Trip Feedback!
Sep 13, 2016 | 8:30 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hyatt Place
Programs: world hyatt national
Posts: 5,894
Consider doing Hiroshima and Miyajima as a day trip on your last day. We took the 7:20am non-stop from Kyoto station, left our luggage at Hiroshima station, spent the early part of the day hiking on the island and the afternoon walking around the peace park and the museum. This eliminated a check-in/out cycle, and the day didn't feel too rushed even though we were leaving.
Granted, we flew out of HIJ instead of KIX, but you could catch a 5:15 Shinkansen from Hiroshima and be at Kansai by 8:00.
Granted, we flew out of HIJ instead of KIX, but you could catch a 5:15 Shinkansen from Hiroshima and be at Kansai by 8:00.
Sep 14, 2016 | 2:01 am
#17
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 2,793
I actually wouldn't recommend this. Even if you take the 7.20am bullet train from Kyoto getting into Hiroshima at 9am and then you start making your way towards Miyajima around noon... imo you want ~6hrs or more from the time you get off train at Miyajimaguchi until the time you get back on the train. Trying to catch a 5~5.30pm bullet train from Hiroshima would make for a rushed trip imho. Plus, having to tow the suitcase around on the last day... what if all the large lockers are occupied, etc, etc... too much to worry about when you're about to catch a flight that night.
To each his own, I'm just offering an alternative that may make more logistical sense, as it did for us. Certainly a busy day, but I didn't feel like I was rushing through everything. (For a few extra minutes, there's a 5:45 train arriving KIX at 8:30.)
Sep 14, 2016 | 3:04 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 1,179
Thanks, Linglingfool and Evergrn.
I'm planning to send my suitcase directly from NRT to KIX and pick it up at the airport on the day of departure. That way I'll be able to travel just with a bag pack (REI GrandTour) and not worry about towing any luggage.
That said, I usually don't like to rush on the last day and I'm allocating that day to explore Osaka. Since my flight leaves around 10pm, I'll have a full day to see Osaka or even take a short side trip to Kobe early morning. That will also be my last day of JR pass so it'll work out well and I can get to the airport early evening to pick up my bag.
I'm planning to send my suitcase directly from NRT to KIX and pick it up at the airport on the day of departure. That way I'll be able to travel just with a bag pack (REI GrandTour) and not worry about towing any luggage.
That said, I usually don't like to rush on the last day and I'm allocating that day to explore Osaka. Since my flight leaves around 10pm, I'll have a full day to see Osaka or even take a short side trip to Kobe early morning. That will also be my last day of JR pass so it'll work out well and I can get to the airport early evening to pick up my bag.