Originally Posted by railroadtycoon
You mean if the OP flew into KIX or Itami?
It seems like a lot of time, effort and money, to have someone who lives in Kyoto to head all the way out to NRT to pick up a passenger and then go all the way back to Kyoto.
Actually - I was thinking Tokyo - but I'm tired and was probably a little brain dead about the distances (a car doesn't go as fast as the bullet train!). I was thinking that his rate for a half day (4 hours) is 22,000 yen - and that he could do a round trip in a half day. Doubt it. On the other hand - his rate for a full day is 44,000 yen (don't know whether extra gas charges would apply for such a trip) - and the trip can be done in a full day - yes? Considering what a first class reserved seat costs - and the fact that the idea of taking 2 trains - with a transfer at Tokyo station - carrying luggage - in a strange country - after a 12-13 hour plane flight - well the sound of it is just exhausting.
Might be one of those travel splurges that is worthwhile. My husband and I took a taxi from Osaka to Kyoto instead of the train - and it wound up costing just a few dollars more than train tickets and a luggage transfer.
Anyway -
here is his website. And if the OP is interested - she can check for herself. I know that Mr. Doi mentioned that he sometimes picks up tourists in Tokyo for sightseeing trips outside of Tokyo - so it's not totally out of his ballpark. Robyn
P.S. To OP - read some of your other messages - and the Merrill Lynch credit card currently does not have international surcharges. That's what we used in Japan. We were also told that we'd need a lot of cash in Japan - so we brought $1000 in yen for a 3 week trip. Didn't use half of it (almost every place we went except for some small stores and some mom and pop restaurants accepted credit cards) - so we didn't get to try out the ATM card we got specifically for the trip - from E*Trade - which we were told worked fine in Japan.
P.P.S. To OP - I should mention that I am a 59 year old woman - and perhaps I don't travel as well as a 35 year old "road warrior". I was dead on my feet when I arrived in Tokyo. Depending on your tolerance for long trips and jet lag - perhaps you might consider an overnight at Narita airport on arrival - and taking a train to Kyoto early the next morning.