Japan Fall 2023- NYC to KYOTO & TOYKO to NYC
May 21st, 2023, 06:36 PM
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Japan Fall 2023- NYC to KYOTO & TOYKO to NYC
I am planning to take my mom in her 70's to Japan. This will be our first time. Due to my mom's age, I am planning to travel at a slower place and try to avoid too much change in hotels or transfer. Due to the exorbitant taxi fare in Japan we most likely going to take the public transportation.
My plan is to fly from NYC to Kyoto, with transfer in Tokyo due to there being no direct flight to Osaka airports. My question is whether we have to go through immigration in Tokyo when we transfer or when we get to Osaka International airport. If need to go through immigration in Tokyo, is 1hr 45 minutes layover enough to go through immigration?
I am thinking of staying 5 to 6 nights in Kyoto with 1 to 2 day trips to Nara or Osaka. Afterward i was thinking of training the train to Tokyo and spend another 5 to 6 night and will be fly out from Tokyo back to NYC
I heard people suggesting to based in OSAKA instead of KYOTO. Osaka is closer to the city and cheaper but after researching I find Kyoto more interesting and as I said before I don't want to drag my mom to too many hotel changes.
Any suggestion or tips are appreciated.
My plan is to fly from NYC to Kyoto, with transfer in Tokyo due to there being no direct flight to Osaka airports. My question is whether we have to go through immigration in Tokyo when we transfer or when we get to Osaka International airport. If need to go through immigration in Tokyo, is 1hr 45 minutes layover enough to go through immigration?
I am thinking of staying 5 to 6 nights in Kyoto with 1 to 2 day trips to Nara or Osaka. Afterward i was thinking of training the train to Tokyo and spend another 5 to 6 night and will be fly out from Tokyo back to NYC
I heard people suggesting to based in OSAKA instead of KYOTO. Osaka is closer to the city and cheaper but after researching I find Kyoto more interesting and as I said before I don't want to drag my mom to too many hotel changes.
Any suggestion or tips are appreciated.
May 21st, 2023, 07:02 PM
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You will go through immigration in Tokyo then transfer to the domestic flight. An hour 45 minutes may not be enough time if several international flights arrive at the same time, it depends. We’ve breezed through quickly and also been in hour plus lines.
NYC to Tokyo is 15 hours, add to that arriving at the airport, your layover and transfer in Tokyo, an hour plus flight to Osaka, retrieving your luggage, taking a 45 minute bus to Kyoto Station then getting to your hotel makes for a long day for your mother. Be sure she is up to it, otherwise spend one night at Narita or in one of the Haneda terminal hotels.
Of course subways and trains are the way to go for most transportation needs, but I don’t find taxi fares for short rides exorbitant and can save time and wear on the body
NYC to Tokyo is 15 hours, add to that arriving at the airport, your layover and transfer in Tokyo, an hour plus flight to Osaka, retrieving your luggage, taking a 45 minute bus to Kyoto Station then getting to your hotel makes for a long day for your mother. Be sure she is up to it, otherwise spend one night at Narita or in one of the Haneda terminal hotels.
Of course subways and trains are the way to go for most transportation needs, but I don’t find taxi fares for short rides exorbitant and can save time and wear on the body
May 21st, 2023, 07:36 PM
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I did think of all the time involved and was thinking of doing it the other way around. Visiting Tokyo first and then take a train to Kyoto and flyout from Kyoto back home.
However, we are planning to meet up my brother and sister in law most probably in Tokyo as they don't want to do to Kyoto. And I do prefer to do the sightseeing (Kyoto) in the first half of the trip and shopping (Tokyo) in the second half.
Maybe I take your suggestion and stay overnight at the airport. Don't understand why there is no direct flight from the east coast to Osaka airport. I believe there is direct flight from the west coast to Osaka airport, either LA or SFO.
However, we are planning to meet up my brother and sister in law most probably in Tokyo as they don't want to do to Kyoto. And I do prefer to do the sightseeing (Kyoto) in the first half of the trip and shopping (Tokyo) in the second half.
