Trip to japan
 

HI,

We had a great trip to Asia in the fall thanks to all the advice from this board!

I need help again! We are flying to Osaka in mid April and will have 41/2 days before we sail from the Osaka Port. We would like to see the Castle at Himeji, stay in Kyoto and see some of Nara before we board the ship. We are also thinking about spending the last night at the Hyatt Regency in Osaka because it is a short cab ride to tranfer to the ship.

I was thinking of spending the first night at the Swissotel in Osaka, going to Himeji in the morring of the first full day. Going on to Kyoto that afternoon for two nights. Then come back to the Hyatt for the last night and maybe do a day trip from the hotel to Nara that last day. Go to the ship that evening(we don't sail till mid-night). I know we can easily go to Nara fron Kyoto and to Himeji from down town Osaka, but I'm don't know about Kyoto to the port or the Hyatt to any where but the ship. We have never been in this part of Japan before and do not speak Japanese.

Any and all suggestions are welcomed!!

Personally, I think it would be easier to base yourself at one hotel...changing hotels 3 times in 4 days seems like a lot of work, and any time you seem to save by being a bit closer to the sightseeing you will spend packing/unpacking and checking in and out. The Hyatt is well located for the port and Universal Studios Japan...but not well located for the sightseeing you want to do. You might want to consider somewhere near Osaka or Kyoto station. Both are well connected to Kansai airport by limousine bus (which is what I recommend for getting from the airport to anywhere), and from either Osaka or Kyoto station, you can go to Himeji and Nara easily.

When my parents visited a few years back, we based ourselves at the Osaka Hilton for 5 day for Kansai area sightseeing...we collect Hilton points, and the Osaka Hilton is quite great. I usually pay under 20,000/night there for our family of 3...actually stayed there twice in the last month for 17,500/night upgraded to exec floor b/c of Gold Hilton Honors. There is also a newly redone Ritz Carlton next door that seems to be very, very nice, but more expensive. At any rate, around both stations hotel options are fairly extensive.

Don't worry a bit about not speaking Japanese...you won't have trouble at all in that area using English.

Thanks,

Your idea was my first thought. I agree that one hotel would be easier! I think I would rather be in Kyoto, but the hotels are more costly there. However that takes me back to the problem that started the moving around! How do we get to the Port from Kyoto with our luggage? Sugestions?

TTT

Why don't you have seperate luggage...a small carry on size for your 4 days before the cruise. From the airport, use the baggage delivery service to send your cruise bags to the cruise ship office. This service is so very common in Japan I'm sure that for the asking, the cruise company can tell you where to have the bags sent. Just be sure to label each bag's ticket clearly with your name and cruise departure date.

If the price of Kyoto hotels is too much, know that the ride from Osaka on the train isn't bad at all. It will take about 30 minutes, and cost about 1500 yen or less. There are so many trains that the price and time depends on which one you end up on...but be careful b/c the fastest luxest trains carry a high price. Either your hotel or the station ticket office will be able to help you with the train schedule and fares or you can check yourself in advance to get an idea using hyperdia.com.

You should consider using a West JR Pass. The Kansai Area Pass can save you money, see the link below. You can't use it on shinkansen. You can't use it on limited express trains without paying a surcharge. Neither of those restrictions are very important, though, because your travel distances are not great (max would be about 1 hour). Also, no reserved seat, though I assume you could pay extra for one.

The four day pass costs 6000 JPY. Here are the each way fares for a couple of trips on local trains w/o reserved seats:
Osaka to:
Himeji : 1450
Kyoto : 690
Nara : 780
---------====
That's 2920 for the three one ways or 5840. Kansai Airport to Osaka station on the JR Kanku Rapid train would be 1180

Here is the link:
http://www.westjr.co.jp/english/engl...04/kansai.html

Thanks,

I'll check on the luggage transfer with the ship though sometimes I seem to know more than the people I talk to!

I have been playing with the cost of the pass thanks for the info.

Plan and questions to date:

I have reservations at Hotel Gravia for all four nights, but really want to stay at Kyoto Hotel. So far I can get only the last three nights.

If I have to use two hotels, we will stay the first night in Osaka. Is the Hilton within walking distance to the Bullet Train Station? We don't want to waste time getting to and from the train.

I saw the site about going to Himeji and Nara from Kyoto on the same day. That would be great for us if we can get all 4 nights at the Kyoto Hotel.

Otherwise we will stay in Osake the first night and go to Himeji the first morning and then on to Kyoto. We can go to Nara the last day before going to the Ship. (Sail at midnight) Actually this might be the best use of time. Comments? I can't Descide!

My Husband wants to ride the Bullet train, period! We both want reserved seats where available also. From what I saw on the JR pass site and Hyperdia, I don't think the 4 day pass works for us. The 1 day pass might save a little money on the Himeji-Nara-Kyoto trip or the past day Kyoto-Nara-Kyoto-Sannomiya(port stop) which ever we do. I don't thgink I have to activate it the day we get there. But JTB wants $15 to mail the permit to us! Comments? Am I really understanding all this?

