Getting Around Kyoto and Nara. Colin Smith

      Getting to Kyoto from Central Japan International Airport (Centrair) in Nagoya is time-consuming as one must first get from the airport to Nagoya Station and then on to Kyoto. If entering Japan at this airport, people traveling to Kyoto may want to take a connecting flight to an airport in the Kansai region. Otherwise, the best way to reach Kyoto is by taking the Meitetsu (Nagoya Railroad) and JR trains to Nagoya Station, then boarding a Shinkansen (high-speed train) for Kyoto.

      Getting to Kyoto from Elsewhere in Japan

      If you’re traveling to Kyoto from elsewhere in Japan, it’s a good idea to take the high-speed Shinkansen “bullet train,” if possible. From Tokyo and Nagoya in the east or Hiroshima and Kyushu in the west, reaching Kyoto by Shinkansen is comparable in speed and cost to flying but delivers you directly to Kyoto Station rather than at an airport some distance from the city. It’s also a quintessential Japanese experience that you will enjoy unless it’s during an extended national holiday when they become very crowded. These come three times a year: at the end of April through the first week of May, in mid-August and at New Year.

      To buy a ticket for the Shinkansen, go to the station’s JR ticket office (which has a green color scheme) or use a machine in some stations. There are reserved and non-reserved seats. Non-reserved seats cost slightly less and also have the advantage of not requiring you to take a train at a particular time (they leave every five or ten minutes as a rule, so don’t worry if you miss one). Reserved seats will guarantee you more space around you unless it’s one of the aforementioned extended national holidays.

      Only major cities have Shinkansen service. If you’re coming from somewhere off the beaten path, you will be on a regular, non-“bullet” train, but most likely you will arrive at the same place, namely Kyoto Station. This is really Kyoto’s only major transportation hub and intercity buses arrive there as well. These are the cheapest mode of transport but are not worth the trouble unless you’re really on a shoestring. From Tokyo to Kyoto, for example, to save ¥5,000 or so you will spend at least five hours longer than on the Shinkansen and in considerably less comfort.

      Getting from Kyoto Station to Your Hotel

      Taxis, including the mini-bus taxis from the airport, can take you directly to your accommodations or at least nearby but most trains and buses will drop you off at Kyoto Station. This is a massive, modernist cube that may surprise first-time visitors expecting Kyoto to have a more traditional-looking central train station. The station is large and bustling but not too difficult to navigate by following English signs. There are two information desks (marked with a “?” symbol) where you can ask for directions if lost.

      Limousine buses from the airport arrive near the Hachijo East entrance at the southeast corner of the station and those arriving by the Shinkansen will find themselves on the south side of the station as well. There is a taxi stand outside this exit. You can take the East Underground Walkway directly to the northeast corner of the station, where you will find a municipal subway and bus information counter as well as ticket gates for the subway and another exit out of the station (the JR Underground East exit). You can also walk through the center of the station to the JR Central exit near which (on your left) you’ll find the Kyoto Tourist Information Center. Most buses and taxis assemble outside the Central exit on the north side of the station.

      Some hotels or inns will pick you up in a free shuttle bus at Kyoto Station or may have regularly scheduled hotel buses. When you book your accommodations, check for this service. You may need to reserve it beforehand. Check the details as the bus may depart from a station other than Kyoto Station, which you will have to reach by public transport.

      Otherwise, taking a taxi is probably your best bet unless your accommodations are far from the station and you’re concerned about costs. Even if drivers don’t speak English, showing them the address, a map or the name of the hotel if it’s a major one, will do the trick.

      If you’re staying quite far from Kyoto Station and don’t want to run up a large taxi fare, you may want to take a municipal bus or the subway. Refer to the maps on pages 22–33 for bus routes around the city. There are a great many bus stops outside Kyoto Station, so if you’re not sure which one to wait at ask at the information desk on the basement floor next to the subway entrances. The subway system is quite easy to navigate as it only has two lines. Refer to the plan of Kyoto Station on pages 10–11 of this book.

      Part 2: GETTING AROUND KYOTO

      Kyoto’s Transportation Network

      Kyoto’s municipal transportation system consists of two subway lines, one running roughly north–south (the green Karasuma Line) and the other roughly east–west (the vermilion Tozai Line), and an extensive network of buses. There is also the JR (Japan Rail) system and several private rail lines as well as a few tram, cable car and ropeway lines that make for a colorful journey. Taxis are also a convenient option and getting around by bicycle is quite practical as the city is largely flat and manageably sized.

      The difference between public (city-run) trains and buses and those run by private companies need not concern the traveler or the average user. More or less the same procedures are used for all of them. It is important to keep in mind that both trains and buses stop running at a certain hour of the night (little public transportation runs after midnight) and that English signage may be limited. For example, the name of a station will be written in English on the platform but guide maps above the ticket machines may be in Japanese only. Plan a route in advance and keep this book with you for reference.

      Riding the Bus

      Much of Kyoto is not served by any subway or rail line and buses are a key mode of transport. You can get most anywhere by bus but rides can be long, and if you have to wait a long time for the bus and change buses one or more times, you may be worn out by the time you reach your destination. Try to identify the fastest route when there are multiple route choices (see maps, pages 22–33) and don’t try to zip all over Kyoto in one day by bus. If visiting multiple tourist attractions in a day, it’s best to choose ones that are reasonably close to one another and leave things on the far side of the city for another day.