jib71

Osaka is no more convenient than Kyoto for access to Nara. (Strictly speaking, I suppose it depends which part of Osaka you stay in). Making a trip to Nara is not a reason to move hotels to Osaka IMO.

That depends. I assume that you're arriving at KIX, since you mentioned taking the train to Kyoto - Are you departing from NRT or do you need to travel back to KIX? The full-country, 7-day JR pass costs about the same as a roundtrip between Osaka and Tokyo.

pointspinnacle

Thanks jib. Arrive Narita, depart Narita for our flights. I have booked our rooms already in kyoto and osaka and there is no penalty to cancel them but i may just keep as we dint mind changing properties at all. I have yet to book anything Tokyo yet but have a good idea where we will book.

emma69

You could send your luggage ahead to Tokyo, and spend a night in the Fuji area - I did this, and it worked very smoothly.

pointspinnacle

Thanks for the advice Emma. How does that work exactly? Who handles that? The hotels? The train company?

emma69

There are at least a couple of companies that do this, not related to hotels or trains, more a stand alone (think a domestic FedEx type idea) as I used two different ones during my trip. I spoke to the concierge in the hotel, he filled out the paper form for me (they will need the hotel you are sending the bag to's information, address, the name your reservation is under etc.) I was told you don't need to let the arrival hotel know as they literally deal with hundreds of these a week.

Then when you are ready, you drop the bag and the form down to the bell boy desk, and they arrange with the bag courier company to collect your bag. You are given a receipt (carbon of the paper form) you should keep just in case. One I paid cash to the bell desk, the other I charged to my room bill.

It took a day to transport the bags between Tokyo and Kyoto - so I dropped the bag Saturday morning in Tokyo, it arrived in Kyoto Sunday afternoon. One of the companies had a tracking site online, but I am afraid I don't remember the name.

abmj-jr

It is called takkyubin service and is the standard way most Japanese travelers deal with large luggage. They send it ahead and travel with only a light overnight bag. Yamato is the largest but there are several companies and all are reliable. You can send the bag ahead several days if needed and the hotel at the other end will hold it for your arrival. The front desk at almost any hotel can handle the details for you. You could even send bags ahead from NRT to Kyoto as there are takkyubin counters in the arrivals area of the airport. That might not work the best in your case as you are going directly to Kyoto and the bags would take a day to catch up with you.

I am sure you realize this but just to be sure - you can't take a train "from NRT to Kyoto." You must take an airport train from NRT into Tokyo and then board the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto or Osaka. For a direct move from NRT to Kyoto, the better choice of transfer station is Shinagawa Station, not Tokyo Station. The process would be to pass through Immigration, pick up luggage, pass through Customs, exchange money or visit an ATM for cash, visit the basement floor Japan Rail Service Center to exchange your Rail Pass and make seat reservations for both trains, take the Narita Express train to Shinagawa (about 1 hour,) transfer to the Kyoto-bound train (about 2-1/2 hours,) arrive Kyoto Station.

Since you will be using the Narita Express and doing the round trip to/from Kyoto-Osaka, the Japan Rail 7-day ordinary Pass will save you money. You must purchase the Rail Pass before you arrive in Japan and exchange the paper order for the actual Rail Pass after you get there. With the Rail Pass, all long distance travel as well as the trip from Kyoto to Osaka (about 30-45 minutes) and any day trips, such as to Nara, etc., are covered for free on JR trains. For local trains, you do not even need tickets. Just walk on the desired train and show your Rail Pass. If you elect not to purchase a Rail Pass, you just buy tickets for everything as you go.

pointspinnacle

Much appreciated thanks cor the info Emma!

Wow, excellent reply and information!! Thank you very much as this will help us get on our way when landing at Narita!!! Love a nice consice, polite post like yours!