We will be arriving in Osaka on a cruise ship, and flying out of Narita 2 days later.

Because my husband is handicapped, I prefer to NOT travel by train, and am finding the air from Osaka to NRT very expensive and inconvenient. Cannot fly from KIX to NRT, which would be the best. Is it possible to find a limo?--large taxi?--small bus? for 4 people plus lots of luggage to travel overland from Osaka to NRT? Anyone know of companies that do this?

i have been looking, and so far cannot find any such travel.....regards, and thanks in advance. pat

You could find a taxi company that can do this sort of thing...MK Taxi in Kyoto is one that comes to mind as they speak English...BUT, and this is a big BUT, it will cost you far, far more than airplane tickets. Even a taxi from KIX to Osaka is upwards of 20,000 yen, and it takes under an hour.

You can fly from Osaka Itami airport to Narita. Japan Airlines and ANA both do this route, and there may be another as well. There are not many flights per day.

Thank-you Kim. If we get off a cruise ship in Osaka at say 9 am (Sapphire Princess)--so could be later---how long would it take to get from ship to Itami by Taxi---and about how much would that cost.??There seem to be only 2 flights per day on that particular route.

I guess that I was thinking---air fare is about $200 (US$) each---and there are four of us---and then the taxis from ship to airport. Probably around $1000.00 U.S-total (or more). It suddenly occured to me, that maybe, a minivan with driver could do that trip???and we could see a bit of the countryside....NO????
Pat

The port to the aiport taxi is possible, but no idea the fare. Why don't you contact MK Taxi in Kyoto...if you google, you can find their contact information in English.

thought I would share the response I received from MK Taxi---In poor English, I think that it said 300,000 yen which is at least double what we might consider spending. But thanks Kim for the reference. I had been reading that a trip could be 6 hours at minimun, and up to 8 or 9 hours max.

MK Taxi said---maybe 15 hours?? pat

They need to get the car & driver back to Osaka. I doubt they can easily find a fare who's paying that much money to go from Tokyo and Osaka that exact time and date you get to Tokyo.

That's probably why they say 15 hours. You're basically paying for the roundtrip.

Yes, I think in effecct you'd pay for the roundtrip. The price doesn't surprise me. It's a service that they don't actually want to provide. The trip between Osaka and Tokyo is not pleasant or scenic...crowded expressway all the way, with plenty of traffic jams.

I am a bit discouraged. I thought that an overland trip from Osaka to NRT-could be lovely.---Past Mt Fuji, etc and maybe small villages. I was trying to persuade myself that the cost was not that importanat. Now---MK seemed to say that 15 hours was the one-way trip and NOT their round trip back to Osaka. And of course, 15 hours in heavy traffic is not very romantic.

I am now re-considering---maybe staying longer in the Osaka-Kyoto region??---

and then flying to Tokyo with plenty of time to spare. ??? At one time, we were adventure travelers---and now, we have to consider the handicaps....

Thank-you for all of the help and advice. i will continue to check this site, in case someone else has a great suggestion....-hugs to you---pat

See if the following website has info that you can use. I found it in the Japan by Rail book.

http://www.wakakoma.org/aj

The easy to find link on rail info at that site lists a bunch of limited express and express trains with wheelchair access. Theoretically you could patch together a couple of those but I saw no thru train from Tokyo to Osaka that I could see.

The Narita Express is on that list. My memory is too short but I am pretty sure it listed at least one accessible limited express between Osaka station and Kyoto. And to Shin Osaka. Definitely from Osaka to Kansai Airport.

BUT, there is a page that descirbes accessibility on the shinkansen:
http://www.wakakoma.org/aj/ui/uiall.htm#11
The term used there, midori no madoguchi, refers to the reserved seat ticket window.

The train from Osaka to Kyoto would be about 1000. Kyoto to Tokyo about 13,500. Narita Express from Tokyo to NRT about 3000. Call it 18,000 total. That's about $150. This would take some doing and might take some time, but it can be done. The scenery is interesting and you do get a view of Mt Fuji (weather permitting) and of the coast at a couple of points. Definitely more interesting than flying and it would be more reliable than a car as you would be on one of the best trains in the world, the Nozomi shinkansen bullet train, on one of the best rail systems in the world. Their accessibility is second rate, for sure, but possible for your itin.

Refundable fares from Osaka Itami (ITM) airport to NRT are around $178 with first class $25 more. It would be about $100 more in airfare for four of you plus the transfer to ITM. I suppose that you know the routine when it comes to flying, so that is a benefit vs taking the train which would be new to you.

Taking the train would be more challenging and more rewarding, I think, but would not recommend it for someone who is very frail.

Kyoto is the place to spend your time, I think. It has great treasures of Japan and you can get around by taxi or a rented MK van. OTOH the website listed above has info about accessibility in Tokyo.

Why not the train again? It'd a lot more comfortable, and much faster than riding in a car for that amount of time.

