Originally Posted by
mpetrik
[*]I want to get out of the airport, but do not want to feel stessed about the time...does the above sound reasonable?
I previously did a ferry trip and onsen visit in a similar amount of time (to Awaji island - which is no longer served by ferries). For an unstressed visit, I would probably choose between looking around Kitano
or going up the hill to look over the city. To attempt both would be pushing it.
Originally Posted by
mpetrik
[*]How easy is it for me to get from the Kobe harbor to Sannomiya station?
There's a free shuttle bus from the ferry dock to Kobe airport (takes 4 mins).
The shuttle bus timetable is aligned with the ferry arrivals:
http://www.kobe-access.co.jp/bus.html
(Top half of the page is the timetable from Kobe Airport to KIX / Bottom half is for the reverse trip)
From Kobe airport, it's a 20 minute ride on the Port Island line to Sannomiya Stn (320yen).
Originally Posted by
mpetrik
[*]I will already have my boarding pass, is there a special security line for *G?
I have not flown internationally from KIX in a couple of years - so my info may be out of date. IME, KIX security had slightly longer lines than at NRT (but really not bad at all). Outgoing immigration was much quicker than a bad day at NRT (but perhaps I didn't see KIX on a bad day).
On this thread, other posters have complained that KIX is boring. To avoid this impression, you should plan to minimize airside time. If you want to enjoy a variety of shopping and dining outlets, then you should stay landside. Once you get airside, the *G lounge is an adequate facility to kill an hour or so before flying.