Celebrity Japan Questions - Osaka to Kyoto

[hubofhockey]

We are still 16 months away (4.21.24 cruise) but I booked the cruise and now see no transportation or help from Celebrity on how to get from Osaka to Kyoto.  Now, I'm thinking the best thing to do is to take subway to the train and stay overnight in Kyoto to not avoid the pain of getting there.  Seemingly, there is no "Kyoto on your own" with transportation.  How are others planning to get to Kyoto?

[DaKahuna]

I do not understand the question.  We are booked on the 12-day best of Japan this coming November and our cruise has an overnight in Osaka, a port city.  There are shore excursions showing for tours in Kyoto as well as sites in Osaka itself. Maybe it is just a bit early for shore excursions to show for your cruise. 

However, Japan has the most efficient public transportation system I have ever encountered.  There is an express train from Osaka Station to Kyoto Station that takes about 15 minutes. 
 

[hubofhockey]

Is the express train anywhere near the cruise terminal in Osaka?  I think it would be nice for Celebrity to run buses from Osaka to Kyoto station, but I don't think that's going to happen.  

 

I know there is a bullet train to Kyoto from Osaka station and just hope it's easy enough to get to Osaka station.  Rather than go through all of the logistics, we do plan on doing it once, and staying overnight in Kyoto.  On the way back, maybe it makes sense to take the train from Kyoto to Osaka station and then a taxi to the ship.  I'll figure it out.

[miguelmia]

55 minutes ago, hubofhockey said:

Is the express train anywhere near the cruise terminal in Osaka?  I think it would be nice for Celebrity to run buses from Osaka to Kyoto station, but I don't think that's going to happen.  

 

I know there is a bullet train to Kyoto from Osaka station and just hope it's easy enough to get to Osaka station.  Rather than go through all of the logistics, we do plan on doing it once, and staying overnight in Kyoto.  On the way back, maybe it makes sense to take the train from Kyoto to Osaka station and then a taxi to the ship.  I'll figure it out.

 

I can't help with the Celebrity question, but keep in mind that the bullet train/shinkansen uses the separate Shin-Osaka station which is a couple miles from Osaka station. But no shortage of trains between regular Osaka station and Kyoto. Japan's trains are incredibly efficient and extremely punctual. You shouldn't have any issues and you have a ton of time to figure it out, anyway.

[hubofhockey]

26 minutes ago, miguelmia said:

 

I can't help with the Celebrity question, but keep in mind that the bullet train/shinkansen uses the separate Shin-Osaka station which is a couple miles from Osaka station. But no shortage of trains between regular Osaka station and Kyoto. Japan's trains are incredibly efficient and extremely punctual. You shouldn't have any issues and you have a ton of time to figure it out, anyway.

Thanks, sometimes I over worry about things not working out and get nervous when I don’t understand the native language well.

Edited January 9, 2023 by hubofhockey

[irvington]

I traveled a lot in this area, decades ago when there were fewer English speakers there, and it was very easy to get between Osaka and Kyoto, lots of trains and very safe and clean.

[AstoriaPreppy]

10 hours ago, hubofhockey said:

Is the express train anywhere near the cruise terminal in Osaka?  I think it would be nice for Celebrity to run buses from Osaka to Kyoto station, but I don't think that's going to happen.  

 

I know there is a bullet train to Kyoto from Osaka station and just hope it's easy enough to get to Osaka station.  Rather than go through all of the logistics, we do plan on doing it once, and staying overnight in Kyoto.  On the way back, maybe it makes sense to take the train from Kyoto to Osaka station and then a taxi to the ship.  I'll figure it out.

 

You absolutely do not need to take a bullet train from Osaka to Kyoto. You can take a regular commuter train for a fraction of the price. 

 

One thing I've discovered as a westerner is that Japan is VERY tourist friendly, especially from cruise ports, with easily accessible public transportation and signage in Japanese/English almost everywhere. You almost never need to take a taxi if you don't want to.

 

In this case, there's an elevated subway station about two blocks from the Tempozan cruise ship dock (where you'll likely dock in Osaka), that can get you to Osaka station with a transfer. Once you're there, it's about 45 minutes to downtown Kyoto.

 

I've linked to the Japan Transit Planner which I've found invaluable to figuring out the transit situation in the country. It breaks down each leg of the trip, and how much the total cost/time is. I'd also suggest you start reading up on Japan travel tips: IC cards, where to get cash, takkyubin luggage delivery, etc etc. 

 

https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/

[hubofhockey]

Just now, AstoriaPreppy said:

 

You absolutely do not need to take a bullet train from Osaka to Kyoto. You can take a regular commuter train for a fraction of the price. 

 

 

 

https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/

Thank you for all of this.  As soon as I booked my cruise, I second guessed myself for not doing a land vacation using both Tokyo and Kyoto as bases.  We still may do an overnight at a hotel in Kyoto, just to better experience nightlife there and take in a maiko show at night.

[riffatsea]

I've been on 2 land visits to Japan

Train stops are announced in English as well as in Japanese 

Signage uses English lettering

It is easier than you imagine to take trains in Japan

[Jim_Iain]

Give this a read -

https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/kansai-airport-to-kyoto

 

I used it on our Japan trip and was very accurate and gives you your options.   In our case we used the Limousine Bus.    They have a separate area in the Airport.   You check in and when your Luxury Bus with Wifi arrives you board and luggage is loaded into the bus for you.  At the other end your bus is met by about 6 luggage handlers who bow to the bus and then unloads luggage and hands to you.

 

Taxi to the terminal or hotel are plentiful and reasonable.   Drivers are very polite and usually wear white gloves.

 

Also while not very visible they offer a Senior Rate which is a good discount.

Edited January 9, 2023 by Jim_Iain

[AstoriaPreppy]

1 hour ago, hubofhockey said:

Thank you for all of this.  As soon as I booked my cruise, I second guessed myself for not doing a land vacation using both Tokyo and Kyoto as bases.  We still may do an overnight at a hotel in Kyoto, just to better experience nightlife there and take in a maiko show at night.

 

TBH, I think the *best* way to see Japan on a first visit may be on a cruise? So much of the nation is port cities that are incredibly accessible... you almost never run into the European/Med thing of being in a huge industrial port with nothing walkable, or a hour away from anything good. The one exception is the "new" cruise port in Yokohama that Celebrity uses (it's not the downtown one). It's in an industrial/car storage island that isn't walkable to anything, and public transportation there is not great.

 

 

[DaKahuna]

12 hours ago, hubofhockey said:

Thanks, sometimes I over worry about things not working out and get nervous when I don’t understand the native language well.

 

 Cannot guarantee that we will be going to Kyoto from Osaka on our own but if we do not cancel, we are scheduled on Millennium November 5th with the overnight stay in Osaka.  I will be doing a "live" or semi-live post of that cruise here.  

 

 Since my wife is Japanese, I leave any excursions and on-shore transportation decisions to her. 

 

 

[smtcan]

Japan travel is very easy.  Just before COVID we took the Vancouver to Yokohama transpacific cruise then toured Kyoto, Nara, Mount Fuji and Tokyo independently.  We were in our mid seventies, so not adventurous youngsters, but we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  We travelled by train and had our luggage shipped from place to place so we had only small bags to carry.  The shipping cost was about $20 per case for same day service.  I would not worry about public transport in Japan.  It is safe, with good signage in several languages including English and always on time. Even local buses have signage, just be sure to sit where you can see it.