Maybe I take your suggestion and stay overnight at the airport. Don't understand why there is no direct flight from the east coast to Osaka airport. I believe there is direct flight from the west coast to Osaka airport, either LA or SFO.
May 22nd, 2023, 02:59 PM
#5
When you leave Japan they will check your passport. When you arrive in the USA you will go throug immigration and customs at that airport (your destination or US layover airport if you are connecting).
> 1hr 45 minutes layover enough to go through immigration?
probably
> 1hr 45 minutes layover enough to go through immigration?
probably
May 23rd, 2023, 05:52 AM
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I've travelled with my 80 yo mother several times to Tokyo from Chicago. When flying in to Narita, we now opt to go straight to a Narita airport hotel to rest, then next day, continue on to the city. To Haneda, we go straight to the Shinagawa Prince Hotel. I think flying from Tokyo to Osaka after that flight would be exhausting, even for me.
Not sure what you're shopping for, but much of the same things can be found in Osaka (ex. Don Q, Uniqlo, etc.), so for ease, it seems Tokyo first, then shinkansen to Kyoto, then the final day or two in Osaka before a flight back to NY. (Would require a multi-city ticket: NYC to Tokyo, Osaka-Kansai to NYC.)
But if RT out of Tokyo, I find Haneda easier. Also, maybe you can consider splitting the trip a little with a couple arrival days in Tokyo near Shinagawa Station or Tokyo station (for ease to the Shinkansen-Nozomi to Kyoto), then Kyoto, then train back to Tokyo. The Nozomi Shinkansen is only 2 hrs, and you can enjoy the Eki-bento on the way. (eki-bento = train lunch box)
We are going very soon to Tokyo and Kyoto, and other parts. From Chicago, we land in Tokyo-Haneda, stay a couple nights in Shinagawa, 1-way train from Shinagawa to Kyoto, then after some more domestic travel, will fly back to Tokyo-Haneda for a few more days of sightseeing before return to US. I'm doing all the shopping at the end, too, but I will buy mostly toiletries, etc., which I can buy at Don Q.
Good luck planning!
Not sure what you're shopping for, but much of the same things can be found in Osaka (ex. Don Q, Uniqlo, etc.), so for ease, it seems Tokyo first, then shinkansen to Kyoto, then the final day or two in Osaka before a flight back to NY. (Would require a multi-city ticket: NYC to Tokyo, Osaka-Kansai to NYC.)
But if RT out of Tokyo, I find Haneda easier. Also, maybe you can consider splitting the trip a little with a couple arrival days in Tokyo near Shinagawa Station or Tokyo station (for ease to the Shinkansen-Nozomi to Kyoto), then Kyoto, then train back to Tokyo. The Nozomi Shinkansen is only 2 hrs, and you can enjoy the Eki-bento on the way. (eki-bento = train lunch box)
We are going very soon to Tokyo and Kyoto, and other parts. From Chicago, we land in Tokyo-Haneda, stay a couple nights in Shinagawa, 1-way train from Shinagawa to Kyoto, then after some more domestic travel, will fly back to Tokyo-Haneda for a few more days of sightseeing before return to US. I'm doing all the shopping at the end, too, but I will buy mostly toiletries, etc., which I can buy at Don Q.
Good luck planning!
May 23rd, 2023, 09:13 AM
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I was in Japan in the summers of 2017/2018/2019. On all of my trips I fly out of LAX as I live in L.A. County. I basically fly Singapore Air to and from Asia and in summer 2017, I flew from Los Angeles to Narita, non-stop, around 11 hours although it's only a bit over 10 hours flying home. On the same day that I arrived into Narita and cleared customs, I also flew to Osaka-Itami on ANA.
I had already bought a ticket for ANA, but since I arrived to Narita and finished with everything earlier than expected, I went to the ANA desk and asked if I could get on an earlier flight to Osaka-Itami. I had the ticket changed, on the spot, and even decided to up the ticket from economy class to premium economy class and was put on a flight in less than an hour. According to my travel journal, the price was 8,334 yen more to be upgraded from economy class to premium economy class which to me was worth the extra money at that point. It took an hour and twenty minutes to fly to Osaka-Itami and I was provided a bento meal while in flight.
