Transport from Osaka to Kyoto
 

May i know which is the best train i should take to get from Osaka to Japan. I want it to be cheap but i do not want to change train on the way.

Do i need to reserve ticket or i can buy on the spot. I will be going from Osaka to Kyoto on the 11th April. Btw, how frequent will the train be?

Claran

You can use www.hyperdia.com to see times and fares. From Osaka Station to Kyoto station has many trains throughout the day. Takes about 30 minutes unless you take a local that stops everywhere. There is a special rapid JR train that costs ¥540. You don't need reservations and you can buy the ticket at the station right before you board.

The JR Kyoto Line local trains take 45 minutes vs the 28 minutes for the Rapid Service. Some of the locals take only 35 minutes. Time between departures for Rapid trains is between 6 minutes and 25 minutes depending on whether or not it is rush hour. Time between departures for all trains is about 4 minutes. So if you pay attention to the Rapid Service schedule then you can save 17 minutes of travel time.

What part of Osaka are you departing from?

I'm not sure where i will be staying at Osaka yet. My travel agancy will arrage it for me. I assume it should be at city centre. I will enquire it from the agency.

There is one problem, how should i differentiate between the Rapid Train and the Local Train for the JR Kyoto Line? Different colour?

It is posted on the signs on the tracks and on the trains, and on your ticket.

Hi

My wife and I took a local train from Osaka to Kyoto if I'm not mistaken and it took 30-40 minutes. It was much faster to take the Shinkansen...but probably more expensive too. We never reserved any seats in advance when we were there. Here is my trip report with pictures and links: http://gardkarlsen.com/japan_kyoto.htm :d

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures