We are planning a trip to Japan around Dec and would like to know the best way to do our trip. My plan is as follows:
Tokyo - Niseko: flight to Sapporo first then bus
Niseko - Kyoto: flight to Osaka then train to Kyoto
Kyoto - Tokyo: flight from Osaka
We are there for about 3 weeks and are travelling with 2 kids (10 & 13). I have not used the trains before so am sure if we are better off flying or just do the above journeys by train.
Any travel advice and places to visit are much appreciated.
Hi there!
Hokkaido is pretty far away from Tokyo (10 hours by rail to Sapporo) and even further from Kyoto and Osaka, so I think think that the best way to travel there with kids would be to fly. However the last part Kyoto - Tokyo is in my opinion best travel by rail, a train connection between Kyoto - Tokyo takes about 140 minutes and you don't have all the airport hassle about check-in on time. The fare is ¥ 13,520 for one way, kids below 12 pay half price.
I hope this helps!
Daniel
Thank you for your help. Are there any places that you would recommend to visit during Dec? Thanks.
Hi again!
Consider a visit to the Kobe Luminarie which is a beautiful light show commemorating the Great Hanshin earthquake. It's is a very beautiful show and many people from all of Japan come to visit it. I would certainly recommend taking your kids there if you have a change.
Thank you, we'd definitely do that. We could go from Kobe to Kyoto directly by JR trains?
Yes you can take a direct train from Kyoto to Kobe, this line is called the Shinkaisoku and and will take you directly from Kyoto - Osaka - Kobe in an hour. Note that the central station is called Sannomiya (and not actually Kobe).
Thank you for your help. I am thinking rather flying to Osaka then going to Kobe/Kyoto, is there anywhere you would recommend to go enroute from Kyoto to Kobe, that way we could do the journey by train and maybe buy a JR Pass instead of having the hassel of going to airports and etc? Thanks!
Hi Again!
Kobe - Osaka - Kyoto are all on the same train line and you will always travel via Osaka if you go to Kobe. I have marked the 3 places on a map so you can get a feel for the distances.
Travel between Kyoto - Osaka takes about 30 minutes and an other 30 minutes from Osaka - Kobe so you can reach Kobe from Kyoto in an hour.
However if you want my recommendation for recommendation, make a visit to Hiroshima (for the The peace memorial museum) and Miyajima, you could do this as a day trip from Kyoto/Osaka or spend the night there. A JR Pass would also become worth it, if you make this trip!
Hope this helps!
Daniel
Thanks once agin!
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