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

KimJapan,

OK, dont't mind spending first night in Osaka. So, only the three nights at the Kyoto Hotel is not that bad. Four would be better, but a longer trip from the airport that first night after a long day on the plane. It does sounds like a nice hotel. But, I think this might work too.

The big deal for us is trying to stay in an area that has some restuarants, neat shops, etc within walking distance for evening outings especially. We love to do that! Poster rizzuto on 4/5&6/2004 said that the Gion area is close as well as other spots. I know we will have to use taxis etc not only for distance, but to save time for many sites. Kyoto is a big city and things do look real spread out.

Thanks for the web site and you effort! I will look it over. I'm sure it will be useful.

Are you on the Sapphire Princess cruise. Just saw an article about it. Osaka to Seattle with a few nice stops.

mrwunrfl:

Yes, we will be on the Sapphire Princess in April. We had so much fun on the Nov Beijing to Bangkok, we booked this one before we got home.

JBT just informed me we have our four nights at Kyoto Hotel and for much less money than the three I had booked on my own, also cheaper than the Granvia.

We will definitely do the day trip Kyoto-Himeji-Nara-Kyoto now. Husband is looking forward to the bullet train ride. The ship will be at the Tempozan Pier. Now, if I can figure out the name of the closest train stop, I can figure the JR pass issue.

I also need to find out about train service in Muroran to Lake Toya and to Noboribertsu. We have found we can rent a car in Muroran. One of the guide books said driving in that part of Japan was much easier. We have driven on the left many times before. Suggestions?

Tempozan is the port area where the Osaka Aquarium is. There is no JR station so to speak....you'll need to take subway if you want it to be a train. If you pack light, no problem. If not, I'd recommend a taxi from Osaka station. The Tempozan area is quite nice....been twice to the aquarium and to have a look around. The giant ferris wheel is kind of cool.

http://www.tourism.city.osaka.jp/en/...raction/tempo/

http://messages.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=48898

might both be useful for you.

You didn't book it through BETC, did you? For the benefit of the others on this thread: this cruise is Osaka - Pusan - Vladivostok - Sapporo - one or two stops in Alaska - Seattle. I think that's the order.

So you would be arriving at Muroran for your Sapporo/Hokkaido stop? That would probably be the very end of April, first few days of May, wouldn't it. What is the big, big, Japanese holiday season around that time? You'd be leaving Osaka before that time, but might be in Hokkaido during it, so you are probably not booking too early.

How long will you have in Hokkaido? I think it would be ok to drive up there, I don't know. I took the bus from Noboribetsu onsen to Toyako and then down to Toya station. I was suffering jet lag, maybe a bit road weary, so I didn't enjoy the ride as I might have on another day. Nice country out there, for sure.

Your DH isn't insisting on taking ALL of your bags, including your cruise stuff, to Kyoto, is he?

Mrwunrfl:

Of course he is! He man-handles the stuff and knows the drill. I haven't been able to change that even after Bangkok!

I'm not sure what the letters stand for. We booked this cruise while we were on the Royal in Nov. I now deal directly with Princess, airlines, etc as my long time TA retired a couple years ago, hence all the questions.

You are right about the ports plus Nagasiki. We will dock in Muroran on April 30. Don't need hotels, just transportation around Muroran area. Don't think we will go to Sapporo. Though the ship is offerring two day trips, one own your own and the other escorted. Think we would rather see some or the bueatiful scenery on our own steam.

Isn't there a train stop closer to the Tempozan area than Osaka station? Maybe on the loop line? Looks like it on the map.

The closest subway stop is Osakako (Osaka port) on the Chuo (green) line. This involves changing trains once from the main JR line to etiher a private line or the subway lines, and at least once more to get you to Osakako. You could take a train from Kyoto to Osaka, then change to the loop line. The Osaka Loop line will get you to Bentencho, then you need to get on the Chuo line subway for two stops to Osakako. Or, you could take a train to Osaka station, change to the subway system directly and change subway lines once to get to Osakako. Without luggage, fine to do. With luggage, I wouldn't do it. Stairs, people, station gates...I'd take a taxa from in front of Osaka station.

There is a map on page 6 of the Osaka practical travel guide from the JNTO:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/RTG/PTG/pdf/pg-505.pdf

The map shows the Tempozan Passenger Terminal, the Ferris Wheel, Osakako station, and the Hyatt Regency.