I landed in Osaka-Itami and had a reservation with MK shuttle service, mktaxi-japan.com. But, I had arrived earlier than what I had pre-booked and paid. However, no problem. A customer service rep was there and got me on the first shuttle to Kyoto. I think we were around 8 people in the small shuttle. It was very comfortable. We then went on to Kyoto and each passenger was dropped off in front of his/her hotel. Easy. I was the last passenger dropped off at my hotel, the Hyatt Regency.
As for a long trip, yes. it was long, but I personally prefer to arrive to a hotel after check-in time and have my room ready than to arrive during the day and have to wait hours before the room is ready. So, when I arrived to my hotel in Kyoto, I had an easy check in and was able to go to sleep and get a full night's sleep and then wake up in Kyoto and not need to transfer from a hotel somewhere else and deal with transportation from somewhere else to get to Kyoto and then need to wait until that hotel room was ready. But, that's the way that I try to plan my trips wherever I'm going in the world.
When I left Kyoto, 10 days later according to my travel journal, although I initially thought it was a week later, I had MK-Taxi pick me up at my last Kyoto hotel and drive me to the MK-bus/shuttle terminal where the vans were. I was then driven to Osaka-Itami and flew from there to Tokyo-Haneda Airport as it's much closer to actual Tokyo than Narita Airport.
Since I had my last Kyoto hotel send my luggage on to my Tokyo Hotel (1,512 yen for my to large suitcases), I only got on the plane in Osaka-Itami with a very small carry-on suitcase. I had to have my two suitcases in the hotel lobby by 4:30 PM, the day before I was to check out of the hotel, as the luggage transport service was to pick them up at 5PM to send on to my next destination, Tokyo. The next day when I arrived at my hotel in Tokyo, my luggage was sitting in my hotel room. Japan has excellent luggage transfer service and it doesn't cost a fortune. No need to lug around luggage like in other countries. One can also send luggage to the airports.
Happy Travels!
I had already bought a ticket for ANA, but since I arrived to Narita and finished with everything earlier than expected, I went to the ANA desk and asked if I could get on an earlier flight to Osaka-Itami. I had the ticket changed, on the spot, and even decided to up the ticket from economy class to premium economy class and was put on a flight in less than an hour. According to my travel journal, the price was 8,334 yen more to be upgraded from economy class to premium economy class which to me was worth the extra money at that point. It took an hour and twenty minutes to fly to Osaka-Itami and I was provided a bento meal while in flight.
I landed in Osaka-Itami and had a reservation with MK shuttle service, mktaxi-japan.com. But, I had arrived earlier than what I had pre-booked and paid. However, no problem. A customer service rep was there and got me on the first shuttle to Kyoto. I think we were around 8 people in the small shuttle. It was very comfortable. We then went on to Kyoto and each passenger was dropped off in front of his/her hotel. Easy. I was the last passenger dropped off at my hotel, the Hyatt Regency.
As for a long trip, yes. it was long, but I personally prefer to arrive to a hotel after check-in time and have my room ready than to arrive during the day and have to wait hours before the room is ready. So, when I arrived to my hotel in Kyoto, I had an easy check in and was able to go to sleep and get a full night's sleep and then wake up in Kyoto and not need to transfer from a hotel somewhere else and deal with transportation from somewhere else to get to Kyoto and then need to wait until that hotel room was ready. But, that's the way that I try to plan my trips wherever I'm going in the world.
When I left Kyoto, 10 days later according to my travel journal, although I initially thought it was a week later, I had MK-Taxi pick me up at my last Kyoto hotel and drive me to the MK-bus/shuttle terminal where the vans were. I was then driven to Osaka-Itami and flew from there to Tokyo-Haneda Airport as it's much closer to actual Tokyo than Narita Airport.
Since I had my last Kyoto hotel send my luggage on to my Tokyo Hotel (1,512 yen for my to large suitcases), I only got on the plane in Osaka-Itami with a very small carry-on suitcase. I had to have my two suitcases in the hotel lobby by 4:30 PM, the day before I was to check out of the hotel, as the luggage transport service was to pick them up at 5PM to send on to my next destination, Tokyo. The next day when I arrived at my hotel in Tokyo, my luggage was sitting in my hotel room. Japan has excellent luggage transfer service and it doesn't cost a fortune. No need to lug around luggage like in other countries. One can also send luggage to the airports.
Happy Travels!
May 23rd, 2023, 06:52 PM
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thanks for sharing.
from NYC the arrival airport in Tokyo is Haneda. I think ANA offer free stopover, adding the ticket from Tokyo to Osaka is the same price as roundtrip Tokyo - NYC or the multi city ticket (NYC-Tokyo and KYOTO to NYC). Not planning to stay at Osaka to avoid doing too many hotel changes. If mom is up to it I will do a day trip Osaka and Nara. Now with the free ticket, I am debating whether to take the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto or fly instead since adding that leg of the ticket is not costing more on my overall airfare.
The second thing is my arrival flight to Tokyo is 6 AM and I heard hotel are very strict with check in time, is that true?
Is there Super Mario store in Kyoto?
from NYC the arrival airport in Tokyo is Haneda. I think ANA offer free stopover, adding the ticket from Tokyo to Osaka is the same price as roundtrip Tokyo - NYC or the multi city ticket (NYC-Tokyo and KYOTO to NYC). Not planning to stay at Osaka to avoid doing too many hotel changes. If mom is up to it I will do a day trip Osaka and Nara. Now with the free ticket, I am debating whether to take the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto or fly instead since adding that leg of the ticket is not costing more on my overall airfare.
The second thing is my arrival flight to Tokyo is 6 AM and I heard hotel are very strict with check in time, is that true?
Is there Super Mario store in Kyoto?
May 23rd, 2023, 06:53 PM
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I've travelled with my 80 yo mother several times to Tokyo from Chicago. When flying in to Narita, we now opt to go straight to a Narita airport hotel to rest, then next day, continue on to the city. To Haneda, we go straight to the Shinagawa Prince Hotel. I think flying from Tokyo to Osaka after that flight would be exhausting, even for me.
Not sure what you're shopping for, but much of the same things can be found in Osaka (ex. Don Q, Uniqlo, etc.), so for ease, it seems Tokyo first, then shinkansen to Kyoto, then the final day or two in Osaka before a flight back to NY. (Would require a multi-city ticket: NYC to Tokyo, Osaka-Kansai to NYC.)
But if RT out of Tokyo, I find Haneda easier. Also, maybe you can consider splitting the trip a little with a couple arrival days in Tokyo near Shinagawa Station or Tokyo station (for ease to the Shinkansen-Nozomi to Kyoto), then Kyoto, then train back to Tokyo. The Nozomi Shinkansen is only 2 hrs, and you can enjoy the Eki-bento on the way. (eki-bento = train lunch box)
We are going very soon to Tokyo and Kyoto, and other parts. From Chicago, we land in Tokyo-Haneda, stay a couple nights in Shinagawa, 1-way train from Shinagawa to Kyoto, then after some more domestic travel, will fly back to Tokyo-Haneda for a few more days of sightseeing before return to US. I'm doing all the shopping at the end, too, but I will buy mostly toiletries, etc., which I can buy at Don Q.
Good luck planning!
Not sure what you're shopping for, but much of the same things can be found in Osaka (ex. Don Q, Uniqlo, etc.), so for ease, it seems Tokyo first, then shinkansen to Kyoto, then the final day or two in Osaka before a flight back to NY. (Would require a multi-city ticket: NYC to Tokyo, Osaka-Kansai to NYC.)
But if RT out of Tokyo, I find Haneda easier. Also, maybe you can consider splitting the trip a little with a couple arrival days in Tokyo near Shinagawa Station or Tokyo station (for ease to the Shinkansen-Nozomi to Kyoto), then Kyoto, then train back to Tokyo. The Nozomi Shinkansen is only 2 hrs, and you can enjoy the Eki-bento on the way. (eki-bento = train lunch box)
We are going very soon to Tokyo and Kyoto, and other parts. From Chicago, we land in Tokyo-Haneda, stay a couple nights in Shinagawa, 1-way train from Shinagawa to Kyoto, then after some more domestic travel, will fly back to Tokyo-Haneda for a few more days of sightseeing before return to US. I'm doing all the shopping at the end, too, but I will buy mostly toiletries, etc., which I can buy at Don Q.
