Hi,
I write from Milan (Italy).
I just booked the airticket for our first trip to Japan from 16 August to 3 September.
I would like to use Fodor's talk for the "usual" help in organizing the trip.

First question: I would like to move from Narita to Kyoto directly after our arrival. Is there in Japan low cost flights as we have now in europe?

Second question: any suggestion for our first week of stay in Kyoto (places to see, sightseeing, hotels (between 120 to 160 dollars)?

GRAZIE, arrivederci.

Gianni P.

Bonjour Gianni,

First, try to change your airticket so that you land in Osaka-Kansai airport (KIX) and come back via Narita. It should not significantly affect the price. I do that all the time, leaving from Switzerland (Geneva).

It it isn't possible, your best bet is to take the train directly from Narita to Kyoto.

Buy a JR railpass for 14 days through JTB in Milano (see here for details http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en001.html ) and use it from the 16th - exchange the voucher and book your seats to Kyoto. Total travel time should be around 4 1/2 h.

There's zillions things to do and visit in Kyoto. Have a look at
Tokyo visitor's guide: http://www.kyotoguide.com/index/index.html (and pick a paper copy once in Kyoto)
Kyoto tourist office: http://raku.city.kyoto.jp/sight_e.phtml
Kyoto calendar of events: http://kyotojoho.co.jp/english/

As for hotels, I can recommend Hearton Hotel (www.hearton.co.jp), a very good business hotel, well located, and Granvia (above the station, excellent).

If you search for Kyoto and hotels on this forum, you'll find tons of excellent advice.

GRAZIE!

Get a train using the JR pass is my first idea too (I bought the ticket using British Airways, they haven't a flight to KIX).
But flights from Narita to Kyoto are expensive?

Ciao.

Gianni P

I'm a bit surprised that a 14-day pass is recommended since you are spending a week in Kyoto; but perhaps you've posted elsewhere with your plans for the other week. I'm going for 2 wks but only buying a 7-day pass, am I missing something?

Gianni, most people take the train not the plane. On the JNT site I think they have special deals for flying but you will need to look.

Bonjour Moxie,

If you check the price, the 14 days pass is a real bargain, even if you stay in a place for a week, during which you can use it for daytrips (Nara, Himeji, Sagano, etc. from Kyoto). It also gives you discounts in a number of places (10% off the Granvia, for example).

Gianni,

You'd have to fly from Tokyo to Osaka-Itami, then train to Kyoto. Train directly from Narita is the best way.

7day pass Yen28300
14day Y45100 (1,6 x 7day)
21day Y57700 (2 x 7 day)

For my 22-day stay in Japan from mid-Feb to Mar, I bought 21day pass that I activated the day arrived at Narita to take Narita Express. Then I did lots of train travel I needed to do (to see families) and wanted to do (incl.6night stay in Kyoto with day trips to Miyajima, Nara, etc) Althogether I took the train worth Yen 120000 and this does not include a number of Yamanote line, Chuo-line train rides I made in Tokyo. Really it was a great buy and all those shinkasen were so comfotable.

It is a 19-day trip. We need to know more about your itinerary before advising you on a JR Pass.

So far you've told us that you are going directly from NRT to Kyoto for a week. That's about 16,500 yen in Japan Rail tickets to get from NRT to Kyoto. The return to Tokyo costs about 13,500 yen. That's 30,000 yen and is more than the 7-day pass but considerably less than the 14-day pass (45,100). (It would be another 3000 to get from Tokyo to the aiport, less on Keisei Rail)

Depending on what your itinerary is you might be better off with a 21-day JR Pass (or 7-day or 14-day or no pass).

You can fly between Narita airport and either Osaka Itami (ITM) or Osaka Kansai (KIX) airports. The link below shows your options. You can get two flights for a cost of about 25000 and it is a great deal because they are flexible when it comes to changes and refunds.

To get to Kyoto from Osaka Itami airport you could take a bus. Or you could take a bus and connect to a train. From KIX, you would take a bus OR a train.

I don't recommend using an airpass for the trip you have described so far: Tokyo to Kyoto to (I assume) Tokyo. The transfers to/from the airports will probably be in the range of 3000 each way. That would put the trip cost to the same level as the train trip. It would not save you much, if any, time by flying.

The airpass might be a good option but it depends on your itinerary. You could fly to Osaka on an airpass and spend a week in Kyoto. Activate a JR Pass in Kyoto and travel wherever you want, say to Hiroshima and Kyushu, then use the second leg of the airpass to fly back to Tokyo.

The "link below" I referred to is this one:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2364.h...m/e/e2364.html

Again grazie to all of you.

I am starting now the planning of our trip and I am appreciating really a lot your suggestions (and all the info I find in the forum). My current / first idea is to move from Narita to Kyoto and pass there the first week (17 to 21 / 22 August), then I have 6 / 7 days available (PLEASE, any input is more than welcome!) for another couple of places to visit and then move to Tokyo on 29 August and spend there our last 4 / 5 days.
I think that based on that I have to find out the combination between JR pass (14 days) and getting any flight....
Ciao.
Gianni P.