"Osakako" can be used in hyperdia to search for schedules and routing. From Nara or Osaka you could get to Osakako with one stop at Bentencho, as Kim mentioned. From Kyoto you would go via Osaka and Bentencho.

When searching with "Nara" at hyperdia, note that on the Search Conditions page that you have to select the Starting Point drop down to select NARA. When searching, "Nara" becomes "NARAI" on that page by default.

If you are talking about packing all of the stuff you need/want for the whole cruise trip into two pieces of luggage that would fit into JR station coin lockers then I am impressed at your ability to pack light. It is also unnecessary because of the luggage shipping and storage available in Japan (if cost is an issue then justify it with the savings from JTB and your desire to travel comfortably and without hassle). It defeats one of the best aspects of cruising: you can visit several places while handling your luggage and unpacking/ packing only once. So, the clothing that you will have available to wear in Vladivostok or Noboribetsu or Seward is going to depend on, be restricted by, what you can carry from Kansai airport to Kyoto. I suppose you have tried those arguments. One that your husband has is that it would be unacceptable to get to the port and find that your shipped bags weren't there (if that happened, the stuff could be forwarded to Nagasaki or Muroran). You are going to be having laundry done on the boat a couple of times, I guess.

When you get to Kyoto station, you should make sure that your luggage fits into the small lockers as well as the large ones as you might find that only the small ones would be available at Nara.

In Kyoto, I stayed at the Gion Hotel. I arrived at Kyoto station at night and the taxi ride from Kyoto station to the hotel was uneventful. On another occasion, in the afternoon, I took a taxi from the station to the hotel and it got gridlocked in traffic on the east side of the river. The driver indicated that I ought to walk the last couple of blocks through Gion to the hotel and I agreed.

If you'd like to see a picture of the stairs at JR stations, go to www.billk.org, click on the lower button on the left, and on the next page scroll down and click on the photo at the bottom.

I chose to skip Sapporo, too. Will need to keep an eye on the cherry blossoms. If they bloom early in Hokkaido then you might be able to see them.

Thanks guys for all the information!

No, I don't think our bags will fit in a station locker or even several. The checked bags aren't that big, but bigger than Rick Steves ideal size. No way around that with the cruise. They aren't very heavy. My Husband has carried both up and down stairs many times. Even in the US many B&B's have only stairs. I can manage the two small bags usually. Otherwise he looks like a buro!

To make things as simple as possible, we will use the airport bus to Kyoto and then a cab to the hotel. That's not much different than what we normally do.

Back to the ship from Kyoto, there are seveal options based on your informatiom:
1. Taxi to station, train to Osako, change to Bentencho then taxi to ship.
2. See if we can get transfer on the ship's bus that leaves from Kyoto Rhiga Royal and take a taxi to hotel. There may be space available, but we won't know till we get to Kyoto. Hence, we need a back up.
3. I contacted a taxi company about a trip to the ship. They were offering Y4400/hr service. The port information said Kyoto was an hour by expressway. So anything around $120-$150 US would be as good as the ship's deal and easier since that would be at the time we wanted and door to door so to speak.

We will do the other day trip round trip Kyoto so no luggage problem there.

The JR 4 day pass is not much of a savings. There is a fee to mail the voucher to me and we still have to buy an up grade for the airport exp train, if that is what we use to Kykto. It is not good for reserve seats, though not sure that is a big dael for us. Husband wants to ride the bullet train to Himeji, though back to Kyoto through Nara woud be OK. Yes, I had figured out about Nara and Naria. The two plus hour trip for 30 miles the first time!

I hope we get a peak at the cherry blossoms in the north. It would be ashame to miss them both places. I hadn't even thought about seeing then in the north till I read another post, though!

Thanks for all the help! This is going to be a great trip. All the comments and suggestions enabled me to keep the problems at bay on our last trip. I always had a back up plan thanks to this board!

Hi, CWN.
My family is also on the Sapphire Princess Osaka to Seattle! I found your post trying to confirm from where in Osaka the ship leaves! Thanks for the info on Tempozan! :)

If you don't have all your travel plans figured out already, maybe this site will help. We live in Japan and I use it all the time to figure out what trains to take.
http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/

See you on board! :)

Hi, cs_japan,

Glad you are on the cruise. It ought to be neat! It is a great way to get to the US.

Where in Japan do you live? How are you solving your luggage problem? The car service I contacted wanted $400 for the trip to the pier! I'm not sure where the Y4400/hr was for. Guess we use the train and take a taxi from Osaka station or check on a taxi from Kyoto after we get there. I have desided against the ship transfer-think it will just waste the day! It did in Beijing in Nov.