Good luck planning!
from NYC the arrival airport in Tokyo is Haneda. I think ANA offer free stopover, adding the ticket from Tokyo to Osaka is the same price as roundtrip Tokyo - NYC or the multi city ticket (NYC-Tokyo and KYOTO to NYC). Not planning to stay at Osaka to avoid doing too many hotel changes. If mom is up to it I will do a day trip Osaka and Nara. Now with the free ticket, I am debating whether to take the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto or fly instead since adding that leg of the ticket is not costing more on my overall airfare.
The second thing is my arrival flight to Tokyo is 6 AM and I heard hotel are very strict with check in time, is that true?
Is there Super Mario store in Kyoto?
May 23rd, 2023, 11:31 PM
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thanks for sharing.
from NYC the arrival airport in Tokyo is Haneda. I think ANA offer free stopover, adding the ticket from Tokyo to Osaka is the same price as roundtrip Tokyo - NYC or the multi city ticket (NYC-Tokyo and KYOTO to NYC). Not planning to stay at Osaka to avoid doing too many hotel changes. If mom is up to it I will do a day trip Osaka and Nara. Now with the free ticket, I am debating whether to take the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto or fly instead since adding that leg of the ticket is not costing more on my overall airfare.
The second thing is my arrival flight to Tokyo is 6 AM and I heard hotel are very strict with check in time, is that true?
Is there Super Mario store in Kyoto?
from NYC the arrival airport in Tokyo is Haneda. I think ANA offer free stopover, adding the ticket from Tokyo to Osaka is the same price as roundtrip Tokyo - NYC or the multi city ticket (NYC-Tokyo and KYOTO to NYC). Not planning to stay at Osaka to avoid doing too many hotel changes. If mom is up to it I will do a day trip Osaka and Nara. Now with the free ticket, I am debating whether to take the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto or fly instead since adding that leg of the ticket is not costing more on my overall airfare.
The second thing is my arrival flight to Tokyo is 6 AM and I heard hotel are very strict with check in time, is that true?
Is there Super Mario store in Kyoto?
As for hotel check in times, they're strict. it's basically the situation of if you want to check in before official check-in time, then book a room the day prior to arrival and be able to access it right away on arrival day. It's the same regarding check out as in booking a room a day after check out time if one wants to be in the room past check out time.
At the Four Seasons-Maronunchi, next to Tokyo Station, I needed to check out at noon. My flight back to L.A. wasn't until late at night. As I was getting ready to head to the lobby to check out, I checked my flight e-mail info again only to be informed that the flight had been delayed due to bad weather (August). So, then the flight was going to leave even later at night. The first desk person told me that I couldn't have an extended check out time, but the second desk person granted me about 2 more hours. So, I went back up to my room, fell back into bed, and relaxed. I got lucky.
As for the Shinkansen, I've also taken the Shinkansen From Tokyo to and from Kyoto. But, my Tokyo hotel, the Four Seasons-Maronuchi, is almost next to Tokyo Station making it easier. But, the train station is huge and can be quite confusing. Train stations in Tokyo can be quite big and confusing. I was able to get off easier when going to the Shinkansen train as an employee from my hotel walked with me to Tokyo Station and rolled along one of my suitcases. He then walked me to the train, put the luggage in it, waited until the train took off, and waved goodbye. But, I've taken many trains out of the same station on my own to other places in and near Tokyo. I think I probably sent one suitcase ahead to Kyoto, but kept one suitcase with me in Tokyo.
The Shinkansen is quite comfortable. I only bought first class tickets though and it was quiet and only a few passengers. One can easily sleep and since the Shinkansen is so smooth, it's not a typical bumpy/noisy train ride.