While it's not easy to get on and off the train, I find Japanese people very helpful to travelers. They will try their best to help your husband on and off the train.

Also, if I remember correctly, and if I'm seeing the pictures correctly, Shinkansen stations have very high platform, so you don't need to climb any step (or many steps) to get on the train. It's not like the US or most parts of the world where it's a difficult climb to get on.

There is no step up or down to actually board the train, but you do have to "mind the gap". The wakakoma website says that you can get a station attendant to bring a ramp to get you across to board the train. It would be a bit much asking strangers to carry you across the gap and into the car. Boarding a shinkansen is a busy activity and people get impatient. An attendant, a Japanese speaker, would be a big help but my guess is that they would be difficult to find, but maybe a concierge can call ahead and get it arranged.

The only trick would be in getting to/from the train platforms as they are elevated. Typically they have an up escalator and steps. There are handicapped eleveators at the shinkansen platforms.

Here is a map of Tokyo station:
http://jr-central.co.jp/english.nsf/doc/tokyo

and Kyoto station:
http://jr-central.co.jp/english.nsf/doc/kyoto

My knock on accessibility at JR stations was a bit unfair.

thanks to everyone. Your handicapped info has been very useful. We were adventure travelers, and in another time, would have jumped on and off trains with just a carryon bag. Cannot do that anymore----We will most likely end up flying from Itami to NRT--
The only afternoon flight is on IBEX airlines. Are those planes ok? I see that they are Canadair jets---anyone know how big??? I cannot seem to get info on Ibex web sites for October flights. They do not book this far in advance. This Fodor's web-site and thread has been outstanding. Thank-you everyone!!!!pat

Yes, IBEX uses the CRJ-100/200. Those have pretty tight 2-2 seating, and is the least comfortable RJs out there.

I've used the CRJ Ibex plane between Komatsu and Narita. Bookable via ANA's website. Plane is tight...seats are pretty well jammed in there. We had the front row and it was OK. Other rows have little leg room. You can choose your seats when you book your ticket.

Another issue with the CRJ is whether they use a jetway at ITM or NRT. You should find out, or else it'll be much more trouble getting your husband on the flight than getting on a plane.

I mean more trouble then getting on a train.

I totally didn't think of the boarding situation. In both Komatsu and Tokyo, there was no jetway..we used the stairs in both airports, then a shuttle bus to the terminal. More stairs in Narita and a long walk to the baggage area.

You could travel the day after your ship comes in. I don't understand why you would want to go straight to NRT from the ship. Two nights at a NRT is at least one too many. There is a Hyatt Hotel very close to the Osaka port. And a nice Hilton at Osaka station, not far from Shin Osaka.

ANA uses a 767 from ITM to NRT (on May 26 anyway).

Your other option is to fly from KIX to Tokyo Haneda airport (HND).

There is a 4PM KIX-HND flight on ANA.

I've used HND twice. First was an ANA 747 to Kagoshima (flight was going international after that). Second was JAL on a 737 or similar to Sapporo. Both used jetways, IIRC.

Taking the train might be only as difficult as finding JR staff assistance at Shin Osaka or Kyoto. In theory they would be able to arrange for someone to meet you at Tokyo. The Tokyo staff would know precisely where you would be on the train. You know, they must arrange it this way, to have an attendant on the spot when you arrive.

After re-reading these postings, I am still not sure what is best for us now.
rkkwan says "why not the train again"?

That would have been our preference a few yrs ago--No question!. But the cruise that we will be on starts in vancouver---heads north to Alaska, and then through the Aleutian islands, and stops in Petrovplask, Pusan, Beijing, etc,--and we anticipate some cold weather. All of this means that 34 days on a cruise with multiple climes, will probably be more suitcases than usual. I cannot see myself pushing a transport wheel-chair---and handling 3 or 4 suitcases, getting to the train and on----. When my husband was much less disabled, we traveled by train in Germany---and then from Budapest to croatia---about 2 yrs ago. It was not easy for us then. From the Frankfurt airport to our first stop, we sat on the floor between cars, and he could not get up very easily. Fortunately, many kind people gave assistance. And we traveled with just carryon bags.

On the JAL web-site, i found the plane from ITM to NRT at 8:30 am. When I try to book it, I cannot---at least not on travelocity, side-step, etc. The JAL site, says that they do not accept reservations until 2 months prior to fly date. ???? is that true???

many of you say "Why not stay in Kyoto"

Wellll---I would love to---but transferring bags, etc---from ship to hotel to taxis, trains, etc----might be an unplesant ending to a fabulous cruise.

I will stew over all of this info and thank you all very much for your suggestions.----No question, flying to the US from Osaka would have been the easiest. BUT---Frequent flier tickets in Delta business class seemed to make it worthwhile to fly from Narita, and even stay there and wander the temples in that area. regards, pat