From Itami to Kyoto ..... ?
 

I've just recently had a change in plans, and will soon be flying into Osaka ITAMI. From that airport, I need to get to my hotel in Kyoto, with luggage of course.

Is there a railroad from ITAMI into Kyoto, or an airport limousine bus? Will this transfer be a complicated manoeuver?

Any info members of this board can provide will be appreciated. Thanks kindly.

I think the bus is the best way.

I would suggest taking the bus to Kyoto Station
(i'm not sure where in kyoto you maybe staying at).

http://www.okkbus.co.jp/eng/

Thank you!
 

Thanks very much, RailRoadTycoon! That's a kewl link you shared - informative, too!

My hotel is not listed, of course. I imagine that I'll simply take the bus to the Kyoto RailRoad station, and then a taxi to my specific hotel.

Once again, thanks.

If you are flying ANA try using their Ainori service. It's Y2000 door-to-door to any address in Kyoto city and also the nearby surrounding areas.

Oh, no!
 

Actually I am flying Japan Airlines instead. Oh, well: back on that bus!

Itami to Kyoto
 

I need to do the same trip on Tuesday. I arrive into Itami and then must get to Kyoto somehow.

I am inclined to take a taxi - any indication of how easy/expensive it might be?

HFLeo

Welcome to Flyertalk , Did you happen to check schedules on the Itami Airport website?

I believe that it is about 13000 JPY by taxi..(YMMV) !

Bus takes 50-55 minutes and costs 1,280 JPY
http://www.okkbus.co.jp/timetable/un...&rosen=itm_kyt

You can also use the Monorail and Railway 2 ways:

By monorail and Hankyu Railways

Take the Osaka Monorail from the airport (Osaka Airport Station) for just one station to Hotarugaike Station (2 minutes, 200 Yen) and transfer to the Hankyu Takarazuka Line for Juso Station. At Juso Station, transfer to the Hankyu Kyoto Line for central Kyoto (55 minutes, 450 Yen from Hotarugaike Station).

By monorail and Japan Railways (JR)

Take the Osaka Monorail from the airport (Osaka Airport Station) for just one station to Hotarugaike Station (2 minutes, 200 Yen) and transfer to the Hankyu Takarazuka Line Railways for Umeda Station (15-20 minutes, 220 Yen). From Umeda/Osaka Station, take the JR Kyoto Line to Kyoto (30 minutes, 540 Yen).

Cheers.....

I am with QSG. Taxi - about $150.00 US. Limo-bus - about $15.00 US. If you are wealthy, by all means take a cab. It will likely save you about 10 whole minutes.

Yeah, don't take a taxi. It's quite far from ITM to Kyoto. The bus would be way cheaper, but honestly it would also be very boring -- you will only see the walls of freeways. Personally, I prefer trains to buses, but there is no way to get from ITM to Kyoto without making at least one transfer which involves stairs and lots of walking, so if you have heavy luggage it's probably better to take the bus.

That said, if you're willing to ship your bags ahead by takkyubin, the train is much more fun. Q Shoe Guy suggests taking two trains to downtown Osaka, then another train back out to Kyoto. If you're going to do this, the first route through Juso is easier and cheaper but boring, while the second route through Umeda is more confusing but would let you enjoy the bustle of downtown Osaka for a while before heading on to Kyoto.

You can just as easily take the monorail directly to either one of the two private Osaka-Kyoto lines (Hankyu Kyoto Line at Minami-Ibaraki, Keihan Main Line at Kadoma-shi). The two lines terminate in different parts of Kyoto, so which is best really depends on your exact destination. The extended ride on the monorail is slow and somewhat expensive compared to most Japanese trains, but particularly fun because the line is elevated above a freeway, so you get great views of the sprawl of northern Osaka, including the Expo Park with its famous "sun god" statue. The Keihan line is also interesting in that it runs on a very narrow right-of-way essentially through people's backyards, so sitting near the front of the train is an experience akin to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

Yes, when in Japan, never assume that a cab is the best way to go somewhere.

