them.
Yasaka Taxi runs a door-to-door Kansai Airport Shuttle service from around 7.30 am to 9 pm. This is a shared mini-bus taxi with a maximum capacity of nine people, which at ¥3,500 per adult (children under 6 on laps free, children under 12 half price, students and seniors ¥3,000) is only a bit more expensive than the bus or train and will take you directly to your accommodations. They will also take you back to the airport when you depart. One large piece of luggage per person, plus carry-on bag, is free, with a ¥1,000 surcharge for additional large bags. Reservations must be made at least two days in advance: call +81-75-803-4800 or visit the Yasaka Taxi website: www.yasaka.jp/english/shuttle/.
Another company, MK Taxi, runs a service similar in both prices and particulars. Unlike Yasaka, their MK Skygate Shuttle service serves Osaka Itami Airport as well for ¥2,300 per person. Make reservations at least two days in advance at +81-75-778-5489 (9 am–6 pm) or online at www.mk-group.co.jp/english/shuttle/.
Both of these companies have counters right near the south exit of the International Arrivals lobby at Kansai Airport, which you will enter after clearing customs. It should be noted that they will not go to certain more out-of-the-way areas, and if your flight is considerably delayed they will leave without you as there will be other passengers sharing the ride. These points aside, this is an attractive option, especially for those with large families or lots of luggage. Just be sure to make reservations in advance.
Arriving at Osaka International (Itami) Airport
If you are flying from elsewhere in Japan and arriving at Osaka Itami Airport, the options are similar. Osaka Airport Limousine buses to Kyoto Station depart from bus stop no. 5 outside the north terminal and bus stop no. 15 outside the south terminal. Buses take about 50 minutes and cost ¥1,280 (purchase tickets from a vending machine). They run from about 8 am to 9 pm.
If you arrive early in the morning or late at night, trains (running from around 6 am to midnight) are an option, but there are none directly to Kyoto. You must take the Osaka Monorail to Hotarugaike Station and change to the Hankyu Kyoto Line. MK Taxi also operates shuttles from Osaka Itami Airport. (For contact details, see page 7.)
From any airport or major train station, normal taxis are available 24 hours a day. These will be more expensive though most offer flat fares from the airports to Kyoto Station, which are a good deal cheaper than a normal metered fare would be. A reasonable fare would be about ¥13,000–¥15,000 from Kansai Airport and around ¥9,000 from Osaka Itami Airport. Taxis can be found near the limousine bus stands outside the passenger terminal at Kansai or Osaka Itami airports.
Arriving at Kobe and Nagoya Airports
Another smaller domestic airport in the region is Kobe Airport. It’s a little farther away from Kyoto and doesn’t have the limousine bus or mini-bus taxi services that Kansai and Osaka airports have. However, it is feasible to reach Kyoto by train. Take the Port Liner train (directly connected to the airport terminal) to Sannomiya in Kobe and change to the JR Kyoto Line to Kyoto Station. It takes about 100 minutes and costs around ¥1,400.
Getting to Kyoto from Central Japan International Airport (Centrair) in Nagoya is time-consuming as one must first get from the airport to Nagoya Station and then on to Kyoto. If entering Japan at this airport, people traveling to Kyoto may want to take a connecting flight to an airport in the Kansai region. Otherwise, the best way to reach Kyoto is by taking the Meitetsu (Nagoya Railroad) and JR trains to Nagoya Station, then boarding a Shinkansen (high-speed train) for Kyoto.
Getting to Kyoto from Elsewhere in Japan
If you’re traveling to Kyoto from elsewhere in Japan, it’s a good idea to take the high-speed Shinkansen “bullet train,” if possible. From Tokyo and Nagoya in the east or Hiroshima and Kyushu in the west, reaching Kyoto by Shinkansen is comparable in speed and cost to flying but delivers you directly to Kyoto Station rather than at an airport some distance from the city. It’s also a quintessential Japanese experience that you will enjoy unless it’s during an extended national holiday when they become very crowded. These come three times a year: at the end of April through the first week of May, in mid-August and at New Year.
To buy a ticket for the Shinkansen, go to the station’s JR ticket office (which has a green color scheme) or use a machine in some stations. There are reserved and non-reserved seats. Non-reserved seats cost slightly less and also have the advantage of not requiring you to take a train at a particular time (they leave every five or ten minutes as a rule, so don’t worry if you miss one). Reserved seats will guarantee you more space around you unless it’s one of the aforementioned extended national holidays.
Only major cities have Shinkansen service. If you’re coming from somewhere off the beaten path, you will be on a regular, non-“bullet” train, but most likely you will arrive at the same place, namely Kyoto Station. This is really Kyoto’s only major transportation hub and intercity buses arrive there as well. These are the cheapest mode of transport but are not worth the trouble unless you’re really on a shoestring. From Tokyo to Kyoto, for example, to save ¥5,000 or so you will spend at least five hours longer than on the Shinkansen and in considerably less comfort.
Getting from Kyoto Station to Your Hotel
Taxis, including the mini-bus taxis from the airport, can take you directly to your accommodations or at least nearby but most trains and buses will drop you off at Kyoto Station. This is a massive, modernist cube that may surprise first-time visitors expecting Kyoto to have a more traditional-looking central train station. The station is large and bustling but not too difficult to navigate by following English signs. There are two information desks (marked with a “?” symbol) where you can ask for directions if lost.
Limousine buses from the airport arrive near the Hachijo East entrance at the southeast corner of the station and those arriving by the Shinkansen will find themselves on the south side of the station as well. There is a taxi stand outside this exit. You can take the East Underground Walkway directly to the northeast corner of the station, where you will find a municipal subway and bus information counter as well as ticket gates for the subway and another exit out of the station (the JR Underground East exit). You can also walk through the center of the station to the JR Central exit near which (on your left) you’ll find the Kyoto Tourist Information Center. Most buses and taxis assemble outside the Central exit on the north side of the station.
Some hotels or inns will pick you up in a free shuttle bus at Kyoto Station or may have regularly scheduled hotel buses. When you book your accommodations, check for this service. You may need to reserve it beforehand. Check the details as the bus may depart from a station other than Kyoto Station, which you will have to reach by public transport.
Otherwise, taking a taxi is probably your best bet unless your accommodations are far from the station and you’re concerned about costs. Even if drivers don’t speak English, showing them the address, a map or the name of the hotel if it’s a major one, will do the trick.
If you’re staying quite far from Kyoto Station and don’t want to run up a large taxi fare, you may want to take a municipal bus or the subway. Refer to the maps on pages 22–33 for bus routes around the city. There are a great many bus stops outside Kyoto Station, so if you’re not sure which one to wait at ask at the information desk on the basement floor next to the subway entrances. The subway system is quite easy
