We're spending 3 nights and 4 days in Kyoto and are considering a day trip to Hiroshima. Is this a do-able day trip?

dcman2

Kyoto-Hiroshima is 1.5hrs by Shinkansen. I'd say it'd doable.

It is a long day but it is doable. It's not cheap, however, the one way train ticket is Y11,090.

A JR West Sanyo pass is valid for 4 consecutive days and costs Y20,000, less than the round trip fare between Kyoto and Hiroshima. This is what you would want. It is the only type of JR pass that is valid even on the fastest shinkansen.

http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/tr...on/pass/sanyo/

Start early in the morning and plan out your route ahead of time. Neither the Atom Bomb Museum nor Miyajima (the two main reasons most people visit Hiroshima) is near Hiroshima Station.

Thank you! dcman2

Note that the JR West Sanyo pass is valid on Shinkansens from Shin-Osaka westwards. So you have to take slower train between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka and change. It increases total travel time to little over two hours each way when direct Nozomi is little over hour and a half.

I managed to do a daytrip from Kyoto to Hiroshima and Miyajima using a Japan Rail Pass. It was a full day but I was able to see the key sites and enjoy a Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki dinner before getting on the bullet train back to Kyoto.

Thanks, I didn't realize that, but if one looks carefully at the map, it shows it. I guess it is because JR Central is still operating the train on that sector. At least you should be able to take the Haruka limited express between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka.

The limited express Haruka from Kyoto to Shin-Osaka would cost �1680 because all of the seats are reserved. It also takes 29 minutes.

The shin-kaisoku train would be a better option at �540 yen and 23 minutes (increasing to 26 minutes at morning rush hour), and it runs at 15 minute intervals (even more frequently at morning rush hour).

The shinkansen takes 14 minutes from Kyoto to Shin-Osaka, so using the shin-kaisoku with the JR West Sanyo pass would add 15-20 minutes to the journey (including time to change at Shin-Osaka, maybe a bit longer for someone not familiar with how to do it) with a savings of �550 per person each way.

Given your nick, I hesitate to contradict you, but the web page for the Sanyo pass specifically states that it includes reserved seats on the Haruka.

Also, the Haruka had a LOT of unreserved seats -- maybe up to half the train -- the last time I took it from Kyoto (and from KIX) as well. That was last November when I last used it, did it change since then?

Even the Y2000 Kansai one day pass includes unreserved seats on the Haruka.

It is interesting that it takes 6 minutes longer than the regular train, however, but it is a lot more comfortable on the Haruka.

My apologies. The site I was using defaulted to reserved seats and I wrongly assumed that it was all reserved similar to the Nankai ltd express.

And you are also correct that the Sanyo pass includes both reserved and unreserved seats on the Haruka between KIX and Kyoto, so there would be no extra charge for the OP using the Haruka from Kyoto to Shin-Osaka. You are also very correct in saying that the Haruka would be more comfortable, especially since the shin-kaisoku if often quite crowded. The only drawback with the Haruka is that it runs at 30 minute intervals.

And of course the shin-kaisoku is also included in the Sanyo pass.

Sorry for the misinformation. I was thinking from a resident viewpoint and was too lazy to check out the advantages to visitors.