Osaka/Kyoto, help pls
 

We have three days, two night at our stop in Osaka en-route to Beijing from Vancouver, arriving at 5pm, our first in Japan.

Would like to visit Kyoto which can be reached by train in twenty mintues from Osaka. but, with only two days. Shall we just stay in Osaka, can we do one day each?

Can we catch the train from the airport to Kyoto upon our arrival at Osaka.

Many Thanks.

If you have two days, you may want to stay in Kyoto, instead of Osaka. “Haruka” train can take you to Kyoto from Kansai Airport without transferring. Here is the useful JR (Japan Rail) website.

http://www.westjr.co.jp/english/travel/kix/index.html

Also, upscale Hotel Granvia Kyoto is located right at the Kyoto station.

Be careful when you arrive in the Osaka airport. I took a taxi to my hotel in downtown Osaka and it was one of the most expensive taxi rides of my life. (Somewhere around $250 US) Luckily I was traveling on business, so it came out of my budget rather than my own pocket. Consider yourself warned ;)

Its up to you. If it were me I would stay the two days in Kyoto,especially if it were my first trip in the area.

Aloha!

Just stay in Kyoto for two nights. There is no reason to go to Osaka on a two night stay (unless you have a specific reason to do so, like to go to Spa World or Universal Studios or whatever).

You are mistaken about the train times. From Osaka Kansai Airport to Osaka it is about an hour by train. From Kansai Airport to Kyoto it is 1 hour and forty minutes.

If you are not traveling lightly then you could store some luggage at the airport (figure about $5 per bag per night). Then you can just take what you need for your two-night stay.

Thankyou all for your most valuable info.

Mochi, after reviewing JR's web site, I guess we should buy a three day rail pass for 5000Yen, it's not clear if this pass covers the airport express "Haruka" line to Kyoto.
I assume this pass also covers local metro as well.

Many Thanks

Per West JR website, Kansai Area Pass covers unlimited use of any standard trains and Haruka non-reserved seats within the corresponding area.

One way from Kansai Airport to Kyoto is JPY 1830, so JPY 5000 is not a bad deal, assuming that you'll visit other cities, such as Nara. If you want to have a reserved seat, you need to pay additional JPY 1660 for one way.

Unless you are travelling peak holiday season, I think non-reserved seats would be fine.

no your jr pass is no good on the Kyoto local subways

Here is some info for you

http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/access/transport.html

Aloha!

Mochi, the 1830 is the base fare, what you would pay on a JR local train. The 1660 that hyperdia shows as "reserved seat" charge is really the limited express surcharge plus the 500 yen or so reserved seat fee.

So, riding the Haruka from KIX to Kyoto would be 2990 unreserved (or 2790 if the reserved seat charge is 700 yen, i forget).

I couldn't find any trip ticket prices in the JR site expect rail passes for 2000for one day pass and 5000 for three days, can you pls help. So, these passes are definitely better deals than standard ticket even if we only travel to Kyoto.

hawaiiantraveler, thanks for the local link.

Thankyou all for your help.

Woops. mrwunrfl, you are right. Passengers still have to pay limited express charge on top of JPY 1830.

samuell, I'm afraid that you cannot get detailed train schedule via West JR English website. If you can read Japanese, you can do the detailed search on this site though...

http://mydia.jr-odekake.net/search/mydia.cgi

Otherwise, here is the train schedule info leaving Kansai Airport to Kyoto after 5pm.

Haruka 44, KIX 17:46, Kyoto 19:02
Haruka 46, KIX 18:16, Kyoto 19:34
Haruka 48, KIX 18:46, Kyoto 20:02
Haruka 50, KIX 19:46, Kyoto 20:32

Price for the non-reserved seat is JPY 2980 (1830 & 1150) one way. Your hotel concierge should be able to help you for your return schedule.

Here is a description of the JR West passes. You could use a Kansai Area Pass, 3 days at 5000 yen, and use the Haruka unreserved.
http://www.westjr.co.jp/english/travel/jrp/index.html

You would only be saving 480 yen each way by using the pass. You can get the pass in Japan, you don't have to buy a voucher outside of Japan.

There are buses from the airport to Kyoto so you might be better off by not taking the train, depending on which hotel you stay at.

I see a discrepancy between japan-guide dot com where they say that the Kansai Area Pass is good on JR local and rapid trains. Meaning that it is no good on limited express trains, which the Haruka is.

But the japanrail webpage says the KAP is good on the Haruka train.

For schedule information go here: www.hyperdia.com, click on the English button on the left. Use Kansai Airport for the Osaka international air;port KIX.

Mochi, mrwunifl
Thank you both for your time, once we have decided on a hotel, will have to come back and get more help, i think train travel is probably most reliable especially on our return trip to catch our plane at 10am to BJ.
You have been most helpful.

Samuell:

We were very staisfied with MK limo service from domestic Itami airport right to our hotel in Kyoto at 2300 JPY per person. Kansai is probably more, but I imagine they also have a Kansai pickup. They have uniformed drivers with the obligatory white gloves and snappy military-style hat..spotlessly clean large sedans.

Contact MK (their cabs and limos can be seen all over the Kyoto area)...we made our reservations with them through our Kyoto lodgings (Three Sister Inn Annex).

http://www.mk-group.co.jp/english/shuttle/index.html

Stu T.

tower,
thank you very much for the link, certainly a viable option.
Tried google, kayak and expedier "three sister inn annex" without success. We are very active and tend not to stay in our room, are looking for a clean 2-3 star hotel room for the three nights (just to sleep) if you or anyone knows of any, perfer it's close to a metro station and/or other public transport.
many thanks.

this hotel chain might interest you

http://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/

Samuell:


Here is a link to Three Sisters Inn Annex. The tariff is 18,700 Yen for a double room...approximately $155. It is near two busstops for easy travel to all of the main sights.

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Thre...yoto&w=all

Stu T.

tower,
thanks for the three sister inn's link, we will opt for hawaiian's toyoko inn recommandation for this trip.

hawaiiantraveler, mahalo for the toyoko hotel link. This is awesome, 8400yen for a clean room, looks nice enough, certainly can not beat the price, i assume you have used them or know of someone who has. The site has indicated there are three hotels in the Kyoto area, the one in Shijo-Karasuma seems to have easy access to two sub-way stations (Shijo and Karasuma)on two seperate lines, i think it's located in the city center with restaurant and shops close by. Am I right about this?
Can you or anyone tell me how far is this hotel to Kyoto express train station from (and to) Kansai (KIX), this will help if the MK limo service is indeed a better option. Our plane leaves at 10am from Kansai to Bj on the 7th, we can take the 6.22am train and arrive at 7.42, still gives us two hours to check in our flight, how busy will the roads be at 7am? Will Mk limo be faster and easier since it will pick us up at the hotel without having to transfer from hotel to Kyoto train station.
Thank you all so much for your kind advice.

never used them but others have. Be warned that the rooms are small, I don't think they even have closets. but clean as all is in Japan. I am gong to use this hotel on our next trip to Japan.

The Karasuma should be a ten minute taxi from the main Kyoto station. You can also take the subway from the station, I think its only two stops if I remember correctly. Look at link below for local Kyoto transport

http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/access/transport.html

Aloha!

small room is fine with us, price is right, thanks again for all your help.
Still is unclear what station the express train from Kansai pulls in, i am sure we will find our way in connecting the subway.