Hi,

We are trying to get from NYC - Kyoto in the fastest, quickest, and most convenient way.

It seems like we have 2 options.

1. Fly from nyc - narita. Then layover for 3.5 hours and fly from narita - osaka airport. Then 70 min on a train from osaka - kyoto.


2. Fly from nyc - narita. Then train from narita - kyoto.


Seems like #2 would be easiest no? Then how come our travel agent bought us tix from narita - osaka?

Any ideas?
Thx!

I would have thought you'd have to go from Narita to Haneda aiport (the domestic airport south of Tokyo) to get to Osaka.

The fastest, quickest, and most conventient way is not to fly into Narita at all, but to fly into KIX in Osaka, and take the frequent trains from either of those to Kyoto. 2nd vote is to fly into Nagoya and take train to Kyoto from there.

But if for some reason you really need to fly into Narita, I would prefer to take the Narita Express (NEX) from the aiport to Kyoto rather than the flight you describe. The NEX runs pretty frequently, is very relaxing, and is a lot less hassle than a 3.5 hr layover, another flight, and then a train ride (or limo bus, another option) to Kyoto station w/your luggage.

Who knows why your travel agent did that. Maybe he/she has never been to Japan and done the NEX shinkansen from Narita to Kyoto.

Or maybe the domestic flight portion costs less?

I am also looking for a direct flight to Osaka from USA, using AA miles. United Air has this flight:

Leaves JFK 6:00 AM
Arrives SFO 9:32 AM
Leaves SFO 12:05 PM
Arrives Kix 4:55 PM

This gives you a 2.5 layover SFO

Also if you take the flight Narita to Osaka, check to see if you are actually flying from Narita not Hamida. JAL has only one flight a day from Narita to Osaka. All the rest require another train/bus (not sure which) from Narita to Hamida, which most of the local flights use.

Not Hamida, you mean Haneda. Tokyo Haneda airport HND. If you can't get a Narita- Osaka flight then best to take the train from Tokyo. Don't use Haneda, as the others have said.

Another option would be to fly into Nagoya airport. I think that AA may have dropped that destination but UA still goes there. You would take a train from the airport to Nagoya station and then a shinkansen to Kyoto. Very quick and not much longer than from Osaka Kansai airport to Kyoto.

One caveat about Nagoya - Kyoto route. I did that last month and there was a loooong walk from Meitetsu Nagoya station (where trains from airport arrive) to Shinkansen platforms at JR Nagoya station. You have to get out of Meitetsu station, go outdoors to JR and walk the whole length of the station to Shinkansen right at the other end. And the stations were very crowded too (Saturday lunchtime).
I agree by far the easiest is to land at KIX and take JR Haruka limited express to Kyoto, taking about 75 min. If landing at Narita, take Narita Express to JR Tokyo (one hour) and then Shinkansen to Kyoto (from 2.5 hours). There's again a long walk from N'Express to Shinkansen - allow at least 10-15 min. Don't go via Haneda as transfer between NRT and HND is around 2 hours - either by bus (sub to traffic delays) or trains (usually with one or two changes). Then you still have to take a limo from Osaka Itami airport to Kyoto.

If you take the Narita Express from airport to catch the shinkansen, try to take it to Shinagawa to make the switch to the NEX. The switch to NEX there is MUCH easier than at Tokyo Station, esp. after arriving or when getting ready to leave from Narita. Shinagawa is a small station and very manageable w/luggage. But not all shinkansen to Kyoto stop there so make sure of the timing btwn getting off the NEX and catching the shinkansen there.

Non-stop to NRT, and NEX to Shinkansen should be the fastest. Total flight time will be signficantly shorter than connecting at SFO.

And by the time you make the connection to the flight to KIX or ITM, you should be on your way on the Shinkansen enroute from Tokyo to Kyoto already.

We are flying from Narita into KIX. So i guess we're ok there. So i guess we just go by train into Kyoto!

Thanks for everyone's feedback!

dailln4n4,

#2 option is the easiest and fastest way. By the time your in Kyoto you would just be catching the plane to KIX if on option #1. Try and change it if you can.

The others above have the right train information on the connections. Take the NEX to Shinagawa station and transfer to the Shinkansen to Kyoto there instead of going to Tokyo station where the crowds will be larger and the station a whole lot bigger. See here for schedules

http://www.hyperdia.com/

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

Aloha!