka as Kim suggested, you have to figure in the timing to do that also.

Btwn the 7:30 and 10 pm shinkansens, there is also an 8:06 pm Hikari #389 from Tokyo station, arriving Shin-Osaka at 11:13 pm

I see a few possibilities for you:

1) After customs, JR office (and perhaps quick stop for yen at ATM machine), take NArita Express #36, leaving terminal 2 at 5:44, arrive Tokyo Station at 6:47 pm. Then take that 7:36 pm Hikari Shinakansen #387 Tokyo, arrive Shin-Osaka at 10:36 pm.

2) If steps at Narita take longer, then take Narita express #38, leaving Terminal 2 at 6:17 pm, arriving Tokyo at 7:17 pm, and take the 8:06 pm Hikari Shinkansen #389 from Tokyo arriving Osaka at 11:13 pm.

Then collapse...

Thank you all the fodorites, especially EMD, for taking time to answer my questions.

It seems there are some major logistical issues in trying to catch the train on the same day. The alternative is to fly to Osaka but that means I have to go to Hameda, the other airport. I assume that involves logistical problems as well. The other alternative is to spend the night in Tokyo and just have my wife meet us in Tokyo and travel together to Kyoto. But if we did that, we'll lose one day in Kyoto since we are already have problems finding a place around that time period. Tough choices.

Looks like the last Hikari leaves at 8PM, not 10PM (that is the above mentioned Hikari 386, departing 20:06 from Tokyo and 20:14 from Shinagawa).

You'd have three shots at taking the Narita Express to connect to a Shinosaka bound Hikari, the two that emd mentioned plus the N'Ex departure at 18:46 that connects to Hikari 389 at Shinagawa.

I wouldn't be concerned with getting reserved seats on either leg of the trip.

mrw, you mean you woudln't be concerned w/the shinkansen reservations to Kyoto, not the NEX, right?

Also, I was going to mention the option of transferring to Shinagawa to get the shiknansen to Kyoto (instead of making the trasfer from NEX to Kyoto bound shinkansen at Tokyo station) but I didn't see that additional option you mention.

It is MUCH easier to take Narita Express to Shinagawa and transfer at that station to the Kyoto bound shinkansen if that is an option. Shinagawa is a much much smaller and more manageable station (esp. w a toddler) than Tokyo Station. I love that option an have used it myself (going in other direction, to Narita from Kyoto, instead of away from it) twice.

mrw, since you are here, I want to wish you a WONDERFUL trip to Vietnam on Friday. I am sure you are all ready to go and will have great things to share when you get back...you must be getting excited about the trip now.

BAsically, at Shinagawa you just get off the Narita express, walk up the stairs, and there are the tracks for the shinaknsen to Kyoto. It is VERY easy. I did it with 10 min. to do the transfer, and I even had to get reservations for the Nartia Express in that 10 min (because I was doing it in the other direction, going towards Narita).