It is invariably the most expensive, and it may be the slowest.

I take cabs under three circumstances:

1. I have to travel a short distance with heavy luggage during rush hour (e.g. from my Tokyo hotel to the N'EX or Keisei airport trains or from Shin-Osaka to my hotel).

2. I get lost on my way to an appointment, phone the people at my destination for directions, and realize that I am so lost that there is no reasonable way of taking public transportation and arriving anywhere near the scheduled time.

3. It's so late at night that the trains have stopped running

Otherwise, I just sit back and enjoy Japan's amazing public transport network. There's almost always a bus, train, streetcar, or monorail or some combination thereof to take you where you want to go.

Where exactly is your destination in Kyoto? We can figure out the best way from it...

Thanks! I ended up taking the bus. Was actually quite easy (automatic ticket vending machines are located right outside of exit, in front of bus stop) and cheap (1280 yen). Had to get to a hotel around the Kyoto City Hall, so the bus stop was very convenient.

The only general challenge that I would note is that for somebody who does not speak Japanese, I think navigating this is a little more difficult than expected - but still not too bad. One tip for other travelers in the future - there is no currency exchange (at least not in the ANA terminal that I arrived into) and the ticket vending machines do not accept credit cards. Ended up solving my problem by using an ATM machine to get Japanese yen, which was available. If connecting from an international flight from Narita, like me, it would be advisable to change currency at Narita.

Thanks for all the advice.

HFLeo

But - this is the way you should do it. Much better exchange rate than any of the currency exchange windows.

In my opinion, one of the most convenient options for transfer between Itami and Kyoto and vice versa is MK Taxi. I have used them and like the service.

http://www.mk-group.co.jp/english/

Good luck.

Hello all. I'll arrive at ITM around 7:30PM and I would like your guidance which one of the above three routes is best. I am traveling with a computer bag and a suitcase and final destination is the Hyatt Regency. Thanks.

I suggest the bus route. Alight at Kyoto station and take a cab from there to the Hyatt Regency.

I would take bus as it is the least complicated, and if you are tired you probably do not want to carry around your stuff while changing trains. With that being said, since you only have a computer bag and one suitcase it is possible to do it by train if you prefer (I have done it before). In that case, either JR or Hankyu is fine.

Best depends on your preferences. I can think of seven different ways to get to the Hyatt Regency Kyoto off the top of my head. How would you rank the following in importance?

Quickest
Cheapest
Easiest (as in the least amount of transfers and directions needed)

For example, I can easily navigate transfers and with nothing planned for the evening coming off a flight, time isn't important to me; so I would go the cheapest route, which for me is to take the monorail, transfer to Hankyu at Hotarugaike, transfer to Keihin at Kawaramachi, get off at Shichijo and walk (or take the 206 city bus) for the three blocks to the hotel.

(1) Quickest --> coming off a long flight I would prefer to get to the hotel as soon as I can

I am tossed between cheapest and easiest. Cheapest is the train route while easiest is the bus route. I did enquire with MK Taxi thinking it would get me to the hotel sooner than the bus/train route. But I was informed the trip would take at least 2 hours so I canceled my reservation.

Quickest and easiest would be to take the Osaka Airport Limo bus to Kyoto station (~60 mins.), cut across the station to the taxi line on the north side, and take a taxi to the Hyatt (~9 mins.) This will cost you about 1940 yen.

Quickest and cheapest would be take the 8:03 monorail to Hotarugaike, transfer to Hankyu and take it to Umeda (22 mins.), cross the street or overpass to JR Osaka and board the 8:30 Special Rapid train to Kyoto (~35 mins.), exit Kyoto station to the north and board the 9:05 (if weekday) city bus route 206 and take it 5 stops (~9 mins.). Cross the street and you are at the lobby. Cost: 1180 yen.

jib71, 808 Flyer and ninja138 - Thank you for your guidance. Based on the information you have provided, I am leaning towards taking the bus.

Yeah, even I, an Old Japan Hand, wouldn't want to subject myself to three transfers right after coming off an international flight, just to save 800 yen.