What are you doing in Muroran? Have tried to rent a car, but haven't had much luck!

We live in Tokyo. We had intended to move back to the states this spring so the cruise was our trip home. Now we've extended for 2 more years but I wasn't going to give up the cruise!

We haven't booked anything for Muroran yet. I'm thinking of either Mt. Usu or the Sapporo on your own. I'm not big on tour buses... plus we're bringing our kids and if they're having a bad day, I just can't see subjecting a whole bus load of people to putting up with them. Maybe a rental car is a good idea.

I'm looking at shipping our luggage directly to the pier, but haven't gotten as far as any prices yet. My Japanese is pretty much limited to directing a cab driver to my house, so my husband's admin is checking on it. I'll post again when she gets back to me.

Have you asked the Hyatt if they will store your extra luggage while you are in Kyoto?

Hi,

In the final plan, we are staying at the Kyoto Hotel the whole time before the cruise and using a shuttle service to get from the airport to the hotel. We will go by train to Himeji one morning to see the castle. The rest of the time we will wonder around Kyoto. Sounds like a great place to explore. When I really looked at all the options that was the best for us. Plus it takes care of the luggage issue till we need to get to the ship.

I could see if the hotel could ship the luggage the night before, but don't know where to ship it too or how we would find it after we got to the ship. Do you have any details on that? My husband would be really upset if we lost our luggage!! But sending the luggage ahead would be the easist way. As we would like to visit Nara that day before going to the ship.

I understand people ship luggage ahead all the time in Japan, but this is a very different concept for us. Especially given the luck we have had with airlines keeping up with our bags!

I agree with you about the ship's tours. We like to do things on our own. We can see much more or what we like generally. I have a travel agent checking on things for Muroran. I have had no luck on the internet. The ships tour to Lake Toya area is the most interesting to us, but... I will let you know if I find out anything.

From what we found out, the pier is unable to accept the luggage shipment. Our revised plan is now to go to Osaka on the 22nd. That way we can ship the luggage to the hotel. Let me know if you find out anything different.

There is a neat pamphlet put out by the Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau called BusNavi. It has a “fast transfer chart” which contains columns for "where you are now" and for "where you want to go." Where the rows/columns intersect the chart shows what bus or train you should take to get to your destination. It also has a large map of the bus routes/temples etc. on the back

I found it online as well, but it doesn't print out as large as the actual chart we picked up in Kyoto. The online one is only 8.5” x 11”, the actual flier is about 1.5 x 2 feet. Your hotel or an information booth should have one. Here are the links just so you can get an idea of what to look for:
(2 pages)
http://www.city.kyoto.jp/kotsu/broch...navi_en_p1.pdf
http://www.city.kyoto.jp/kotsu/broch...navi_en_p2.pdf

Hi,

Thanks for the luggage info. That is basicly what Princess told me when I called the main office in CA. They have been wrong before, guess because they are here and have no first hand knowledge of some things oversaes.

Ok, so I am back to taxi or some other transfer service arranged for at our hotel, Kyoto Hotel, using the Princess bus from their hotel in Kyoto or using a train & taxi/subway conbination on our own. The last might work if we can control the amount of luggage and my husband can handle it on the trip. That will have to be seen!

I have been told by a Kyoto contact that the taxi from Kyoto to the pier is ~Y13000 and MS taxi service has quoted Y28040, that is a big difference, so not sure the frist is accurate. Since the ship wants $190, either would be alright. We would like to see Nara bebore going on the the ship. can't do that with the ship option.

Haven't heard anything on the contact I have out for Muroran. A car seems ideal, but the US agency will not deliever to the pier or send the address in Japanese. Not sure how easy it would be to find the rental place without something in Japanese for the taxi ride.

As beautiful as the area sounds in the liturature, it is hard to believe there are no local day tour groups/guides!

Thanks again for the luggage info.

WE ARE ALSO TRAVELING TO OSAKA IN MID APRIL AND BOARDING THE SHIP. WE WERE THINKING OF STAYING AT THE HOTEL NEW OTANI. IS THIS HOTEL CENTRALLY LOCATED?
WHERE CAN WE ARRANGE FOR A CAR TO TAKE US TO THE PIER PRIOR TO LEAVING THE STATES? WE WOULD LIKE TO GO TO KYOTO AND NARA. PLEASE HELP WITH INFO ON GETTING AROUND. ARE THERE TOUR COMAPNIES THAT OFFER DAY TRIPS? WE DO NOT SPEAK JAPANESE. WE NEED ASSISTANCE AS THIS IS OUR FIRST TRIP TO JAPAN

Hi,

Read through this posting, you will see most of our plans- this is our first trip-no Japanese either. I will write a longer response on Fri -my two grandchildren 3 and 4 are staying with me right now. I should have my sanity back by Friday afternoon!

