SanDiego1K

Excellent suggestion, and now done.

SanDiego1K
Senior Moderator

valve bouncer

Plus you can wander over to the hotel, there must be another 12-15 restaurants over there as well. There used to be a pretty good izakaya (iirc) there. I once spent a 6-7 hour wait there getting thoroughly sloshed. Nice view out over the water.^

Chapel Hill Guy

My experience is the only thing I have to go on, so how could it be "confused"?

As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think the airport is ugly and bland. You don't. So be it.

Hey, did I mention how much we liked Dotonbori?

jib71

I didn't write that your experience was confused. I wrote that I thought that you were confused. My guess was that if you had spent more time landside (where there are more things to do) and less time airside (where one can get bored, frankly) you might have had a more pleasant time at the airport - and you might be able to separate your opinion of the airside facilities from your opinion of the airport's aesthetic qualities.

Similar things have happened to me: The first time I visited Cambridge (England) on a school trip, I was scolded by one of my teachers for my "inappropriate attire". The incident upset me - so I spent the entire day in a funk and hated everything. On my second visit I was surprised to discover how beautiful I found the place. ("The scales fell from my eyes" - as they say).

I think that Renzo Piano's terminal building is stunning. I love the graceful arch; the high ceilings; the light, airy spaceousness; the simplicity of the place. I encourage you to take another look next time you visit.

BTW - I think your comments about going airside early and finding nothing to do are very helpful. Perhaps they will save someone else from going through the same experience.

Why don't you tell us why? That might be helpful too.

Chapel Hill Guy

This was my entire point. Unlike a lot of folks, I don't get to an airport early so I can hang around, lounge hop, etc., particularly with security these days.

We were departing and airports are, well, just airports. There is almost nothing airside.

I guess you picked up that we enjoyed Dotonbori. Neon, food, crowds, sights. Great place. ^

mosburger

Like Samuel Johnson mumbled in an unnoticed moment:" When a man is tired of Kansai Aiport..."

ksandness

At the risk of being redundant, I suggest taking the Nankai Express to Namba/Dotonbori. Walk north down the main street from Namba station, and you'll find canals and side streets full of intriguing little shops and restaurants and bars.

The ride will take you through suburban and exurban Japan, as well as a lot of concrete jungle city.

mpetrik

I have a 10 hour layover (6:30-16:30) in KIX on an upcoming Thursday.

Read the threads and the Kobe option using the ferry sounds the most interesting to me...mostly cus I am not a shopper.

Thinking about wandering around Kitano then perhaps take the Shin-Kobe rope to check out the view.

A few questions:

• I want to get out of the airport, but do not want to feel stessed about the time...does the above sound reasonable?
• How easy is it for me to get from the Kobe harbor to Sannomiya station?
• I will already have my boarding pass, is there a special security line for *G?
• If so, how much time should I allow myself once landing at KIX on the ferry?
• If not, how much time?

Thx.

SJUAMMF

Since most shops open at 1000 and you need to be back to the airport by 1500; you need to catch the train by 1400. So you have 4 hours or so. Taking the Nankai line to Namba is definitely doable and 4 hours is plenty.

Taking the boat to Kobe is much more involved with shuttle bus and taxi on both ends.

jib71

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.
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).
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.

mpetrik

I appreciate the link to the ferry site, but I do not see an English version to get the timetable...any idea what time the ferries begin from Kix to Kobe airport? I imagine I will get to the ferry around 7:30-8am...

mosburger

http://www.kobe-access.co.jp/timetable.html

From left: Dep.Kobe Arr.Kansai Dep.Kansai Arr.Kobe

So the first boat from kansai departs at 7:15 am and then 8:00 am, 8:45 am and so on.

abraxis

I too will be stuck at KIX for 8.5 hours. After going through all three pages of this dusty thread, I've not found what I'm looking for...

Are there onsen in the nearby town adjacent to KIX? Compared to the onsen in Osaka, are they OK? Or should I just head into Osaka for a soak and food instead?

jib71

Couple of local onsen recommended in here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/japan...ur-lounge.html

When you say "Onsen in Osaka", do you mean an urban sauna-and-bath type place in Osaka City? I'd much rather soak in a more rural setting near the airport.

abraxis

Well, a rural setting would be preferred, as long as it doesn't require a 2 hour journey each way...that's why I also threw in the Osaka option, just in case.