While in Tokyo, Kyoto, or other places in Japan, as for quick take-out food, my favorite place is RF1-Sozai.....RF-one dot com. They're in the basement of department stores in the huge food courts. I probably went there once a day on all of my trips to Japan. I like to get little containers of food to go and the tiny fried shrimp are delicious. I'm usually not one to adhere to strict restaurant hours. I eat when I'm hungry. Plus, I don't really like to have to make reservations to eat places. So, I get food basically at either food courts, small and easily accessible restaurants, or restaurants inside of malls as the hours are usually more flexible and there are some good ones inside of malls.
Happy Travels!
May 24th, 2023, 09:15 AM
#11
thanks for sharing.
from NYC the arrival airport in Tokyo is Haneda. I think ANA offer free stopover, adding the ticket from Tokyo to Osaka is the same price as roundtrip Tokyo - NYC or the multi city ticket (NYC-Tokyo and KYOTO to NYC). Not planning to stay at Osaka to avoid doing too many hotel changes. If mom is up to it I will do a day trip Osaka and Nara. Now with the free ticket, I am debating whether to take the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto or fly instead since adding that leg of the ticket is not costing more on my overall airfare.
The second thing is my arrival flight to Tokyo is 6 AM and I heard hotel are very strict with check in time, is that true?
Is there Super Mario store in Kyoto?
from NYC the arrival airport in Tokyo is Haneda. I think ANA offer free stopover, adding the ticket from Tokyo to Osaka is the same price as roundtrip Tokyo - NYC or the multi city ticket (NYC-Tokyo and KYOTO to NYC). Not planning to stay at Osaka to avoid doing too many hotel changes. If mom is up to it I will do a day trip Osaka and Nara. Now with the free ticket, I am debating whether to take the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto or fly instead since adding that leg of the ticket is not costing more on my overall airfare.
The second thing is my arrival flight to Tokyo is 6 AM and I heard hotel are very strict with check in time, is that true?
Is there Super Mario store in Kyoto?
You should expect that the hotel will store your luggage until check-in time (ask, i.e. check their website and/or email the hotel/concierge). Actually, if they don't store luggage then I wouldn't stay there (in reality, I would just assume they did)
>> book a room the day prior to arrival and be able to access it right away on arrival day.
Try to avoid doing that (paying a night rate). Hotels at/near airports offer day use rates. There is a hotel at Haneda and am sure you can get a day rate. Say, check in at 6AM, get a shower and a nap and something to eat, and check out at noon. That afternoon, fly from HND to ITM - that ticket is worth at least $80. Or you could train to Shinagawa and shinkansen to Kyoto for about $110. Those are ballpark prices and depend on exchange rate.
If you decide to take the first option to fly to Osaka at 7AM and get to your hotel at around 10AM-ish then you need to ask, in advance, if you can check in early. You should also ask if they offer a day rate.
Supposing the answers, given in advance, are both "no" then definitely ask them again when you arrive at the hotel. Likely that you will get the same answers, but if you don't ask then you definitely won't get what you want.
Japan has a baggage delivery system and I highly recommend it (commonly called takkyubin).
If you decide on one of the other plans (day use at Haneda and fly or train; day use at Shinagawa and train, overnight in Shinagawa and train) then you should seriously consider shipping your luggage from Haneda Airport to your Kyoto hotel. If you do that early in the morning then I think your luggage could be delivered that evening. If not then it will be delivered the next day (so have a small bag for just what you need for the day/night stay and some fresh clothing and ship the rest).
I suggest you ship your luggage from the counter at the airport, but your Haneda or Shinagawa hotel could ship it (probably not for delivery the same day).
Actually, you could ship the luggage from Haneda to your Kyoto lodging no matter which plan you use to get there. If you have your luggage checked through to Itami, then you could even ship it from there to your hotel (this is possible if you really wanted to, but maybe not worth it).
Taxi fares, as curiousgeo mentioned, are not exorbitant. They are a good option for short distances and for getting around Kyoto. I think MK taxi, mentioned above, costs more than a random taxi, but MK offers more than just point to point trips, more of a private car service. You just don't want to use them for an airport transfer at most airports in Japan. Those fares are expensive because many airports are far from the city. That is true for Tokyo Narita Airport and both Osaka airports. Those fares would be $150 to $250.