Where are you planning to stay? How long? We picked Kyoto- it seemed most interesting and if necessary we can use the ship's transfer on the 23rd.

Hi! - We are also on the Sapphire Princess cruise from Osaka to Seattle, April 23. There is a very active Roll Call for this cruise over on the CruiseCritic.com message board - why don't you all come over and join in and say hello to your fellow PAX? CWN has been posting - and I see cs_japan and NH are also on this cruise! I have most of my Shorex planned, I am however, waiting to hear from the Pusan GoodWill Guide Assoc. and also haven't decided what to do in Muroran. I would appreciate any help in contacting someone local to drive/guide us around Pusan and also Muroran. I understand the day we will be in Muroran, April 30 is the start of the big 5-day Holiday - will this be difficult for a private drive? Should we "swallow it" and take the Princess Bus Tour?? Anybody care to pass an opinon on what the roads and resorts will be like on that Saturday in and around Muroran and environs.?
Any thoughts on a "Hot Springs" bath experience? Any recommendations as to where?? Sorry this is SO long ---such a lot of questions.. I appreciate any/all help and info. GotToCruise (aka Renee)

That will be the beginning of Golden Week.

As far as hot springs go, one of the best onsen in Japan is not far from Muroran. Take the JR train from Muroran to Noboribetsu and then catch the bus to Noboribetsu Onsen. Go to the Daiichi Takimotokan hotel where they have nice onsen baths.

The train ride is 40 to 100 minutes and the bus ride is about 15 minutes. If you get off at the bus station then you can get a map of the town and directions to the Daiichi (dye eechee) hotel at the office in the station. It is uphill on the main road through town from the bus station. When you board the bus you can tell the driver where you want to go and he will drop nearby. There is probably a stop at the Daiichi hotel. Read up on how to go about enjoying a bath at an onsen. Should be quite busy.

HI,

Renee, Hi, as you figured out I'm the cwn on the CC board. This is a wonderful group on this board. They have hepled us on several trips! I knew about the several big holidays. just hadn't realized that might be the reason for so much trouble with the car rental and the cost of the only private car and guide I found. That was for an all day trip to the Noboribetsu Spa area for close to $1000 for two! It might be fun to do the hot tub experience for the PM, but really want to see some of the county side- Lake Toya area. Found someone's trip report on day trip from Muroan to Noboribetsu to Lake Toya and back by train/bus. Sounded beautiful! This area doesn't seem to be visited as much by tourist especially English speaking, said he found no who could talk to him. Our friend who was there in 70"s said it is fabulous county!

HN- we are doing our own thing in Kyoto, using trains, taxis and good maps. There is a site, JNTO that has tons of info and Hyperdia has train schedulas. Everyone has said the trains are easy to use. Even one Kyoto guide service I contacted said we would use the train and taxis as they were better than a car! To me the best option for this area of Japan is the Goodwill guide service. They will meet you at you hotel or the train-tourist station and spent the day showing the town's sights. Go to Goodwill guide Japan and read about it. We used A Korean GWG in Pusan and a friend used one in Nagasaki last fall. It is a great service. I know we had no trouble in Nagasaki last fall with taxis and buses on our own. We will also get the hotel to write the places in Japanese for us. We are going to Himeji by train on Wednesday and probably meet a good will guide for the Castle, then we have a reseveration for the Imperial Palace on Thursday morning. I want to go to the Toji-ji market as soon as we finish the Palace tour. It may be a little late as I think the market's offical hours are something like 7-3or4. Wednesday late , Thrusday late and all day Friday we will vivit a few of the places that sound really interesting maybe get a taxi for half the day. My husband can get burned out on shrines and temples very fast. He would rather just walk around, explore of the beaten path, try the subways, people watch and sample the different food. On Saturday we will go to Nara and on to the ship probably using a train, taxi combination. Depending on how the luggage works out, will determine how this day works out. There are lots of half and full day tours, visit the Tourist sites on the Internet. To me, they seem very costly and limiting for our interest. Go to the Cruise Critic Board and meet the group. See you on the ship!