Kyoto to Narita train or plane?
 

Will be visiting Kyoto end of February with a 17:05 departure from Marita back to the USA. Travelling with 2 adults and one 10 year old. Is it easier to book a flight from ITM-NRT or take the train to Tokyo and onwards to Marita?

MHO. Take the train. Shinkansen to Shinagawa plus Narita Express to NRT (Narita.) You will see a little of the countryside and be more comfortable.

In my opinion, taking the Shinkansen is an essential part of the Japan experience. Your 10-year-old is sure to enjoy it a lot more than just another plane ride, and if you are traveling in February, you are likely to see Mount Fuji on the north (left) side of the train on a clear day when you're about halfway to Tokyo.

Buy tickets to Shinagawa (one of several train stations in Tokyo), which is an easier place to transfer to the Narita Express than Tokyo (Central ) Station is. Since all JR stations, including Kyoto Station, are on the same computerized reservation system, you can reserve seats all the way to Narita.

You can fly cheaper than train, if price is important. From ITM to NRT you can get a discount flight for tourists only on JAL or ANA.
https://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/transport...r-service.html

For a much greater discount, you can fly from KIX to NRT on an LCC. For example:
Home | Peach Aviation

Check-in for domestic flights in Japan can be done up to 30 minutes before departure.

I live in an area between Osaka and Kobe, and always fly from Osaka to Narita if catching an international flight out of NRT. For me it's just easier than catching and transferring trains, and walking through stations with luggage. On the other hand, from Kyoto it takes longer to get to either ITM or KIX. Also, I need to catch a local train and transfer at Shin-Osaka if going by shinkansen, while shinkansen stops at Kyoto station, which might be easier for OP to get to. The train isn't a bad option and maybe the best, but wanted to highlight some other choices.

Do not want to hijack the thread but could some posters comment on transferring from Kyoto to HND by train or plane. We are two senior travelers with luggage. Thanks

Take the Shinkansen to Shinagawa and then a cab to Haneda for about ¥4000-5000 or less. If money is a concern, then take the Keikyu Airport Line from Shinagawa: ¥410. These are the easiest routes.

I looked at the tourist flights exITM but the only available nonstop were at bad hours. I would just buy a ticket for around 600 for the 3 of us.

Tshe issue isn't so much the cost as the time. Looks like an 1130 departure from Kyoto puts us into Narita by 1530 in time for the 1700 flight. 4 hours.

Any clue as to how long it would take to get from Kyoto to ITM?

ITM airport has information on how long it would take to get there from the surrounding area: https://www.osaka-airport.co.jp/en/access/train

From Kyoto station you are looking at at least 70 mins.

55 minutes by bus from Kyoto station: [K]Kyoto to Osaka(Itami)Airport | Timetable, Bus Stop & Fare | Osaka Airport Limousine OKKBUS
If money is no object, you could get a door-to-door taxi to ITM, I suppose.

From which terminal at NRT does your 5:05pm flight to the US depart?

1) If your flight will depart from NRT Terminal 1, then, the ideal domestic flight would be into Terminal 1.
ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS 2178 - Departs ITM at 1:55pm and lands at NRT at 3:15pm (which is a comfortable connection - I believe the minimum connection is 45 mins)
If I were taking this flight and checking luggage I would want to catch the 11:50 bus from Kyoto (or earlier). YMMV

2) If you depart from NRT Terminal 2, the ideal domestic flight would be into Terminal 2
JAPAN AIR LINES 3006 - Departs ITM at 14:35 and arrives at NRT T2 at 3:55pm (which MIGHT be a legal connection - but you should definitely check that with the airlines)
If I were taking this flight and checking luggage I would want to catch the 12:30 bus (or earlier). YMMV

When all is said and done, I don't see a huge time advantage to flying. As Nishimark mentioned, flying has a lot more going for it if you start in Osaka rather than Kyoto.
I feel comfortable on the trains and I like the fact that the bullet train departures are so frequent. If I miss my train from Kyoto, chances are that I'll still reach NRT on time. On the other hand, if you prefer to check in your luggage in Osaka and forget about it until you reach the USA, you might feel that flying is more comfortable.

Since the ITM-NRT flight would be on a separate ticket (luggage) the train seems the way to go. Looks like an easy Nozomi train to Shinagawa and connect to Narita express. Leave around 1130 arrive at narita around 1530.

Even on a separate ticket,. I believe it is possible to check luggage through - but I think you are making a good decision to take the train. Connection at Shinagawa is easy.
Check for exact times of trains through google or hyperdia. I think the journey time will be a little less than the 4 hours that you're estimating if you take a Nozomi train from Kyoto.

Yes, as I mentioned above, it's easy--signage in all major train stations is multilingual (at least Japanese and English, and in recent years, Chinese and Korean as well). And you can check the schedule and reserve tickets for both trains at Kyoto Station.
Furthermore, my experience over the years has been that children absolutely love riding trains, and your ten-year-old is just the right age to enjoy riding one of the world's fastest trains and seeing the Japanese countryside and maybe even a long look at Mount Fuji if atmospheric conditions are right.
Another plane ride when you'll soon be on an international flight? Meh.

Agreed.

A question on reserving the Nozomi. Should I reserve these seats when I'm in Tokyo the week before or is it ok to book the ticket/seat shortly before departure? Is there a way to do this online from the US now?

Since you know when you want to arrive (and can, therefore, determine which trains you want to take), you might as well reserve the seats a week in advance. It's one less thing to do on the day of departure and it eliminates the risk that your preferred train is full. I'm not aware of a simple way to purchase from the US.

I think train is a way better. You jump in, and you are in Tokyo in less than 2 hours, unless u have a good connection with the flight so you can quickly get on your return flight, just go with the train