Bottom line we like to be comfortable , with as little hassle as possible. That way we can cover alot of groud and have fun too. Also my husband said the lugggage goes with us-we will pack light! Well...

Please give me any comments of suggestions.

Thanks!

The Hilton is across the street from Osaka station. The shinkansen does not stop at Osaka station, but at Shin-osaka station, different station. Around shin-osaka station there are loads of business class hotels....prices about the same as the Hilton for 2 people, but nowehere near as nice. Once we stayed at shin-osaka after a flight as the Haruka from Kansai goes to shin-osaka too, but only once...it wasn't fun for us and the hotel wasn't worth half of what it cost us.

I hit post before I was done :) Staying in Osaka at the Hilton is quite convenient in terms of Osaka station...you can easily hop a train to shin-osaka station to connect to the shinkansen.

The Granvia for 4 nights sounds like your best choice though...it is right in the station in Kyoto...you've got shinkansen right there, and the airport Haruka goes there too. You can easily go to Nara and Himeji.

Sannomiya? Isn't that more like Kobe than Osaka? I was just about to suggest going back to your original plan of staying at the Hyatt the first night. Their webpage says that there is an airport bus to the hotel. You could take that, spend the night, and leave your bags for later. It would probably be more economical that way. On you last day, you just stop by the hotel to collect your bags and hop a taxi to the port. But, I am wondering how much the taxi from there to the port would be. I see that in your original post that you do know about getting from the Hyatt to the ship.

In your various plans, consider that you don't really have to return to Kyoto (or anywhere) from Nara. If you are travelling lightly, you could leave your bags at Nara station and then pick it up on the way to the port.

Hi,

KimJapan, thanks for the reply.

Your comments helped on our stay in Nagasiki in Nov so much. We walked and rode the trolly everywhere. Had a great day on our own. The one obi shop we found, was closed that day. I shall try again in Kyoto.

We have reservations at the Imperial Palace on the 21st, but Katsura Villa was already booked for the days we were there except at 9am. I think that is probably earlier than we can get there comfortbly-can't see it all. We will visit some of the other famous sites memtioned on the broad and just explore some too! I do want to at least stop by the Toji Temple Market on the 21st. We love these types of things.

According to comments I have read on the board, Kyoto Hotel is better located fot the Gion area and walking than the Gravia and a very nice hotel. And we definity want to send the nights in Kyoto.

Thanks for the comments on the Hilton. The reservation people really didn't have much info. We will spend the first night there and do Himiji the next morning on the bullet train. My husband likes the idea of leaving the bags at the hotel and picking them up later.

I'm not sure that even packed light our bags will fit in the station lockers! I have asthma and use a cane alot when traveling because of my knees. I learned on our trip- Beijing to Bangkok- I need to avoid the subway stairs as much as possible. There are enough steps at the interesting sites!

Hi,

Thanks mrwunrfl for the reply!

We know people who have stayed at the Hyatt-nice hote, but its only plus for us is the closeness to the dock. They say it is a ~$13 cab ride to the pier from the hotel. The ship's berth is near the Tempozan feris wheel area and the ferris wheel can be seen from the closest train or subway stop, she couldn't remember the name. I had the wrong station earlier, I am not too good at this. The end of the Yumesaki Line or the station at the intersection of the Loop Line and the Chuo Line Subway look to be the closest train stops to the peir, at least according to the port area map I found on the internet. Once again, I am having trouble getting information from the home office here in the States. There is always more and accurate info at the hotel information booth right before we sail (Rhiga Royal in Kyoto). We travel on our own, so I like to have at least one workable plan in hand before we leave home!

I will have to see how light is light for us. We usually have two foldover hanging bags "on wheels type" and two carryon bags. This was almost too much this last time. Asia is much less accessable than Europe!

I will go shopping soon for two bags to check that will be easier for him to carry on the steps. I have a wheeled carry on that will hold the things I must travel with plus a few clothes, but not enough for several days for both of us.

We will have to see if the lockers are an option for the Nara stop on the day we leave. Otherwise we will just use the hotel in Kyoto for storage. We have time to poke around that day anyway.

I am still confussed about the Fare$ and the Charge$ on Hyperdia. What trains have reserved seats? How do you know before you buy a ticket?

Thanks again for all your help!

cwn: Regarding the difficulty in packing light, you might want to check out Rick Steve's website for his very practical sections on packing light. He has several good articles on this. I particulary like his "backpackademia" article- if you search for that word it will come up. I am trying to walk the walk and am following his advice for streamlining what we take and getting everything into one 21 inch bag (which will be a miracle for me for a 2 wk trip), and one small daypack. I got those packing bags to use for bulkier items, the ones that you put clothes in and roll the air out of the bag so you can fit more in less space. Good luck- if the luggage is going w/you and you use a cane, I hope you can pare down the luggage to be more manageable for you. I know it will be especially hard packing light since you are also cruising.