At Haneda you can get a taxi to Shinagawa for around $35. That is affordable to many people considering that it is quick and takes you and luggage with little hassle. Limo buses can do the same. Train fare is only about $3 and you have to navigate the rail stations. I think it is an easy rail connection at Shinagawa station to shinkansen. Some Shinagawa hotels offer a shuttle from/to the station (at least some hotels up the hill do).
Last edited by mrwunrfl; May 24th, 2023 at 09:33 AM.
Jun 3rd, 2023, 06:47 AM
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If you decide to take the train option to Kyoto/Osaka, I would recommend getting on at Shinagawa as it's much easier to navigate than Tokyo station, even if you're not a jet-lagged rookie. Hotels are infelexible with check-in times but expect to store your luggage for you until that time. I've usually made use of their restrooms to freshen up and change after a long overnight flight and either gone off to see one or too sites before checking in and crashing. other times, I've hung out in a coffee shop until check-in and then freshened up and had a bit of rest before heading out to see some sites. That would be my preference rather than another flight and then getting to Kyoto by bus. (I'm in my seventies) There are many hotels in Shinagawa, some right opposite the station. If it were me, I'd take the limousine bus but with two people a taxi is probably as economical.
The Yokosuka line train will take you to Hamarikyu Gardens which would be a peaceful site or there are ferry trips nearby if that appeals.
By all means make use of the Black cat luggage forwarding service (takkyubin - most if not all hotels will arrange it for you)
I know rail passes have changed prices and conditions since I last visited but it would definitely be worthwhile to investigate if a regional pass - say JR west - would work for you. As others have mentioned, the shinkansen is quiet and comfortable and you will see much more of Japan than from the plane, obviously.
For eating out, don't forget to check out the stations and department stores. That sounds dodgy to some but the range of quality dining options is amazing and usually tourist friendly.
Have a great time- still waiting for one of my offspring to take me.
The Yokosuka line train will take you to Hamarikyu Gardens which would be a peaceful site or there are ferry trips nearby if that appeals.
By all means make use of the Black cat luggage forwarding service (takkyubin - most if not all hotels will arrange it for you)
I know rail passes have changed prices and conditions since I last visited but it would definitely be worthwhile to investigate if a regional pass - say JR west - would work for you. As others have mentioned, the shinkansen is quiet and comfortable and you will see much more of Japan than from the plane, obviously.
For eating out, don't forget to check out the stations and department stores. That sounds dodgy to some but the range of quality dining options is amazing and usually tourist friendly.
Have a great time- still waiting for one of my offspring to take me.
Jun 3rd, 2023, 01:22 PM
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I feel like I missed something on the flight options. If I understand the original post correctly, the OP wants to visit Kyoto and Tokyo from NYC, visiting Kyoto first; and using an open jaw flight to go home from Tokyo. Based on that, I don't understand the OPs statement about flying first to Kyoto (where they have no airport) and transferring in Tokyo? To where? If you use a search engine like Kayak, selecting multi-city, and for NYC (select all airports so it will include JFK, EWR and LGA) and then for Osaka (the nearest airports to Kyoto) and choose all nearby airports, it will include KIX and Itami (Itami being closer to Kyoto) and for Tokyo select all airports so it will include both Narita and Haneda....lot's of choices appear. We just returned from Kyoto out of Itami with a change of plans in Haneda to LAX. The reverse might be true if you want to land at Osaka/Itami as it appears you do want to do, your flight might be NYC to Haneda to Itami. You'll want to take the bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo, of course, after you conclude your stay in Kyoto. You should expect to go through immigration at the first airport you reach in Japan and same when you first land anywhere in the US. So, yes allow ample layover time for that (2 hours minimum, preferably 3).
Jun 3rd, 2023, 01:34 PM
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We used this limosine bus between Itami and Kyoto Station. Inexpensive, comfortable. 50 minutes. At Kyoto Station, walk through to the north side to catch a taxi to your hotel. Airport Limousine Bus | Hankyu Kanko Bus (okkbus.co.jp)
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