Thanks fo the tip!

I remember reading Rick's comments some years ago. Over twnety years ago we took a 6 week combo driving trip and 2 week cruise to Europe. (First over seas trip) We had seven big bags-that's right seven! The porter helping us to the ship in Italy just about died! I do much better now-two soft sided checked bags on wheels about 30lbs each that my husband can manage plus his small day pack and my wheeled carry on that I can roll. We had cars and drivers on all our transfers and most tours in Asia. But one time the traffic in Bangkok was so bad the guide left the car and took us the rest of the way on the Skytrain. The skytrain was great and we used it later on our own, but the three flights of steps at some stops were almost to much for me by the end of the day. I know that with luggage it would have been a nightmare!

Since cars are not good choices in Japan, I know we will have to tote our bags more often and for greater distance. When are you leaving? Let me know how the packing goes. I need support on "leaving behind"!

We leave in April for almost a month. Yes, the cruise makes packing harder as we need dress clothes. My silks don't take much room, but my husbands suit and nicer shoes do! The packing bags and maybe his bag on wheels sound neat. Might be just what I need.

Thanks again for the reply!

Tip about the Osaka Hilton...if you aren't Hilton Gold or Platinum HHonors members then pay the extra 6000 - 8000 yen for an executive level room. The lounge itself and the exec level staff make a huge difference in your stay. Included with exec level price that you would otherwise have to pay for if you stay in non-exec rooms: pool/gym/sauna/Japanese bath use, breakfast in the exec lounge (small and intimate rather than a busy buffet in a big restaurant), all day free drinks including coffee, tea, juice, soda, beer, wine, spirits..., afternoon snacks, evening hors d'oevres, personal service of great staff who will do everything they can to make your stay easier. They actually kept our winter coats, sweaters, and some things we had bought (Christmas decorations) that totalled 3 huge boxes for us when we went to Bali last month and all the things were waiting for us in our room when we checked in again 18 days later...no charge.

If you are Gold or Platinum Hhonors member, then when you check in you might have to be pretty firm when asking for upgrade to exec level...they'd prefer to give you breakfast coupons...but I've always just nicely said we prefer the exec level for the lounge, and would be happy with a regular room with lounge access and magically they come up with an exec level room.

I wonder if for your purposes, the Granvia isn't better. The Gion area is more picturesque and interesting than the station area, sure. But with the amount of travelling you'll be doing that involves Kyoto station, it just might be easier to stay there, you know? Can you post a link to the Kyoto Hotel?

KimJapan

I'm not sure what you mean "post a link", I do well to turn on the computer... sometimes. But the hotel is the Kyoto Hotel, part of the Okura Hotels and Resorts on the Tozai line to Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae station. Is this the Kyoto Station?

According to the Lonely Planet Kyoto guide, the hotel is a "vast new hotel, convenient to downtown, considered by many to be the best hotel in Kyoto". The address is Kawaramachi-Oike, Nakagyo-Ku. According to the map it is between the City Hall and the River and not far from the Kyoto Royal.

Our problem with the Gravia is, on the map, it doesn't look close to the area we would like to explore on foot and we really don't want to mess with buses and taxis more than we have to. The last day will be full of that! Am I wrong about this?

Actually, I think we will only be at the Kyoto trian station on Wed when we arrive from Himeji/Osaka and Sat when we leave for Nara/Osaka port.

If we can pack so the luggage will fit in station lockers, we can leave for Nara with luaggage in tow. Store it while we tour Nara. Pick it up and go on to the port. Of course, that is assuming there are lockers at Nara!

However, my husband sees no problem in leaving the luggage at the Hilton on Wed morning, going to Himeji, going back and getting the luggage and going on to Kyoto. (Why I was asking about the location earlier) We plan to spend Thurs and Fri in Kyoto siteseeing. (no train) Then, the same luggage routine as Osaka on Sat.

We will probably use a taxi, if available, on Thurs and Fri more than the bus and definity the subway. It is easier for me and we can see and enjoy more.

I know we will use the trains to go the longer distances on Wed and Sat, but we do plan on taxis to get from hotel-train and train-ship. The airport bus sounds like the way to go to the hotel the first night. Is it easy to find at the airport?

Sorry for the long post, but thanks again for the help! We loved our taste of japan in Nov.

OK...now that I know it's an Okura hotel, I can find it! It's website in Japanese says it is 15 minutes by car from Kyoto station.

Kyoto's sites are really spread out...it isn't really possible to see much without using transport of some sort. There isn't anything wrong at all with it...except you can't get all the nights you want. I think that no matter where you stay, you'll find yourselves using taxis or buses or subway...Kyoto is huge, and what might look walkable on a map is really much farther than you think. I've made that mistake more than once in Kyoto and tried to walk somewhere only to discover 45 minutes into the walk I was still 45 minutes away, and I'd thought it was only going to take 30 minutes total. I'd recommend planning on transportation within the city for sure. You might find this link helpful... http://raku.city.kyoto.jp/sight_e.phtml